A Day in the Country is a French film directed by Jean Renoir in 1936, which is based on a short story by Guy de Maupassant. The film follows the story of a family of Parisian shop-owners, the Dufours, who decide to take a day trip to the countryside. The father, Monsieur Dufour, hires a boat to take them down the river while the rest of the family is excited to relax and enjoy the scenery.
On their journey, they stop at an inn to have lunch and stay for the afternoon. There, they meet the Boulanger family, who are also visiting the country for the day. The two families soon get to know each other and spend a pleasant afternoon together. The Dufours’ daughter, Henriette, develops a romantic attraction to one of the young men of the Boulanger family, Henri, who shows her around the countryside.
What follows is an elegant and compassionate study of love, temptation, and the human condition. The Boulanger family invites Henriette to go for a walk with Henri in the countryside, and they become intimate by the river. The father of the Boulanger family, recognizing the budding relationship, offers to pay for Henriette's schooling and give her dower.
The Dufours eventually return to Paris, while Henriette remains behind to pursue her new romance. However, at the end of the day, Henri leaves town without saying goodbye, leaving Henriette heartbroken.
The film is a romantic, poignant, and intelligent portrait of human relationships, and it's considered as one of Renoir's best works.
