''Small Change'' (french: L'Argent de poche) is a
1976
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
French film
French cinema consists of the film industry and its film productions, whether made within the nation of France or by French film production companies abroad. It is the oldest and largest precursor of national cinemas in Europe; with primary influ ...
directed by
François Truffaut
François Roland Truffaut ( , ; ; 6 February 1932 – 21 October 1984) was a French film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film critic. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of the French New Wave. After a career of more tha ...
about childhood innocence and child abuse. In English-speaking countries outside North America, the film is known as ''Pocket Money''. The film had a total of 1,810,280 admissions in France, making it one of Truffaut's most successful films.
Only his films ''
The 400 Blows
''The 400 Blows'' (french: Les Quatre Cents Coups) is a 1959 French coming-of-age drama film, and the directorial debut of François Truffaut. The film, shot in DyaliScope, stars Jean-Pierre Léaud, Albert Rémy, and Claire Maurier. One of ...
'' and ''
The Last Metro
''The Last Metro'' (french: Le Dernier Métro) is a 1980 historical drama film, written and directed by François Truffaut, that stars Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu.
Opening in 1942 during the German occupation of France, it follows th ...
'' were more popular in France.
Plot
''Small Change'' is a story of the struggles and yearnings of young children in
Thiers, France, in the summer of 1976. The main characters are Patrick Desmouceaux, who is motherless and just starts getting interested in women such as his young teacher, and his friend Julien Leclou, who lives in poverty and is physically abused at home. Julien cannot stay awake at school after nights without sleep and constantly refuses to change for gym class in order to hide his bruises. The film mixes the story of these characters with other more or less innocent childhood experiences and challenges of a number of children. Scenes include life at school, a toddler and a cat perilously playing on an open windowsill but falling down unhurt, a girl causing confusion with a
bullhorn in an apartment window, Bruno showing his friends how to chat up girls, a double date at a movie theater, a child telling a dirty joke, a botched haircut, first love and first kisses.
In the end, Julien's abuse becomes public and he is taken away from his family. The story ends with the message of one of the teachers about child abuse, injustice, children's rights, hope, love and resilience: 'Of all mankind's injustices, injustice to children is the most despicable! Life isn't always fair, but we can fight for justice.
..If kids had the right to vote, they would have better schools
..Life isn't easy. You must learn to be tough. I don't mean 'gangster-tough'. What I mean is having endurance and resilience.
..Time flies. Before long, you will have children of your own. If you love them, they will love you. If they don't feel you love them, they will transfer their love and tenderness to other people. Or to things. That's life! Each of us needs to be loved!'
Cast
All young characters were acclaimed child actors at the time of filming:
Production
Truffaut had been collecting anecdotes about children since the time of ''The 400 Blows''. Some of the events were autobiographical, like his first kiss. By 1972, the script was only a ten-page synopsis. In the summer of 1974, Truffaut became more serious about the project and started developing it further. He and his co-writer did not create a standard script because he wanted the freedom to improvise. In April 1975, Truffaut did location scouting, settled on the town of Thiers, then started casting. The filming lasted from 17 July until October that same year. The original rough cut was three hours.
Acclaim
When released, ''Small Change'' amassed critical acclaim. It was nominated for a
Golden Globe
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
for Best Foreign Film.
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who served as the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in ...
, writing for the ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', called ''Small Change'' 'an original, a major work in minor keys' and
Pauline Kael
Pauline Kael (; June 19, 1919 – September 3, 2001) was an American film critic who wrote for ''The New Yorker'' magazine from 1968 to 1991. Known for her "witty, biting, highly opinionated and sharply focused" reviews, Kael's opinions oft ...
described it as 'that rarity, a poetic comedy that's really funny'.
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
named it his favorite of the year, calling it a 'magical film' and singled out the window-sill scene as 'Truffaut at his best'.
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic and film historian, as well as an author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives. He is perhaps best known for his book of fil ...
gave the movie four stars (out of four) and called it 'wise, witty and perceptive'. ''Small Change'' was also entered into the
26th Berlin International Film Festival
The 26th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 25 June – 6 July 1976. The Golden Bear was awarded to the American film '' Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson'' directed by Robert Altman.
The Japan ...
. It was nominated for
Best Foreign Language Film
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
by the US
National Board of Review
The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered an early harbinger of the film awards season that culminat ...
.
Box office
''Small Change'' was popular at the box office, in France, the US, Germany, Scandinavia and Japan.
It was the 17th most popular film of the year in France.
References
External links
*
{{Roger Ebert's Best Film of the Year
1976 films
1970s French-language films
Films directed by François Truffaut
1976 comedy films
Films about educators
Films with screenplays by François Truffaut
French comedy films
1970s French films