The Fugitives

is a French 1986 comedy film, directed by Francis Veber. It was remade in 1989 as Three Fugitives, also directed by Veber. Plot After serving a five-year sentence for 14 bank robberies, Jean Lucas (Depardieu) is released from prison. He intends to end his criminal lifestyle, but on his release day, when he goes to the bank to open an account, he is taken hostage by François Pignon (Richard), who takes too much time robbing the bank, allowing the police to appear, and accidentally shoots Jean in the leg. However, Lucas' former nemesis, police commissioner Duroc (Maurice Barrier), doesn't believe he is a hostage, given their common past. Lucas forces François to go to the police and confess to being the robber so that Lucas' name would be cleared, but once they arrive at the police station, the police mistake Lucas as the robber, forcing him to escape. François follows, and ends up taking him to Dr. Martin (Jean Carmet), a senile veterinarian friend of his late father, to treat his bullet wound. François was a former chief of sales at a textile factory, which went out of business three years ago, leaving him unemployed, and his daughter Jeanne (Anaïs Bret) has refused to speak since the death of François' wife around the same time he lost his job. Not wanting to leave his daughter, he asks for Lucas' help to get him a new identity so that he can escape the country. Reluctantly, Lucas contacts his old friend Labib (Jean Benguigui), asking him to hook François up with a fake ID. However, upon meeting, Labib informs François that his price for a new passport has now changed from 2,500 Francs to 500,000. However, François only made away with 84,000 Francs from the robbery. Upon learning this, Labib calls Lucas, threatening to take François to the police if Lucas doesn't get him 500,000 Francs in 24 hours. With Jeanne in tow, Lucas steals a van and crashes into Labib's bar, rescuing François. François then signs a written confession for Lucas to present to the police. Lucas suggests to François that he turn himself in, for he could get away with just one year in prison. However, just as he prepares to leave, Jeanne, who has come to care for Lucas, asks him to stay. When Lucas refuses, Jeanne runs off. François and Lucas chase her and see her run into a park, where a stranger takes her to the police. Witnessing the police take away his daughter, François decides to kidnap her and leave the country.