--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before seeing Truffaut 's Small Change, I…" description: "\"Before seeing Truffaut 's Small Change, I was afraid it was going to be one of those simple, natural films about childhood which I generally try to avo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/020/pauline-kael-6910_change_before-seeing-truffaut-s-small-change-i_1613629.jpg" --- # Before seeing Truffaut 's Small Change, I was afraid it… ![“Before seeing Truffaut 's Small Change, I was afraid it was going to be one of those simple, natural films about childhood which I generally try to avoid I'm just not good enough to go to them. But this series of sketches on the general theme of the resilience of children turns out to be that…” quote by Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/020/pauline-kael-6910_change_before-seeing-truffaut-s-small-change-i_1613629.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/020/pauline-kael-6910_change_before-seeing-truffaut-s-small-change-i_1613629.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/020/pauline-kael-6910_change_before-seeing-truffaut-s-small-change-i_1613629.jpg) > “Before seeing Truffaut 's Small Change, I was afraid it was going to be one of those simple, natural films about childhood which I generally try to avoid I'm just not good enough to go to them. But this series of sketches on the general theme of the resilience of children turns out to be that rarity a poetic comedy that's really funny.” [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Initially skeptical of sentimental childhood films, the reviewer discovers a rare, funny poetic comedy about children's resilience. **In simple terms:** A film about kids can be both funny and profound. Key Takeaway Appreciate unexpected depth in simple stories. Themes film criticism childhood resilience Mood analytical playful Type review interpretive When to use this quote - movie night - teaching children - film analysis Key Concepts cinema humor poetry social observation Questions to Reflect On - Did the humor change your view of childhood films? - What makes a simple story resonate? A Different Perspective The film may still feel sentimental to some viewers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Childhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childhood/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Good enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Poetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetic/) [Rarity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rarity/) [Resilience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resilience/) [Small changes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-changes/) ## Related quotes > [I was interested in films since my childhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-lever/i-was-interested-in-films-since-my-childhood/) [Johnny Lever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-lever/) > [I have not grown up on movies. I didn't watch much films in my childhood, but I was fond of animation films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonakshi-sinha/i-have-not-grown-up-on-movies-i-didn-t-watch-much-films-in-my/) [Sonakshi Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonakshi-sinha/) > [The closest encounter I had with films in my childhood was sitting on the lap of my father at a shooting set, and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fahadh-faasil/the-closest-encounter-i-had-with-films-in-my-childhood-was-sitting-on/) [Fahadh Faasil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fahadh-faasil/) > [I have been watching Salman's films since childhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gurmeet-choudhary/i-have-been-watching-salman-s-films-since-childhood/) [Gurmeet Choudhary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurmeet-choudhary/) > [I have been watching Hollywood films from childhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prateik-babbar/i-have-been-watching-hollywood-films-from-childhood/) [Prateik Babbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prateik-babbar/) > [I wasn't classically trained as an actor; I wasn't pursuing standup comedy. I really came into it through the back door. And there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jon-benjamin/i-wasn-t-classically-trained-as-an-actor-i-wasn-t-pursuing-standup/) [H. Jon Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jon-benjamin/) > [I think that comedy really tells you how it is. The other thing about comedy is that - you don't even know if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-reiner/i-think-that-comedy-really-tells-you-how-it-is-the-other-thing-about/) [Carl Reiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-reiner/) > [I hope I am pigeonholed with comedy. I'm really not interested in writing the darker stuff, the emotional stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-espenson/i-hope-i-am-pigeonholed-with-comedy-i-m-really-not-interested-in/) [Jane Espenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-espenson/) > [Mean comedy is not really something that I personally gravitate towards or something that I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-wiig/mean-comedy-is-not-really-something-that-i-personally-gravitate/) [Kristen Wiig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-wiig/) > [Comedy is really not like any other art form in that it's very specialized and varied in it's content, but generic in it's title.