Little Crumb
| Little Crumb | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Maria Peters |
| Screenplay by | Maria Peters |
| Based on | Kruimeltje by Chris van Abkoude |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Hein Groot |
| Edited by | Ot Louw |
| Music by | Henny Vrienten[1] |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Buena Vista International |
Release date |
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Running time | 119 minutes |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Language | Dutch |
| Box office | 1.1 million admissions (Netherlands)[2] |
Little Crumb (Dutch: Kruimeltje) is a 1999 Dutch comedy drama film written and directed by Maria Peters, based on the 1923 novel Kruimeltje by Chris van Abkoude. The film was produced by Shooting Star Filmcompany and KRO. it was released in the Netherlands on 9 December 1999 by Buena Vista International.
It was the most popular Dutch film of the year and in the top 20 most popular Dutch films of all time.[2] It was the Netherlands' submission to the 73rd Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee.[3][4]
Plot
Kruimeltje (Little Crumb), a street urchin in Rotterdam in 1921, lives with the strict Mrs. Koster, having been left there by his mother long ago because she was unable to care for him. Mrs. Koster, a moody and hard-hearted alcoholic, regularly sends Kruimeltje out to earn money for her, but to her annoyance, he isn’t very successful, so she sends him out onto the streets. She herself earns money by polishing copper. Kruimeltje has a friend, Keesie, with whom he often has fun sledding or sneaking into the cinema without paying. A glazier pays Kruimeltje to break a window so he'll have work, but this ends up landing Kruimeltje in jail for the night.
Mrs. Koster is seriously injured after falling down the stairs, and on her deathbed she gives Kruimeltje a locket containing photos of his parents. Kruimeltje wants to go to America to look for his father, but a one-way ticket costs 300 guilders, and he is too young to be allowed to travel alone. Kruimeltje finds a dog, Moor, and decides to keep him. He then meets Wilkes, who discovers that his best friend, who left for America years ago, is Kruimeltje’s father.
Kruimeltje then befriends a pianist, Lize van Dien, who realizes from the locket Kruimeltje wears that he is her long-lost son. She initially does not tell him, because he said he wants nothing more to do with his mother, since she abandoned him.
Kruimeltje and Lize go to the harbor to pick up Wilkes when he returns from America. He has found Kruimeltje’s father, who has come along back home. Then Kruimeltje learns that Lize was his mother all along, and embraces her.
Cast
- Ruud Feltkamp as Kruimeltje
- Hugo Haenen as Wilkes, Harry's best friend
- Rick Engelkes as Harry Folker, Kruimeltje's father
- Thekla Reuten as Lize van Dien, Kruimeltje's mother
- Yannick van de Velde as Keesie, Kruimeltje's friend
- Sacha Bulthuis as Mrs. Koster
- Ingeborg Uyt den Boogaard as Vera di Borboni, maid
- Jaap Maarleveld as old neighbour
- Joop Doderer as Koster
- Bert Geurkink as policeman
- Jan Decleir as Father Keyzer
Release
Critical response
The film received positive reviews from critics.[5][6][7]
Home media
The film was released on DVD and VHS on 22 November 2000 by Buena Vista Home Entertainment.[8]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Netherlands Film Festival | Golden Calf for Best Director | Maria Peters | Nominated | [9] |
| Golden Calf for Best Feature Film | Dave Schram Hans Pos |
Nominated | |||
| Golden Calf for Best Script | Maria Peters | Nominated |
See also
- Cinema of the Netherlands
- List of Dutch submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of submissions to the 73rd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- 18th Ale Kino! Festival
References
- ^ Kerkhof, Harold (October 1999). "HENNY VRIENTEN COMPONEERT KRUIMELTJE". Holland Film Nieuws, nr. 30 (in Dutch). pp. 22–23. Archived from the original on 12 October 2025. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ a b "Film Facts and Figures of the Netherlands – September 2013" (PDF). The Netherlands Film Fund. p. 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ "Record 46 Countries in Race for Oscar". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 2000-11-20. Archived from the original on 2008-04-05. Retrieved 2008-07-19.
- ^ "AMPAS Announces the Nominees for the 73rd Academy Awards". indieWire. Archived from the original on February 12, 2005. Retrieved 2008-07-19.
- ^ Keunen, Mirjam (9 December 1999). "Ouderwetse tranentrekker". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 October 2025 – via Delpher.
- ^ Ockhuysen, Ronald (9 December 1999). "Armoede, kerst en maagdelijke sneeuw". De Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 October 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Beerekamp, Hans (8 December 1999). "Ambitieuze smartlap over straatschoffie". NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 October 2025.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Buena Vista Home Entertainment presenteert KRUIMELTJE (Press release)" (in Dutch). Buena Vista Home Entertainment. 7 November 2000. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
- ^ "Kruimeltje". Netherlands Film Festival (in Dutch). Retrieved 12 October 2025.
External links