Three middle-aged men take a second stab at getting their high school degree in this comedy-drama from France. When they were teenagers, Michel (Jacques Gamblin), Gerard (Kad Merad) and Edmond (Rufus) all failed their Baccalaureat exams, the challenging comprehensive essay test that evaluates a French student's knowledge before they are given their high school diploma. While they planned to focus on their studies and take the exam again, all three ended up getting jobs in the same factory, with Michel and Gerard working on the line and Edmond eventually advancing to foreman. Twenty years after leaving school, Michel and his wife Claire (Anne Brochet), who works in a beauty salon, have a teenage son, Philippe (Edouard Collin) who has just flunked the Baccalaureat exam. As Michel and Claire encourage Philippe to buck up and give the test another try, Michel gets the word that the factory where he works is shutting down, and he, Gerard and Edmond are all out of a job. Michel discovers getting a new job without a degree is tough even with plenty of work experience, so he and Gerard pledge to crack open their textbooks and give the Baccalaureat another try, which Edmond becoming their unwelcome study partner. Michel also finds himself bonding with Philippe in a new way as both men work towards bettering their futures.
by Mark Deming
synopsis
