Gaz Bar Blues

François Brochu, known as the Boss, owns a gas station and believes the family should work together to stay united. He hopes Réjean, Guy, Alain, and Nathalie will share daily responsibilities and keep the business alive. The Gas Bar becomes the central hub of their lives and the emotional engine of the story.

The children navigate their relationships with their father and with each other. Réjean is the most responsible but disillusioned, while Guy is a restless musician and Alain is a precocious 13-year-old who helps out. Nathalie's presence adds another layer to the family dynamic as outsiders stop by the station.

Changes to the business begin as the station transitions from gallons to litres and introduces self-service. The arrival of inspector Gobeil from Champlain enforces the new rules. The family finds their traditional way of life challenged by corporate modernization.

With Réjean away, Alain takes on the day-to-day duties at the station, aided by Mr. Savard. They juggle pumps, credit, and customer demands as the others watch from the sidelines. This period tests Alain's sense of responsibility beyond his age.

Guy disappears for three days after a car accident and returns changed. He has a heated argument with his father on coming back and decides to leave home. The family script fractures as his absence adds strain to the already tense dynamics.

Réjean writes home about his view of the German reunification, seeing it as forced modernization that empties everyday life. He longs to witness the imminent fall of the Berlin Wall. The storyline uses this global event to mirror the personal upheavals around the Gas Bar's life.

Réjean travels to East Berlin and is arrested while attempting to rebuild the wall—an act of symbolic defiance. He is repatriated to Canada to face the consequences of his actions. The incident becomes a turning point for his relationship to family and freedom.

Back in Canada, Réjean resumes work at the Gas Bar and tries to rejoin the family routine. He confronts ongoing harassment from inspector Gobeil and the company’s system. The tensions between his ideals, his father, and the business boil anew.

Réjean tells inspector Gobeil he is a madman and warns him to stop tormenting his father. The confrontation sharpens the conflict between loyalty to family and external corporate pressure. The brothers' and friends' circle watches these clashes with growing unease.

During a robbery, Alain is taken hostage and exchanged for his father. The police intervene and François is saved, exposing the fragility of their protective bond. The near-tragedy pushes François to rethink how the gas station defines his family.

After the rescue, François begins therapy for Parkinson's disease and reassesses his priorities. He attends a concert by Guy in a pub, reconnecting with his son's life through music. The experience prompts a shift from control to letting go for the sake of his children.

Motivated by the events, François decides to close the gas station and retire to be closer to his four kids. The house and the station alike feel the weight of a chapter ending. The family begins to imagine life beyond the gas pumps.

The day after Jos and Ti-Pit read the End of Business message, they hurry to find the others at the convenience store. They face uncertainty but reinforce their bonds and the sense that life will continue in some form. The film closes with a vow to stick together in a changed world.