Babette's Feast

Babette's Feast is set in a small, strictly religious community on the coast of Jutland, Denmark. Two unmarried sisters, Martina and Filippa, are the daughters of a stern pastor and have grown old in the pious village he led, denying themselves the suitors and artistic lives they once could have had. Into their household comes Babette, a Frenchwoman who escaped the turmoil in Paris in 1871 and takes work as their maid, keeping her past to herself. She stays with them for years, cooking the plain fare their faith allows, until unexpected money arrives from France. Rather than leave, Babette asks to prepare a French dinner in honour of the pastor's hundredth birthday, a meal that unsettles the villagers, who fear it will lead them into sin.

Gabriel Axel directed and co-wrote the film with Annemarie Aaes, adapting a story by Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen). It was his second feature, following Amour in 1970. Stéphane Audran plays Babette, with Bodil Kjer and Birgitte Federspiel as the sisters, Jarl Kulle as General Lorens Löwenhielm, Jean-Philippe Lafont as Achille Papin and Bibi Andersson as a Swedish lady-in-waiting, among a credited cast of thirty.

Released in August 1987, the Danish production ran 104 minutes and blends comedy, drama and history. It took about 4 million US dollars worldwide, a modest return for a period piece. On TMDB it holds 7.2 out of 10 from 454 votes, while a critics' rating stands at 8.5 out of 10 from 34 reviews, a clear gap in the film's favour.