Babettes gæstebud (Babette's Feast)

Released 1987
Stars Stéphane Audran, Birgitte Federspiel, Bodil Kjer, Bibi Andersson, Jarle Kulle, Jean-Phillipe LaFont, Ebbie Rode
Directed by Gabriel Axel

Exquisite, delicately told tale of two beautiful young minister's daughters who pass up love and fame to remain in their small Danish village. They grow old, using religion as a substitute for living life... and then take in Parisian refugee Audran, a woman with a very special secret. Subtle, funny and deeply felt, with several wonderful surprises: an instant masterpiece that deservedly earned a Best Foreign Film Academy Award. Axel wrote the screenplay, from an Isak Dinesen short story originally published in the Ladies Home Journal. Don't miss this one.

Summary by Leonard Maltin

I wasn't nearly as enchanted as I expected to be, partially due to the clumsy narrative. I suppose the other main reason is my personal religious beliefs. I just can't understand why people would choose a pious path that precludes them from experiencing the love and joys of a family. I could understand it if their religious lives were fulfilling, but these women simply recite mantras and endlessly sing the same hymns. Even when their tiny flock bickers and seems to have forgotten the purpose of their sect, all the sisters can do is try to sing hymns. For some reason this doesn't solve the problem. If they tried to use their religion to explore and solve conflicts with the goal of creating harmony and love, that would be a different story. To simply sing a hymn to make the world a happy place defeats the purpose of religion.

The film takes its characters very seriously and treats them with great dignity. It even compares the choices made by two potential beaus to those of the sisters, and it gently salutes the women on their brave and wise choice. My take on this is different. While those men may have regrets over placing career over family, I don't think the women's choices were any better. After all, didn't they do the same thing? The important thing is that you enjoy your life and do what you think is correct for you. I know many people praise the priest/nun lifestyle, but if they didn't choose that lifestyle for themselves, how much can they truly value it?

At any rate, I really liked the General addressing his younger self in one of the film's strongest scenes, and the feast itself is wonderful and magical. -- Bill Alward, October 22, 2001