IMDb > L'argent de poche (1976)
L'argent de poche
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

L'argent de poche (1976) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   2,102 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Down 10% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

François Truffaut

Writers:

François Truffaut (original scenario) and
Suzanne Schiffman (original scenario)

Contact:

View company contact information for Small Change on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

17 March 1976 (France) more

Genre:

Comedy | Drama more

Plot:

In the town of Thiers, summer of 1976, teachers and parents give their children skills, love, and attention... more | add synopsis

Plot Keywords:

more

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination more

NewsDesk:

French Connections: François Truffaut, Tsai Ming-Liang, Jerry Lewis
 (From The Auteurs. 13 November 2009, 6:36 AM, PST)

User Comments:

Moments of Childhood Closely Observed more (26 total)


Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Nicole Félix ... Grégory's mother (as Nicole Felix)
Chantal Mercier ... Chantal Petit, the Schoolteacher
Jean-François Stévenin ... Jean-François Richet, the Schoolteacher (as Jean-François Stevenin)
Virginie Thévenet ... Lydie Richet (as Virginie Thevenet)
Tania Torrens ... Nadine Riffle, hairdresser
René Barnerias ... Monsieur Desmouceaux, Patrick's father
Katy Carayon ... Sylvie's Mother
Jean-Marie Carayon ... Police inspector, Sylvie's father
Annie Chevaldonne ... Nurse
Francis Devlaeminck ... Monsieur Riffle, hairdresser, Laurent's father
Michel Dissart ... Monsieur Lomay, constable
Michele Heyraud ... Madame Deluca
Paul Heyraud ... Monsieur Deluca
Jeanne Lobre ... Julien's grandmother (as Jane Lobre)
Vincent Touly ... Concierge
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:

Pocket Money (International: English title) (literal title)
Small Change (USA)
more

Runtime:

France:104 min | USA:104 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Allier, France more


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

Director Cameo: [François Truffaut]Sitting in a cabriolet, wearing his standard blue shirt in the first minute of the film. more

Movie Connections:

Featured in François Truffaut: Portraits volés (1993) more

Soundtrack:

Les enfants s'ennuient le dimanche more


FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful.
Moments of Childhood Closely Observed, 22 April 2006
10/10
Author: (jasonayoub73@hotmail.com) from Toronto

Small Change unfolds like a poem - it's a collection of moments, thoughts and experiences, all clustered together, adding up to a very significant outcome. What it amounts to is the most thoughtful reflections of childhood I've ever seen, given from the perspective of many different age groups.

The film has many scenes that are used as a vehicle to illustrate the differences between children and adults - usually comparing the former favorably to the latter. This is clear in a scene where a girl and her father watch two seemingly identical goldfish swimming around in a fishbowl. "That's Plic" says the girl. "And that's Ploc." But her father can't see the difference. A child's superior eye for detail has rarely been so clearly exposed on film.

Most of the vignettes are funny. Some demonstrate childhood resilience, such as a scene where a toddler falls nine stories but is uninjured. Another shows children's uncanny ability to make the best of a bad situation, when a girl left alone at home thinks of an interesting way to draw attention to herself.

But among these funny episodes a more serious situation develops. The movie slowly but sharply draws a contrast between the children who come from loving families, and one child, a youth of about 13, who does not. Moments of this abused child's life are also closely observed - the pain of rejection, the joy of finding coins on the ground at an amusement park, and the innovative schemes to get by and survive. Julien's childhood is shown as a painful period, but an occasionally magical one nonetheless.

What is so pleasurable about viewing Small Change is its simplicity - it's rarely a film where you constantly need to grope your mind for implications or deeper meaning. Most of the scenes are remarkably uncluttered, just like childhood itself.

Unbelievably, this film was rated R upon its original release, then rightfully changed to a PG upon public outcry. A PG-13 would probably be the most appropriate rating, but this classification wouldn't come into effect for another 7 years. It is completely appropriate for children, but does seem geared primarily towards adults. Because the language is quite simple, it could also be viewed as an ideal movie in second or third year French. Not just for fans of Truffaut, I couldn't recommend this remarkable movie more.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (26 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for L'argent de poche (1976)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
The Children's Clothing west1800john
The Hardest Thing to Accept west1800john
Breast Exposure + 2 young girls making out w/1 boy closeupman
Girl's megaphone scene? feelingsinister
Why is this movie PG with the breast exposure? SAMOdramaqueen
When didacticism works... literatelover
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Le château de ma mère Machuca Bes vakit Daens Nuovo cinema Paradiso
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Comedy section IMDb France section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.