Comedy

Three Men and a Cradle

- In one split second, their lives went from party to potty.

Three young men - Jacques, Pierre, and Michel - share an apartment in Paris, and have many girlfriends and parties. Once, during a party, a friend of Jacques' tells him he has a quite compromising package to deliver, and asks him if he can leave it discreetly at their place. Jacques agrees and, as he works as a steward, flies away for a one-month trip in Japan, telling Pierre and Michel about the package. Then, one of Jacques' former girlfriends drops a baby before their door, making Pierre and Michel believing it is the package they are waiting for. Their lives are then completely changed.

Release Date : 1985-09-18

Language :French

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : SoprofilmsTF1 Films ProductionFlach Film

Production Country : France

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Pierre

Original Name : Roland Giraud

Gender : Male

Character Name : Michel

Original Name : Michel Boujenah

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jacques

Original Name : André Dussollier

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sylvia

Original Name : Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu

Gender : Female

Character Name : Ms. Rapons

Original Name : Dominique Lavanant

Gender : Female

Character Name : Antoinette

Original Name : Marthe Villalonga

Gender : Female

Character Name : Pharmacist

Original Name : Annick Alane

Gender : Female

Character Name : Ms. Rodriguez, concierge

Original Name : Josine Comellas

Gender : Female

Character Name : Marie Nr. 2

Original Name : Jennifer Moret

Gender : Male

Character Name : Paul

Original Name : François Domange

Gender : Male

Character Name : Superior

Original Name : Gabriel Jabbour

Gender : Male

Character Name : Guy

Original Name : Julien Maurel

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gérard

Original Name : Jean Barney

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nathalie

Original Name : Marianne Basler

Gender : Female

Character Name : First policeman

Original Name : Christian Bouillette

Gender : Male

Character Name : Second rogue

Original Name : Gilles Cohen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young man

Original Name : Basile de Bodt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lucien

Original Name : Louis Julien

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sophie

Original Name : Jeanne Lallemand

Gender : Female

Character Name : Guilaine

Original Name : Marion Loran

Gender : Female

Character Name : Brunette

Original Name : Cécile Magnet

Gender : Female

Character Name : Michel's follower policeman

Original Name : Xavier Maly

Gender : Male

Character Name : Second policeman

Original Name : Daniel Milgram

Gender : Male

Character Name : Charlotte

Original Name : Valentine Monnier

Gender : Female

Character Name : First cop

Original Name : Jacques Poitrenaud

Gender : Male

Character Name : Photograph

Original Name : Jean-Philippe Puymartin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cop in uniform

Original Name : Bernard Sancy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marie-Rose

Original Name : Mathé Souverbie

Gender : Female

Character Name : Annick

Original Name : Cécile Vassort

Gender : Female

Character Name : Clotilde

Original Name : Herma Vos

Gender : Female

Character Name : First rogue

Original Name : Christian Zanetti

Gender : Male

Character Name :

Original Name : Michel Carliez

Gender : Male

Character Name :

Original Name : Frédérique Jamet

Gender : Female

Reviews

Charles Tatum

@CharlesTatum

2023-09-28

This is the French film that was remade as the 1987 treacly ubersuccess "Three Men and a Baby." They are both equally good, and for different reasons. Pierre (Roland Giraud) the architect, Michel (Michel Boujenah) the cartoonist, and Jacques (Andre Dussollier) the air steward all live in the same Paris apartment. Their swinging ways are turned upside down when Jacques' hitherto unknown infant child is left on the doorstep with a note attached from the mother saying she will be in the United States on a modelling shoot for a few months. Jacques is not there, either, as he is in the Far East. He did promise to hold a package for a friend, and Pierre and Michel assume baby Marie is it. Very similar to the remake, so far. The baby is given to drug dealers, who come looking for a "package" of heroin. The exchange is not made, and the police follow Pierre and Michel, looking for the narcotics. Strangely, halfway through the film, Michel hands off the heroin in a diaper to the dealer, and this plot, which never worked in either film, suddenly ends! No hidden camera, no dressing like a woman, and no eccentric detective. I wondered just what the heck these people were going to do for the rest of the film. This is where the darkness creeped in. The mother, Sylvia (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu), comes home and takes the baby back. The three bachelors try to get back to their womanizing and drinking, but they are set upon by such an omnipotent depression, I thought I might have to call the mental health hotline. Michel and Jacques do see the baby on occasion, but try not to bond with it. Pierre is downright suicidal, laying in bed with a squeaky toy. While the first half of the film was not the light fluff of the remake, the second half was so sad and depressing, it gives many foreign films a bad name. The baby is cute, but all the adults here come off as self-centered. A birthday celebration where the shallow guests complain that a child is not "interesting" until it is a toddler was meant to be funny, but is a little painful to watch. In the end, the mother brings the baby back, and the men dance for joy. This was a truly happy scene, and I wish some more happiness had creeped in to other scenes. I can see why the remake made such a big fuss about the drug dealer subplot, can you imagine Tom Selleck looking like he wanted to die, and Steve Guttenberg stalking the model mom from afar? Women do not come off well at all, being either sexual toys for the men or completely selfish shrews who are only concerned with their own happiness, forget the kid. "Three Men and a Cradle" was good, but also ripe for the remake. The remake was good, but never should have spawned the excruciatingly awful sequel.