Welcome to the Sticks

Post-office manager Philippe Abrams and his wife Julie live in Salon-de-Provence in the sunny South of France. While Philippe enjoys the small town life, he is very aware of the fact that Julie is terribly unhappy there.

To please her, Philippe attempts to con his way into a transfer to a Riviera resort, where he knows she will be a lot happier.

However, when he is caught red-handed in his deceit he is punished by being transferred to a post office in the dreaded Nord Pas de Calais, France's northernmost region, reputed for its lack of charm and cool climate.

Leaving Julie and their son Raphael behind, Philippe heads for the North - and its hard-drinking, unemployed rednecks and fishermen who speak an incomprehensible dialect called Ch'ti, a strange bouillabaisse of French, Flemish and Latin.

However, Philippe soon finds himself having quite a good time with the friendly, fun-loving Northerners. He comes to appreciate the local cuisine and even learns to get by in Ch'ti. Out of kindness, he lets Julie believe he's miserable because she's never been happier than in her new role as the supportive wife of a man battling with adversity.

Until she unexpectedly decides to join him...