Babette's Feast
1987 · Movie · G · 104 min · ★ 7.2 · 88% critics
In a remote Danish village, a reserved religious community takes in a French refugee as a housekeeper. Years later, she chooses to repay their kindness by preparing an extraordinary meal, stirring curiosity, suspicion, and unexpected warmth among neighbors who have long lived by strict routines and simple fare.
Based on Babette's Feast
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Streaming on HBO Max.
2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Original title
- Babettes gæstebud
- Years
- 1987
- Release date
- 1987-08-11
- Language
- Danish
- Rated
- G
- Runtime
- 104 min
- Critic score
- 88/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.2/10 (443 votes)
About
If you enjoy quiet, humane period dramas about faith, community, and the small ways people change, this is a rewarding watch; Not for you if you need fast pacing, big stakes, or constant action like Chariots of Fire.
Pros: gentle, uplifting tone; memorable feast centerpiece; thoughtful themes of giving | Cons: slow first hour; heavy religious focus; subtle, low-action story
Themes
- servant
- charity
- community service
- catholic
- feast
- reconciliation
- sect
- frenchwoman
- coastal village
- master servant relationship
- gourmet
- french cuisine
- +6 more
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best International Feature Film · 1988
- BAFTA Award — Best Film Not in the English Language
- Academy Award — Best International Feature Film · 1988 · nominated
- International Submission to the Academy Awards · 1988 · nominated
Cast & crew
Stéphane Audran
as Babette
Bodil Kjer
as Filippa
Birgitte Federspiel
as Martine
Jarl Kulle
as General Lorens Löwenhielm
Jean-Philippe Lafont
as Achille Papin
Bibi Andersson
as Svensk hofdame
Ghita Nørby
as Fortæller (stemme)
Asta Esper Hagen Andersen
as Anna
- TA
Thomas Antoni
as Svensk Løjtnant
Hanne Stensgaard
as Filippa som ung
Directed by Gabriel Axel