It's mid 19th century, north of France. The story of a coal miner's town. They are exploited by the mine's owner. One day the decide to go on strike, and then the authorities repress them
Hippolyte, the titular oddball, is a far from typical country lawyer. He has been happily married to the woman of his dreams for 15 years, but has an incurable penchant for practical (or rather impractical) jokes.
Joëlle, a simple and energetic young woman, works as a hairdresser for Mrs. Delbarre. When Professor Thibaud, a great bone specialist, asks her to donate her bone marrow for a transplant, on the condition that she does not seek to know the recipient, she accepts without hesitation. But the temptation is too strong and she investigates in order to discover the person who benefited from her generous gesture. It is a handsome young man with whom she immediately falls in love.