French kiss is a smart and sexy romantic comedy that had critics raving and audiences from around the globe falling for it. A reason for the movie's astounding success is the universal themes it deals with through out some of these being love, sex and family. But by far the most important and prominent theme displayed in French kiss is self-discovery, conveyed via the characters, such as Kate. The many experiences' Kate undergoes- such as being dumped by her fiancé and finding herself totally lost and penniless in Paris- and the people she meets- like Luc Tyssier, a wild hearted French thief and Charlie, Kate's unfaithful fiancé- all help her discover vital facts about life and most importantly- her self. Kate finally faces her fears helping her to realise she has been holding back in life, life is unexpected and you can't take things for granted. She also finds her independence.
At the beginning of the film Kate is afraid to fly, and so she stays behind in Canada whilst her fiancé jetsets off to Paris. When Charlie abruptly calls to tell Kate that he has suddenly fallen head-over-heels in love with "a French goddess- and will not be returning home Kate makes an impulse decision to go over to France and win back Charlie's heart, no matter how much she hates to fly. On the aeroplane she meets Luc, who helps her discover that she has been holing back in life. When Luc remarks, "You're afraid to live! You're afraid of life, you're afraid of love, you're afraid of sex."" he brings to her attention that her true fears lie much deeper than just flying. While deeply offended by his comment at first, through out the film Kate takes heed and begins to stop holding back and just lets go, living her life to the maximum.
For instance, in the first 15 minutes of French kiss, Kate refuses a slice of pizza because she has lactose intolerance.