| | Page (est.) | Plot Point | Script Highlight | |---------|----------------|----------------|----------------------| | I | 1-25 | Driss arrives for the job interview. He wants a signature for welfare. Philippe hires him on a dare. | Dialogue: “I don’t pity you.” | | II (A) | 26-55 | Driss learns the routines: bathing, dressing, enemas. He brings in sex workers, smokes weed, and changes the staff’s attitude. | Scene: The shaving joke. | | II (B) | 56-85 | Philippe’s secret correspondence with a woman. Driss forces him to call her. The date goes wrong. | Montage: Paragliding. | | III | 86-105 | Driss leaves for his family. Philippe declines into self-pity. Driss returns for one final, unforgettable act. | Ending: The restaurant. |
A: Massively. The Upside (2017) script by Jon Hartmere sanded off edges. Compare the opening scenes: The Intouchables script has Driss mocking Philippe’s earrings. The Upside removes that—and loses the authenticity.
If your search for brought you here, consider this your starting point. While you may not find the mythical first draft marked “Draft I,” the available scripts are treasures. Read one. Then write your own scene where two opposites share a cigarette, a laugh, and a moment of unexpected grace.
Released in 2011, The Intouchables (French: Intouchables ) became a global phenomenon. Directed by Olivier Nakache & Éric Toledano, it broke box office records, won the César Award for Best Actor (Omar Sy), and was later remade in Hollywood as The Upside (2017). But the original script remains a masterclass in character-driven storytelling, tone balancing, and visual economy.
