Unser Pappa - Herzenswünsche (2004)

Retired dentist Achim Hagenau, the father of six grown children, recently married his next-door neighbor, Bärbel Ramsbächle. After moving to the countryside in the Black Forest to breed the endangered Hinterwald cattle, he had to realize that he is apparently a family man after all, and four of his children now live close to his farm. There are now two christenings to celebrate, and Bärbel feels a little wistful that she and Achim do not have a child together. Five years pass, and another baby is on the way for his son Boris, who works on Achim’s farm. Boris’s wife urges him to have the farm transferred entirely into his name. Achim is not pleased and tries to “round up” his children for a talk. He has just discovered that Bärbel secretly planned a move to Stuttgart because she fears for her husband’s health: he does not enjoy retirement at all and is still far too active. For instance, he took in two large Rottweilers from an elderly woman in the village who has to move into a care home. She wanted Lotte and Leo put down so they would not have to go to an animal shelter or be separated, and wanted Achim to take care of having it done. But Achim cannot bring himself to do it, and keeps them. This leads him to decide to set up an animal sanctuary on Bärbel’s old farm as well. His resolve grows stronger when he learns that his unscrupulous brother-in-law organizes animal transports abroad and buys up whatever livestock he can get his hands on. Boris had even wanted to sell his brother-in-law his pot-bellied pig, the donkey, and his two Hinterwald cattle, since they only eat and are of no use to the farm that he and his family depend on. But Achim is also worried about his son Arnulf. He is cheating on his wife, who had taken a short holiday with their daughter. His daughter Anna, meanwhile, has no plans at all to start a family of her own. Both are firmly opposed to their father squandering their mother’s inheritance on his “crazy schemes.” Only Achim Junior is someone he can count on. He understands his father’s decision, defends him against his siblings, and helps him move the first animals: the donkey, the pot-bellied pig Wutz, and the Hinterwald cattle. His wife Bärbel is initially not enthusiastic about the new plans, because she knows about her husband’s heart problems, which he has been trying to hide from her. But a visit to the doctor puts those worries to rest: Achim’s stress-related episodes should be manageable with a little more rest, walks, and some weight loss. Relieved, they both set about making the sanctuary a reality, and Achim is already arranging for the next “boarders” when showman Axel Schäppge tries to sell his riding ponies to Bärbel’s brother. Upset about the deal falling through, Bärbel’s brother gets drunk and dies in a car accident that night. Achim has to realize that his health is worse than he wanted to admit. He collapses at the wheel of his car. This brings his children to their senses, and they reconcile with their father, who, while still in the hospital, gets to meet his youngest granddaughter. He thinks she already looks like a dental assistant.