MovieChat Forums > L'argent de poche (1976) Discussion > I so loved this movie!

I so loved this movie!

posted 20 years ago by OCOKA
7 replies | jump to latest

L'Argent de poche (Small Change) is, without equivocation, the best coming-of-age movie to come out of France in the 1970's. (Of course, "La Boum" would be the best one of the 80's.) Anyways, I saw this movie in 1977 at the tender age of nine at the "Varsity Theatre" on Central Avenue in Evanston, Illinois.

At the time, I couldn't help but feeling a little bit inured to its charms as the movie pretty much mirrored my then-life as a second grader. All I remember feeling after emerging from the theatre was: "What's the big whoop here?"

Ironically, it wasn't till I became an adult that I began to appreciate this film and its multiple themes a lot better. Some of the major themes include:
1) Neglect and child-abuse juxtaposed upon the innocence and carefree existence of childhood;
2) childhood shenanigans;
3) Budding Puppy love;
etc. etc.

For those in the teaching profession, the curriculum and subject matter of the French teacher and her elementary school charges is decidedly collegiate level to American sensibilities. Oh well, Viva la difference!

Favorite Scenes:
My personal favorite scene was when the Italian schoolboys rig the pulley system to get a diner basket over to the girl who lives across the courtyard in their apartment complex: Sylvie, the self-willed 7-year-old, who locks her parents out of the apartment under pretext of child neglect. (She also has two goldfishes named "Plic" and "Ploc" whom her father perpetually mixes.)

What are your favorite scenes?

[–] Thomas-58 20 years ago

What are my favorite scenes? Anything involving "Little Gregory," but especially the cat-and-the-window scene. I don't want to spoil anything, but you'll know it when you see it. Wow.

By the way, whatever happened to the cat anyway? ;)

[–] allaboutthevamps 20 years ago

OMGosh my entire french 2 class hates le petit gregory! we all call him demon spawn...i on the other hand think Bruno and his skanky kissing habits are the funniest thing ever! and the scene where he is reciting Moliere!!!ahahahahahahahahahahaha

[–] chicagrrl 20 years ago

I fell in love with this movie myself when I saw this in my French I class, way back when. In fact, my entire class fell in love with the movie and asked my French teacher to show this to us every year (those of us that took all 4 years of high school French, that is). I so loved it that I searched long and hard on ebay for a VHS of this. Then by some miracle, I found a DVD for it.

For me, the best thing about this film is that the kids weren't really "acting." If they were, it was with such innocence and genuineness that one forgets it's a film.

My favorite scene also involves le petit Gregory. Bruno's recitation of Moliere is classic, as well as Sylvie's little scheme to get food and the last scenes between Patrick and Martine.

[–] SailGirl06 19 years ago

I love this film!! It's so great t osee a film about kids where they don't make it all cute and sappy. This was real and the kids seemed real too.
It was for me about simply being a kid and growin gup. Nothin gcliche about this film!!

~ I guess it comes down to a simple choice really. Get busy Living, or get busy dying~

[–] Sagewhoknowsheronions 19 years ago

This was a breath of fresh for a film with children in it. They were neither sickeningly sweet or ridiculously naughty but entirely believable. One of the best films ever.

No comment, but don't quote me!

[–] vbfhenrmreturns 12 years ago

It´s a wonderful movie. It´s quite simple but beautiful. It´s one of the movies I highly recommend.

8/10

[–] billheron53 11 years ago

I love the twin telling the off-colour story about the priest and the nun, Patrick's heartbreak when it is assumed the flowers are from his father, Gregory's tumble, but especially Gregory carrying the baguette up the stairs, and then, while his mother chats, getting into the groceries and dumping the spaghetti out.
I'm here because I just witnessed this scene in the grocery store. Ahead of me was a young mother with a little toddling boy. She had three bags of groceries to cope with, and a baguette, which she entrusted to the toddler. Beautiful!