Peppermint Soda 1977
Directed by
Diane Kurys
Made by
Alexandre Films
Peppermint Soda Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Peppermint Soda (1977). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
In September 1963, 13-year-old Anne Weber, Éléonore Klarwein, and her 15-year-old sister Frédérique Weber spend the summer with their newly divorced father along the coast, before returning to Paris to live with their mother for the new school year. The girls enroll in a strict all-girls school, the Lycée Jules-Ferry, where boundaries between childhood and adulthood begin to blur.
At school, the introverted Anne is an underachiever who is mocked by a teacher for a substandard drawing during art class. She feels the sting of not fitting in—especially when she frets over not being given stockings, a detail that underlines the social expectations of their world. There’s a quiet urgency in her longing to reach womanhood: she even pretends to have menstrual cramps, hoping to signal a change that hasn’t yet come. Along with her friends, she candidly discusses sex, revealing how little they actually know, yet how keenly they sense the mystery of growing up.
She also sneaks a look at the letters between Frédérique Weber and her boyfriend Marc, and falsely claims that Marc is her own boyfriend, turning private correspondence into a playful but revealing knot of gossip and identity.
Meanwhile, Frédérique begins to shed a simpler preoccupation with boys as she becomes more politically aware—drawn to discussions about the Algerian War and to her Jewish identity. This shift in focus strains a key friendship with Perrine, a wealthy classmate who represents a different social world. The evolving political climate of the era becomes a backdrop for personal change, and Frédérique’s new activism brings her into contact with Pascale, a classmate who is outspoken about the tensions surrounding protests. Pascale recounts a peaceful demonstration that ends in violence as far-right extremists clash with the police, a story that leaves a vivid impression on the class.
Another friend, Muriel, disappears from the scene for a time, sparking rumors about where she might have gone. When Muriel’s worried father finally appears, he makes an unsettling pass at Frédérique, a moment that adds to the complicated web of trust, boundaries, and growing independence that threads through the girls’ days. Muriel eventually returns briefly, revealing that she has dropped out and is living with a boyfriend on a farm.
As the school year unfolds, Frédérique also takes part in a school play. On opening night, her father attends, but he does not linger afterward to offer the encouragement she hopes for, a quiet reminder of the personal costs that can accompany stepping into the spotlight. After these events, the girls eventually return to their father’s seaside home for the summer, a place that reinforces the pull between two very different worlds—the structured routine of school life and the wider currents of adulthood they’re only just beginning to sense.
Peppermint Soda Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of Peppermint Soda (1977) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Summer holiday with father on the coast
In September 1963, Anne and Frédérique spend the summer holidays with their father on the coast. They enjoy a seaside break before returning to Paris to begin the new school year, marking a shift from family time to city life. The trip sets the scene for a year of tensions between adolescence and growing independence.
Back to Paris to live with their mother
They return to Paris to live with their mother for the school year. The routine changes from the beach to an urban, more regimented life at a strict school environment. This marks the start of a new chapter in their family dynamics.
Anne's art class humiliation
At Lycée Jules-Ferry, Anne is introverted and underachieving, and a teacher mocks her drawing during art class. The incident highlights her insecurity and desire to fit in. The moment foreshadows her challenge to express herself at school.
Stockings and first period anxieties
Anne resents not having stockings and longs to fit in with her peers. She pretends she has menstrual cramps to feel older and to cope with growing up. The episode underscores her anxious push toward womanhood.
Discussions about sex among the girls
Anne and her friends discuss what they know about sex, revealing how little they understand of the subject. They use humor to navigate awkward questions and boundaries. The scene captures the awkwardness of adolescence in a strict environment.
Anne spies on Frédérique's letters to Marc
Anne sneaks a look at the letters between Frédérique and her boyfriend Marc and then fabricates a version for her classmates, claiming Marc is her boyfriend. The lie fuels playground rivalries and aspirations for social status. The moment tests the sisters' boundaries and honesty.
Frédérique embraces political activism
Frédérique begins to care more about the Algerian War and her Jewish identity, pulling away from some friends. Her activism creates tension with her affluent friend Perrine. The shift marks a new, more political direction in her life.
Frédérique befriends Pascale
Frédérique befriends Pascale, who offers a stark account of a peaceful protest violently broken up by police. The tale exposes the reality of political demonstrations and state power. The story leaves a lasting impression on Frédérique and her peers.
Muriel runs away and rumors spread
Another classmate, Muriel, runs away from home and rumors swirl about where she might be. The atmosphere among the girls becomes tense as they speculate about each other’s lives. Muriel's disappearance unsettles the group and heightens the sense of insecurity at school.
An awkward moment: a pass at Frédérique
During a visit to Muriel's worried father, the older man makes a pass at Frédérique, creating an uneasy power dynamic. The incident adds to the adults' missteps and the girls' growing awareness of adult complexities. It deepens the tension within the circle of friends.
Muriel returns and reveals she dropped out
Muriel returns briefly, revealing that she has dropped out of school and now lives with a boyfriend on a farm. The revelation shocks the group and alters their perception of their friends' choices. It also highlights the reach of upheavals outside the classroom.
Frédérique stars in a school play
Frédérique becomes involved in a school play and shines on opening night. Her father attends the performance, but he does not stay afterwards to congratulate her. The moment illustrates parental distance and the ache of seeking recognition.
