Synopsis

Hard-driving London financier Max Skinner inherits his late uncle's vineyard and estate in Provence, where he spent idyllic childhood summers. Planning to sell the property, Max returns to settle the business, but the landscape, local characters, an unexpected claimant, and a rekindled romance gradually challenge his priorities. As old memories resurface, he must decide whether success is measured by money or by the life he has overlooked.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film was adapted from Peter Mayle's 2004 novel, but its story differs substantially from the book. Ridley Scott and Mayle had already known each other as neighbors in Provence, and Scott's ideas helped shape the screen version.

• Nearly all of the Provence scenes were filmed within roughly eight minutes of Scott's home in the Luberon region. Locations included Chateau la Canorgue in Bonnieux, the villages of Cucuron and Gordes, and nearby vineyards and farmhouses.

• The production filmed in France and London from September through December 2005. The London material contrasts Max's tightly controlled financial world with the slower, more informal atmosphere of Provence.

• The vineyard used as the estate was a real working property. Its proprietor and his daughter appear in the restaurant scene.

• The dog belonging to Francis Duflot is named Tati, a reference to French filmmaker and comic performer Jacques Tati. The romantic montage also incorporates scenes inspired by Tati's cinema.

• Max Skinner's clothing was influenced in part by Russell Crowe's uncle, David William Crowe.

• The film was released theatrically in the United Kingdom on October 27, 2006, followed by its United States release on November 10, 2006.