My American Uncle

My American Uncle follows three French lives that unfold in parallel. René is a factory technician whose career is upended by corporate restructuring; Janine is a self-taught actress and stylist who learns that her lover's wife is seriously ill and must decide whether to step aside; Jean is a writer and politician whose ambitions bring him to a difficult crossroads. Their paths eventually cross. Threading through these stories is the real-life scientist Henri Laborit, who appears to explain his ideas about the brain and human behaviour, using the three cases as illustrations of how people respond to stress, reward and punishment. The film blends fiction with documentary-style scientific commentary.

Alain Resnais directed, working from a screenplay by Jean Gruault and Laborit. It came after Stavisky... in his filmography and before Life Is a Bed of Roses. Gérard Depardieu plays René, Nicole Garcia plays Janine and Roger Pierre plays Jean, with Nelly Borgeaud, Pierre Arditi and Gérard Darrieu among the credited cast of 55. The production was French, from TF1, Philippe Dussart and Andrea Films, with Roger Corman and Philippe Dussart producing.

On IMDb the film holds a 7.6 rating from about 7,300 votes, and on TMDB 7 out of 10 from 216 votes. A critics' rating of 8.5 out of 10 from 14 reviews places it above both audience scores.