Le huitième jour (1996)

Georges (Pascal Duquenne) sees himself as a Mongol (an inhabitant of Mongolia), not as someone with Down syndrome. He is determined to find his mother, of whom he has only an address. Despite the excessive supervision by the guards at the residence where he lives, he manages to escape with the guard dog. Harry (Daniel Auteuil) has devoted himself body and soul to his job seven days a week ever since separating from his wife (Miou-Miou) and losing custody of his two daughters, whom he would like to spend more time with. As he is driving home, seriously considering ending his life by causing a car accident, he hits the dog accompanying Georges. Georges sees Harry as a friend because he is the first and only person willing to take him along. After burying the dog in the garden, Georges asks Harry to take him to see his mother, but Harry refuses and swears he will take him back to the residence, a place where Georges can no longer live. The next day, Harry finds his kitchen in disarray, his fridge ransacked, and Georges unwell. Georges is allergic to chocolate, which has left him extremely weak. Despite initially refusing, Harry eventually agrees to take Georges to his mother's address and realizes that he will have to take a few days off—a thing he has never done before. And so the journey begins. Harry, who is naturally reserved, even completely indifferent to other people, soon realizes that Georges is someone who enjoys human contact and the world around him. Although, in Harry's eyes, Georges is just an innocent “child” who wants only one thing—to live among other people—the world itself does not accept him. The journey, which was only supposed to last a day, is interrupted by several stops. Harry takes the opportunity to visit his wife and daughters, the eldest of whom will celebrate her birthday in a few days. Georges, who had become quite friendly with her, is invited to the party on the 14th. Harry has even planned a gift, but his wife, resentful because he has neglected her so often, gives him no chance to see his daughters. An argument breaks out, because this time Harry is determined not to back down. They set off again, and Harry gradually begins to enjoy life with Georges. Sensing that his mother is getting closer and closer, Georges knits her a cardigan. But when they reach their destination, the new owner of his mother's house tells Georges that she died shortly after placing him in the residence. However, from the new owner he also learns that he has a sister who lives nearby, and decides to go see her. Harry, increasingly unable to bear being away from work, decides to abandon his friend by the roadside and tells him to hitchhike there, having given him the address. But remembering the time they spent together, he regrets leaving his friend and turns back to pick him up. Georges increasingly sees him as a friend, even a brother. When they arrive, their presence is clearly unwelcome. Although his nephews are fond of their uncle, his sister's husband is not at all pleased to see him, and his sister tells Harry that she does not want Georges on her hands: she has to look after her family and will not have enough time or energy to care for another person, especially one who would be dependent on her. Georges is sad and no longer knows what to do, and Harry has no choice but to take him back to the boarding home he had escaped from. Before they get there, they stop at a restaurant. To conceal Georges's disability, Harry gives him glasses. The waitress likes Georges, and he likes her too, so he decides to give her the cardigan that had originally been meant for his mother. He takes off his glasses, and when the waitress realizes he has a disability, she rejects him, triggering an angry outburst. Harry comforts him and assures him that he is not alone. At last the journey ends, and back at the boarding home Georges introduces Harry to all the other residents. Harry returns to his life, especially his job, but soon realizes how bleak it is: he does work he does not enjoy and has always neglected what mattered in his life. So he plans to resign after his final performance. Meanwhile, Georges has not forgotten Harry's daughter's birthday. He decides to go, accompanied by the other residents, in a stolen minibus. They end up arriving at Harry's workplace, where he is clearly delighted to see his friend. He does not wait until the performance is over before resigning and leaving with his new friends. When they arrive at the little girl's birthday party, Harry and Georges organize a huge celebration and a fireworks display, which the girls and their mother watch. Harry's wife then understands that her ex-husband wants to change his life for the sake of his children. The police intervene, the party is broken up, and the two companions run away. They end the evening at a nightclub, where Georges is determined to discover love, but two women reject him again, triggering another outburst. Harry witnesses what happens, helps his friend, and comforts him. That night, Georges wonders whether he will ever get to have a normal life, and Harry promises him that he will as long as they are together. But Georges, unable to bear his situation any longer, waits until Harry is asleep, steals his wallet, buys a box of chocolate (which he is allergic to), goes to the roof of a building, and starts singing one of his mother's favorite songs. After eating all the chocolates, he feels ill and eventually jumps to his death. Harry sees him being taken away by the undertakers and understands that Georges deliberately ended his life because a normal life was impossible for him, and that he chose instead to join the only person who could have given him one—his mother. At the end, Harry is allowed to see his daughters again and decides to live his life as Georges would have wanted: doing something he enjoys, but above all spending time with the people he loves.