Chocolat (French pronunciation: [ʃɔkɔla]) is a 2000 romance film based on the novel of the same name by Joanne Harris, and was directed by Lasse Hallström. Adapted by screenwriter Robert Nelson Jacobs, Chocolat tells the story of a young mother, played by Juliette Binoche, who arrives at the fictional, repressed French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes with her six-year-old daughter and opens La Chocolaterie Maya, a small chocolaterie. Her chocolate quickly begins to change the lives of the townspeople.

The film was shot in the village of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain in Burgundy, France, and on the Rue De L'ancienne Poste in Beynac-et-Cazenac on the Dordogne River in Dordogne, France. The river scenes were filmed at Fonthill Lake at Fonthill Bishop in Wiltshire, England and interior scenes at Shepperton Studios, Surrey, England.

The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, eight BAFTAs, and four Golden Globes. It won a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche), an expert chocolatier, drifts across Europe with her daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol) . In the winter of 1959, they travel to a tranquil French village that closely adheres to tradition, as led by the village mayor, Comte Paul de Reynaud (Alfred Molina). Vianne opens a Chocolaterie just as the villagers begin observing the forty days of Lent, much to the chagrin of Reynaud. Vianne, who wears more provocative clothing, does not go to church, and has an illegitimate child, does not fit in well with the town's people, but is nevertheless optimistic about her business. Her friendly and alluring nature begins to win the villagers over one by one, causing Reynaud to openly speak against her for tempting the people during a time of abstinence and self-denial.

Chocolat is a 1999 novel by Joanne Harris. It tells the story of Vianne Rocher, a young mother, who arrives at a fictional insular French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes with her six-year-old daughter, Anouk. Vianne opens La Céleste Praline, a small chocolaterie, and her confections quickly begin to change the lives of the townspeople through magic, setting up a conflict with Francis Reynaud, the parish curate. Chocolat is a recent contribution to the literary stream of Magic Realism.^{[citation needed]}

Harris has indicated that several of the book's characters were influenced by individuals in her life: Her daughter forms the basis for the young Anouk, including her imaginary rabbit, Pantoufle. Harris' strong-willed and independent great-grandmother influenced her portrayal of both Vianne and the elderly Armande.

Chocolat is French for "chocolate", and is pronounced [ʃɔkɔˈla] or "shocola".

A sequel to the novel, The Lollipop Shoes, was released in the UK in 2007; under the title The Girl with No Shadow, it was released in the US in 2008.

The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.

The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor (Russell Crowe).

There were also several popular action films, including X-Men and Shanghai Noon. In the comedy realm, there was Me, Myself & Irene and Meet the Parents.

Although a box office disappointment when originally released, DreamWorks Animation's The Road to El Dorado, based on the Hugh Thomas novel, Conquest, Montezuma, Cortés and the Fall of Old Mexico, earned second place behind Erin Brockovich.

Disney's Dinosaur was the most expensive film that year and a box-office success. Cast Away was also a success at the box office, earning over $429,632,142 worldwide in ticket receipts.

Coyote Ugly opened at #4 in North American box office making $17.3 million in its opening weekend behind Space Cowboys, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps and Hollow Man.

These are the top grossing films that were first released in 2000. The top ten films of 2000, by worldwide gross in $USD, as well as the US & Canada, UK, and Australia grosses, are as follows: