| Small Change | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | François Truffaut |
| Produced by | François Truffaut |
| Written by | François Truffaut, Suzanne Schiffman |
| Starring | Jean-François Stévenin, Virginie Thévenet |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Release date(s) | March 17, 1976 (France) |
| Running time | 104 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
Small Change (French: L'Argent de poche) is a 1976 French film directed by François Truffaut. The title translates to "Pocket Money" from French, but since there was a Paul Newman movie called Pocket Money, Steven Spielberg suggested the title Small Change for US release. 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. [1]
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Small Change is a comedy with a serious message, based around the daily lives of young children in Thiers, France. Scenes include a baby and a cat perilously playing on an open windowsill, a girl causing confusion with a bullhorn, a double date at the movie theater, a kid telling a dirty joke, a botched haircut, as well as many scenes about school life. Yet throughout this the difficulties and responsibilities faced by children appear, including the ongoing story of a boy's experience of an abusive home. Truffaut gives a message of resilience in the face of injustice, vocalized through one of the teachers. The story ends with a message of hope, the school closing for the summer vacation, and one of the key characters finding his first love at a summer camp.
Most of the characters were not professional actors.
Children
Adults
When released, Small Change amassed critical acclaim. It was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film. Vincent Canby of the New York Times called Small Change, "an original, a major work in minor keys"[2] and Pauline Kael described it as , "that rarity, a poetic comedy that's really funny."[3] Roger Ebert named it his favorite of the year, calling it a "magical film" and singled out the windowsill scene as "Truffaut at his best." [4] Leonard Maltin gave the movie four stars (out of four) and called it "wise, witty and perceptive." [5] The film was also entered into the 26th Berlin International Film Festival.[6]
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