Summer returns: girls back at their father's beach home
Some time after the play, the girls return to their father's home at the beach for the summer. The routine of seaside life provides a final shift before the cycle restarts. The return to the coast ends the school year in the narrative.
Peppermint Soda Characters
Explore all characters from Peppermint Soda (1977). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.
Anne Weber (Éléonore Klarwein)
The introverted 13-year-old narrator and younger sister. She is an underachiever at school, frequently mocked for a substandard art drawing, and anxious about growing up, including menstruation. Her thoughtful perspective grounds the story as she navigates friendships and the pressures of adolescence.
Frédérique Weber (Odile Michel)
The outspoken 15-year-old sister who begins to question traditional roles. She becomes politically active around the Algerian War and her Jewish identity, befriending Pascale while clashing with Perrine. Her shift toward activism and evolving relationships drive much of the plot.
Perrine (Coralie Clément)
A wealthy classmate whose friendship with Frédérique strains as Frédérique leans toward political engagement. Perrine represents a privileged, conventional Parisian circle and serves as a foil to Frédérique's emerging activism.
Pascale (Corinne Dacla)
An outspoken classmate who becomes a catalyst for Frédérique's political awakening. She provides blunt observations about protest and authority and offers a fearless sense of solidarity with Frédérique.
Muriel (Marie Véronique Maurin)
A friend who runs away and later returns, signaling the volatility of adolescence. She briefly leaves home to live with a boyfriend on a farm, illustrating the impulsive paths teens sometimes explore before returning to stability.
Marc
Frédérique's initial boyfriend. As Frédérique's priorities shift toward activism, the relationship becomes less central, highlighting the changing dynamics of teenage romance.
M. Weber
The newly divorced father who takes his daughters to the coast for the summer and later returns to Paris. He attends Frédérique's opening-night performance, but does not stay to congratulate her, illustrating the complexities of post-divorce family life.
Mme Weber (Anouk Ferjac)
The mother who raises the daughters in Paris after returning from the coast. She embodies the domestic sphere and the social expectations shaping the girls' lives.
Peppermint Soda Settings
Learn where and when Peppermint Soda (1977) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Time period
1963
Set in 1963, the film unfolds during the early 1960s in France, a period marked by social change and political tension. It begins with a summer by the coast and continues into the school year in Paris, framing adolescence within a contemporary historical context. The Algerian War and questions of identity shape the girls' conversations and choices, reflecting the era's evolving attitudes.
Location
Coast of France, Paris, Lycée Jules-Ferry
The story moves between a seaside area on the French coast and the urban environment of Paris. The sisters spend a summer with their newly divorced father by the coast before returning to their mother in Paris for the school year. They study at the strict all-girls Lycée Jules-Ferry, a setting that highlights the era's social and gender norms.
Peppermint Soda Themes
Discover the main themes in Peppermint Soda (1977). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
🌱
Coming of Age
Both Anne and Frédérique navigate adolescence under strict educational and social expectations. The story follows their emotional and motivational growth through friendships, crushes, and self-discovery. Small moments accumulate into a broader sense of who they will become in a changing world.
👭
Sisterhood
The bond between the sisters anchors the film, revealing differences in personality and aspiration while highlighting mutual support. Their relationship traverses conflict and care, shaping their responses to peers, parents, and teachers. This sisterly dynamic drives much of the emotional and narrative growth.
🗳️
Political Awakening
Frédérique's activism around the Algerian War exposes her to political ideas that challenge family privilege and social circles. The girls' discussions about identity and rights illustrate a growing political consciousness during adolescence. The film links personal development with larger historical currents, showing how politics enters everyday life.
Peppermint Soda Spoiler-Free Summary
Discover the spoiler-free summary of Peppermint Soda (1977). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.
In the crisp autumn of 1963, Anne Weber returns to the bustling heart of Paris with her mother and her older sister Frédérique. After a sun‑splashed summer spent at the seaside with their recently divorced father, the girls are thrust back into the rhythm of the capital, where the looming school year promises both routine and upheaval. The film opens on the streets and classrooms of a strict all‑girls lycée, a world where the formalities of uniforms, expectations, and whispered curiosities about adulthood hang in the air like the fog over the Seine.
Within this tightly knit yet socially stratified setting, the two sisters embody contrasting stages of adolescence. Anne, still hovering on the edge of childhood, feels the pressure of fitting in while quietly observing the subtle rites of growing up that surround her. Her older sibling, Frédérique, is already navigating the fragile boundary between teenage concerns and a budding awareness of the wider world, her thoughts drifting toward the political tremors that ripple through France at the time. Their relationship, a mixture of affection, rivalry, and shared secrets, becomes a quiet lens through which the audience can sense the broader cultural shifts of the era.
The film’s tone balances nostalgic melancholy with the restless energy of youth, capturing the delicate dance between personal desire and the expectations imposed by family, school, and society. The backdrop of a nation on the cusp of change—marked by debates over identity, politics, and the lingering shadows of recent conflicts—infuses the everyday moments with an undercurrent of tension. As the sisters settle into their new rhythm, the audience is invited to linger on the textures of their lives: the rustle of magazines, the murmur of hallway conversations, and the pervasive sense that each small gesture may herald a larger transformation just beyond the frame.
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