Amour d'enfance (Boyhood Loves) (2001)

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A young man must reconcile his nostalgia for the past with the unfortunate realities of the present in this drama. Shortly after graduating from college, Paul (Mathieu Amalric) receives word from his mother Odette (Michele Gary) that his father (Roger Souza) has been diagnosed with cancer and… More A young man must reconcile his nostalgia for the past with the unfortunate realities of the present in this drama. Shortly after graduating from college, Paul (Mathieu Amalric) receives word from his mother Odette (Michele Gary) that his father (Roger Souza) has been diagnosed with cancer and doesn't have long to live. Paul decides to come home for an extended visit, and while he's happy to become reacquainted with his mom, he has issues with his father and isn't sure how to approach him. After several years away, Paul is shocked at how much the countryside has changed; developers have been buying up property in the area, and suburban subdivisions are replacing the family farms he remembered. Paul renews his friendship with Thierry (Fabrice Cals), who was his best friend as a boy, but he soon finds this is another area where things have changed; Thierry's girlfriend these days is Odile (Lauryl Brossier), who confesses to Paul that she was infatuated with him when they were schoolmates years ago, and while he's quite smitten with her, he doesn't want to betray his friendship with Thierry, who is growing visibly uncomfortable with their casual affection. As Paul must come to terms with his relationship with his father, he also has to face the reality that his father's death will mean the end of the family's farm -- a prospect that bothers Paul more than it does Odette. Amour D'Enfance was screened at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, where it was shown as part of the Un Certain Regard series. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi