Provence, 1847. The son of a wealthy landowner in the south of France, Jean-Baptiste, loses his mother in a tragic accident. His truculent father, who was always envious of his son and his relationship with his mother, takes a harlot he met a few months earlier as his new bride. Soon after, Jean-Baptiste is falsely accused by his "stepmother" of trying to take advantage of her. In disgust, his father banishes him forever from the family home. Jean-Baptiste's only solution is to live with Blanche, his mother's sister, in the mountains.
The members of an apparently happy couple, each with their respective lovers, have the same idea: spending the weekend at their holiday home. Finding each other there is only the beginning of an awkward and hilarious weekend.
François and Noémie run a sawmill in the mountains not far from the Swiss border. François has taken over his family's business, making him the fourth generation. He dreams of having a child. After years of failed fertility assistance, they give up on having a baby of their own and turn to adoption. But then François meets Patricia, new to the neighborhood. They begin a passionate affair. Soon after, Patricia gets pregnant.