Four Anglo-Canadians and a New Yorker find themselves in a two-week long total French immersion program in the fictional, remote town of St-Isidore-du-Coeur-de-Jésus, tucked away somewhere in Northern Quebec. The place is perfect for total immersion since, according to the most recent census, 99% of the population is comprised of pure laine Quebeckers for the most part unilingual French, fervently nationalist, and all, save one person, named Tremblay.
A man in his mid-40s is killed by a truck just after receiving a prescription against death from his doctor. He then regains consciousness in a video store, and with some further difficulties, receives a film of his life. Although full of factual inaccuracies, it is an enjoyable examination of his birth, youth, marriage, family and death. Unfortunately, his request for a sequel is denied, and as he advances down the corridor to God, technical difficulties are experienced.
On Christmas eve a journalist witnesses a theft in a mall and then tracks one of the thieves to later be taken as his hostage in the radio station he works for.
On Christmas eve a journalist witnesses a theft in a mall and then tracks one of the thieves to later be taken as his hostage in the radio station he works for.
A young girl is orphaned when her nurturing grandmother enters a nursing. She is sent to live with her Bach-obsessed uncle, an organist preparing for an important recital.
With an unlikely hero who apparently excels at almost anything, this confused saga of survival in the wilderness and accidental murder starts out hard to believe and stays that way. C.H. (Luc Matte) used to be a star player for the Montreal Canadiens and has turned in his puck and hockey stick for the pursuit of women -- as well as a good game of chess (he is a master at that too). He supports himself by waiting tables and one day takes some time off to go on vacation in the Quebec wilderness, where some local thugs give him a hard time. From that point onward, things get worse after one of the hooligans is accidentally killed.
Ovide Plouffe has married Rita. She still tries to attract other men even after their marriage. Unhappy Ovide feels for Marie - a young French woman he had met. But his catholic background and surrounding can't let him love another woman or divorce from his wife. So Ovide finishes with Marie and plans a trip with Rita hoping for reconciliation. At the last instant he announces to Rita that he can't make the trip. She goes alone. The plane explodes, and Ovide is suspected and arrested for this horrible crime.
