The Eighth Day

The Eighth Day

118 mins | Drama | May 22, 1996

Georges has Down syndrome, living at a mental-institution, Harry is a busy businessman, giving lectures for young aspiring salesmen. He is successful in his business life, but his social life is a disaster since his wife left him and took their two children with her. This weekend his children came by train to meet him, but Harry, working as always, forgot to pick them up. Neither his wife or his children want to see him again and he is driving around on the country roads, anguished and angry. He almost runs over Georges, on the run from the institution since everybody else went home with their parents except him, whose mother is dead. Harry tries to get rid of Georges but he won't leave his new friend. Eventually a special friendship forms between the two of them, a friendship which makes Harry a different person.

The Eighth Day

118 mins | Drama | May 22, 1996

The Eighth Day
Georges has Down syndrome, living at a mental-institution, Harry is a busy businessman, giving lectures for young aspiring salesmen. He is successful in his business life, but his social life is a disaster since his wife left him and took their two children with her. This weekend his children came by train to meet him, but Harry, working as always, forgot to pick them up. Neither his wife or his children want to see him again and he is driving around on the country roads, anguished and angry. He almost runs over Georges, on the run from the institution since everybody else went home with their parents except him, whose mother is dead. Harry tries to get rid of Georges but he won't leave his new friend. Eventually a special friendship forms between the two of them, a friendship which makes Harry a different person.
IMDb rating 7.5
Producers Canal+, Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée, Eurimages, D.A. Films, Center for Film and Audiovisual Arts of the French Community of Belgium
Original title Le huitième jour
Directors Renaud Alcalde, Jaco Van Dormael
Writers Jaco Van Dormael

Cast

Daniel Auteuil

as Harry

Pascal Duquenne

as Georges

Miou-Miou

as Julie

Henri Garcin

as Bank manager

Isabelle Sadoyan

as Georges' Mother

Fabienne Loriaux

as Fabienne, Georges's sister

Juliette Van Dormael

as Juliette

Sabrina Leurquin

as Snack waitress

Dieudonné Kabongo

as Dustman

Michele Maes

as Nathalie

Marie-Pierre Meinzel

as Shoe store saleswoman

Laszlo Harmati

as Luis Mariano

Dominique Lecat

as Band Member

Roland De Pauw

as TV Chef

Jo De Backer

as Bridegroom

Lotfi Yahya Jedidi

as Dustman

André Simon

as Tramp

Monique Florin

as Nathalie's mother

Jean Bollery

as Nathalie's father

Jean-Henri Compère

as Educator

Dominic Gould

as Harry's colleague

Josse De Pauw

as Policeman of police station

Christian Hecq

as Shoe store manager

Saleem Ebrahim

as Hindu

Rémy Julienne

as Lorry driver

Didier De Neck

as Fabienne's husband

Pierre Godeau

as George's nephew

Marie Godeau

as Georges' niece

Eric de Staercke

as Snack waiter

Olivier Gourmet

as Father in restaurant

Hélène Roussel

as Julie's mother

Tam Vo

as Japanese pianist

Didier Ferney

as Showroom salesman

Marc Schreiber

as Showroom salesman

Yves Degen

as Showroom manager

Georges Siatidis

as Showroom policeman

Raymond Lescot

as Bigwig

Bernard Eylenbosch

as Dancing boy

Gérard Hernandez

as (voice)

Patricia Houyoux

as (voice)

Jacqueline Ghaye

as (voice)

Freddy Bournane

as Dustman (uncredited)

Christopher Granier-Deferre

as English teacher (voice) (uncredited)