In nineteenth-century France, the romantic daughter of a country squire (Emma Rouault) marries a dull country doctor (Charles Bovary). To escape boredom, she throws herself into love affairs with a suave local landowner (Rodolphe Boulanger) and a law student (Leon Dupuis), and runs up ruinous debts. This film version closely follows Flaubert's novel and includes most of the famous scenes, such as the wedding, the ball, the agricultural fair, the operation on the clubfoot, and the opera in Rouen.

Cast:
Isabelle Huppert ... Emma Bovary
Jean-François Balmer ... Charles Bovary
Christophe Malavoy ... Rodolphe Boulanger
Jean Yanne ... M. Homais
Lucas Belvaux ... Leon Dupuis
Christiane Minazzoli ... Widow Lefancois
Jean-Louis Maury ... Merchant Lheureux
Florent Gibassier ... Hippolyte
Jean-Claude Bouillaud ... Monsieur Rouault
Sabeline Campo ... Felicite
Yves Verhoeven ... Justin
Marie Mergey ... Charles Bovary's Mother
François Maistre ... Lieuvain
Thomas Chabrol ... Vicomte
Phillippe Abitol