Sitcom is a 1998 satirical movie directed by François Ozon that shows the unlikely coming apart of a bourgeois family that is morally bankrupted when their father introduces a new pet, a white rat. The title is a reference to American sitcoms, which are often marked by outrageous plots and an offbeat sense of humor. 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Satire is a literary technique of writing or art which principally ridicules its subject (individuals, organizations, states) often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. ... François Ozon (born November 15, 1967) is a French writer and director whose films are usually characterized by sharp satirical wit and a freewheeling view on human sexuality. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ...

One day, the family father returns home with a cute white rat, which is supposed to be the new family pet. Everyone who touches the rat loses his/her sexual inhibitions, and soon the family members and friends of the family begin to act out their most hidden desires — the son announces he is gay and begins throwing sex parties, the daughter attempts suicide and plays sadomasochistic games with her boyfriend (Stéphane Rideau), and the mother seduces her son in an attempt to "cure him" of his homosexuality. For other uses, see Gay (disambiguation). ... Flogging demonstration at Folsom Street Fair 2004. ... Stéphane Rideau is a French actor born in 1976 near Agen. ...

Eventually the father commits suicide, unable to bear his family any longer — but life for the rest of the family goes on as if nothing has happened.

A possible inspiration for this movie may have been the famous diner scene from John Schlesinger's Midnight Cowboy that features a mother, her son, and a rubber mouse. In that scene, deep-seated sexual emotions are also laid bare by a seemingly innocent animal. John Richard Schlesinger (February 16, 1926–July 25, 2003) was a British film director. ... Midnight Cowboy is a 1969 film written by Waldo Salt based on the novel by James Leo Herlihy, and directed by John Schlesinger. ...

External link

• Sitcom at The Internet Movie Database