Ein unverbesserlicher Dickkopf (2007)

Balthasar Pelkofer once built a small business out of his father’s nursery. When his wife died almost ten years ago, the energetic man began living only for his flowers. That makes it all the more painful for him to have to give up his business. He simply can’t compete with the garden center’s lower prices. But he refuses to give up, believing he’ll quickly find work again. He even turns down his daughter Maxi’s offer of help. Yet however stubborn Balthasar may be, he continues to fail. His attempt to get a permanent job at the garden center he dislikes falls through on his very first day. Instead, he now has to sublet his beloved villa to make ends meet. The architect couple Claire and Guido Mortensen move in, while Balthasar himself lives in the basement apartment. There he meets Claire’s mother, Annette Eggers. She gives him advice on how to get his life back on track, and the two grow closer. Balthasar invites Annette on a trip to the Eifel, but it doesn’t quite go as he had imagined. Years have passed since his last visit, and much has changed there in the meantime. As a result, the harmony between them suffers, and Balthasar has to make a great effort to reconcile with Annette. He succeeds because he finally takes his daughter’s advice to put himself in other people’s shoes and understand their feelings. Then, when Balthasar also learns from his daughter that he is going to be a grandfather, his little world is finally back in order.