My favorite cartoon character is in a film called Les Triplettes de Belleville. Her name is Madame Souza. She is a grandmother.

The film is in French, but there is very little dialog, so listening with American ears is no problem. The humor is French and slow-moving, and the style of animation is not modern. Were it rated, the movie would be, at worst, PG-13. There is violence, smoking, and a glimpse of nudity — a funny, bare-breasted dancer about two minutes into the film. But don’t let any of that put you off.

Madame Souza is raising her orphaned grandson, Champion. I admire her love for the boy and her quiet determination. She is short, unattractive, has bad eyesight and a short leg that requires a corrective shoe. But whatever comes her way, she never quits. Never.

We don’t know what happened to Champion’s parents, but he is a sad child. When he shows a glimmer of interest in music, his grandmother dusts off an old piano and plays a little. It doesn’t help. She buys him a puppy, which he loves, but he is still glum.

While making his bed for him, she discovers a scrapbook under the mattress. It is full of articles and pictures of the Tour de France. This brings a small smile to her face.

Later that day when Champion returns from school, he finds that his grandmother bought him a shiny new tricycle. He is overjoyed and rides it around and around and around the yard.

Champion grows and progresses to riding a bicycle. It is his dream to compete in the Tour de France, and his grandmother oversees his training. As he pedals his bike, she follows along on the old tricycle, rhythmically blowing a whistle to set the pace.

After each grueling workout, she feeds him, then massages his muscles using improvised devices such as a vacuum cleaner, an egg beater, and a push lawnmower.

Her desire for him to succeed is boundless and unwavering.

If you make it this far (about 20 minutes into the film) and are not put off by the non-American style or pace, then you will probably see it through to the end.

I don’t want to spoil the plot, which thickens considerably come race day. I’ll just say that three elderly cabaret performers (the Triplettes of Belleville) join forces with Madame Souza. They are a hoot, the music is sensational, and the dog, Bruno, deserves all the screen time he gets.

I love this movie. And I love Madame Souza. In caring for her grandson, she is not deterred by deep water. Nor by poverty. Nor by a flat tire. Not even by thugs with guns.

I had no problem finding a free copy of Les Triplettes de Belleville to watch online. It’s an hour and 20 minutes in length, so anything shorter than that will not be the full movie.

If you don’t watch the film but are curious about what happens, a Wikipedia article summarizes the plot.