Der Junge muss an die frische Luft (2018)

Dramatised origin story of one of Germany's most beloved contemporary comedians.

Director:

Caroline Link

Writers:

Ruth Toma (screenplay), Hape Kerkeling (book)

Stars:

Luise Heyer, Sönke Möhring, Diana Amft

10 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Luise Heyer	...	Margret Kerkeling
Sönke Möhring	...	Heinz Kerkeling (Vater)
Diana Amft	...	Frau Kolossa
Joachim Król	...	Opa Willi
Martina Eitner-Acheampong	...	Frau Rädeker
Julius Weckauf	...	Hape Kerkeling
Hape Kerkeling	...	Himself
Hedi Kriegeskotte	...	Oma Änne
Elena Uhlig	...	Tante Gertrud
Ursula Werner	...	Oma Bertha Kerkeling
Maren Kroymann	...	Frau Höttermann
Birge Schade	...	Tante Lisbeth
Rudolf Kowalski	...	Opa Hermann Kerkeling
Kathrin von Steinburg	...	Frau Klöker
Trish Osmond	...	Nachbarin

Storyline

Dramatised origin story of one of Germany's most beloved contemporary comedians.

---

Plot Keywords:

reference to bud spencer | reference to loriot | reference to terence hill | reference to jurgen von manger | reference to roy black | 

---

Genres:

Biography | Comedy | Drama

---

Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

25 December 2018 (Germany)

Also Known As:

All About Me

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$31,920,159

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gesellschaft für feine Filme, UFA Fiction, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Maren Kroymann starred in several projects of the real Hape Kerkeling, including Kein Pardon (1993) playing Doris, Gisbert (1999) playing various roles and Horst Schlämmer - Isch kandidiere! (2009) playing Renate Hammelböck.

---

Goofs

In a scene in 1973 Hans Peter is singing "Spaniens Gitarren" by Cindy & Bert, a song that was released in 1974.

---

Crazy Credits

The family can be heard talking thought the first half of the closing credits

---

Connections

Features Disco (1971)

User Reviews

Mainstream films for German audiences hardly ever get better than this.

Based on Hape Kerkeling's autobiographical novel, "Der Junge muss an die frische Luft" is one of the most extraordinary German mainstream-fitted films to be released in recent years. People who have never lived in Germany probably won't be particularly familiar with Hape Kerkeling's comedy, but as someone who has continuously watched his presence in German television while growing up, I was probably the perfect target for the film's intention to hit all the nostalgia nerves. It paints a beautiful picture of small-town Germany during the early 1970s, not to mention a stellar performance by young Julius Weckauf, who may just have given one of the best child performances I have seen in a long time. He took over Hape Kerkeling's person and completely vanished into the character, allowing for a very compelling viewing experience.

The movie capably handles tragedy and humor, keeping both of these aspects in perfect balance and allowing the audience some room to laugh one minute and cry the next (I won't lie, I did both of those things). Caroline Link's film probably can't be called critic-proof; someone who wants to find flaws probably will, but as for me, I absolutely loved the experience of just letting this portrait of a boy's upbringing in Germany during the early 70s sink in. Ursula Werner's performance as Oma Bertha is especially note-worthy; she's a scene-stealer whenever Julius Weckauf isn't (which is a rare incident). I fear people outside of Germany probably won't ever get to see this film unless they embark on an extended search for it, though I also think people outside of Germany probably won't care, as long as they aren't familiar with Hape Kerkeling himself. But honestly, even if you don't know anything about him, this is just a fantastic film which is a more than worthy way to spend 100 minutes of your time with.