Amelie Poulain has led a sheltered life - educated at home by over-protective parents, she retreats into a fantasy world of her own. When she finally leaves home and finds work as a waitress in a Parisian cafe, life is pretty uneventful until a chain of extraordinary events leads her to the discovery of a tin box containing a schoolboy's long forgotten mementos. It is then that Amelia discovers her true vocation in life - helping others find love and happiness - which she sets about in her own unique and magical way. When Amelie falls in love herself, she realizes that making neat solutions is not as easy as it seems...