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-rogan/comedy-is-really-not-like-any-other-art-form-in-that-it-s-very/) [Joe Rogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-rogan/) > [The beauty of comedy is you can really push things. Hopefully, you're with people with a sense of humor and can relate to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrien-brody/the-beauty-of-comedy-is-you-can-really-push-things-hopefully-you-re/) [Adrien Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrien-brody/) > [Anger and comedy are really connected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/anger-and-comedy-are-really-connected/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [Sometimes, songs spill out of you very fast, and sometimes you have to wrangle them to the floor. But the same thing is true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/sometimes-songs-spill-out-of-you-very-fast-and-sometimes-you-have-to/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [I really enjoy comedy, but I also still really enjoy the drama aspect. So, I don't like to narrow my possible chances out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-durance/i-really-enjoy-comedy-but-i-also-still-really-enjoy-the-drama-aspect/) [Erica Durance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-durance/) > [I don't think comedy really does change people's minds; I think you can only get someone who is almost ready to change their mind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-jefferies/i-don-t-think-comedy-really-does-change-people-s-minds-i-think-you/) [Jim Jefferies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-jefferies/) ## More by Pauline Kael > [The worst thing about movie-making is that it's like life: nobody can go back to correct the mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/the-worst-thing-about-movie-making-is-that-it-s-like-life-nobody-can/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [Movies have been doing so much of the same thing - in slightly different ways - for so long that few of the possibilities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/movies-have-been-doing-so-much-of-the-same-thing-in-slightly/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [The critic is the only independent source of information. The rest is advertising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/the-critic-is-the-only-independent-source-of-information-the-rest-is/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [A good movie can take you out of your dull funk and the hopelessness that so often goes with slipping into a theatre; a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/a-good-movie-can-take-you-out-of-your-dull-funk-and-the-hopelessness/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [The movies have been so rank the last couple of years that when I see people lining up to buy tickets I sometimes think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/the-movies-have-been-so-rank-the-last-couple-of-years-that-when-i-see/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [Movies are so rarely great art that if we cannot appreciate great trash we have very little reason to be interested in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/movies-are-so-rarely-great-art-that-if-we-cannot-appreciate-great/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [If you use Hollywood as the test tissue for mankind, what could the prognosis be?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/if-you-use-hollywood-as-the-test-tissue-for-mankind-what-could-the/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [Where there is a will, there is a way. If there is a chance in a million that you can do something, anything, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/where-there-is-a-will-there-is-a-way-if-there-is-a-chance-in-a/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [What this generation was bred to at television's knees was not wisdom, but cynicism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/what-this-generation-was-bred-to-at-television-s-knees-was-not-wisdom/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [Watching old movies is like spending an evening with those people next door. They bore us, and we wouldn't go out of our way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/watching-old-movies-is-like-spending-an-evening-with-those-people/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [I felt as if I had attended the funeral of someone I didn't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/i-felt-as-if-i-had-attended-the-funeral-of-someone-i-didn-t-know/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [Protagonists are always loners, almost by definition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/protagonists-are-always-loners-almost-by-definition/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [if you think it so easy to be a critic, so difficult to be a poet or a painter or film experimenter, may I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/if-you-think-it-so-easy-to-be-a-critic-so-difficult-to-be-a-poet-or-a/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [Writers who go to Hollywood still follow the classic pattern: either you get disgusted by 'them' and you leave or you want the money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/writers-who-go-to-hollywood-still-follow-the-classic-pattern-either/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [Robert Redford ... has turned almost alarmingly blond-he's gone past platinum, he must be into plutonium; his hair is coordinated with his teeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/robert-redford-has-turned-almost-alarmingly-blond-he-s-gone-past/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) [Explore all 96 Pauline Kael quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Before seeing Truffaut 's Small Change, I was afraid it was going to be one of those simple, natural films about childhood which I generally try to avoid I'm just not good enough to go to them. But this series of sketches on the general theme of the resilience of children turns out to be that rarity a poetic comedy that's really funny.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pauline Kael" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/before-seeing-truffaut-s-small-change-i-was-afraid-it-was-going-to-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/before-seeing-truffaut-s-small-change-i-was-afraid-it-was-going-to-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/020/pauline-kael-6910_change_before-seeing-truffaut-s-small-change-i_1613629.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/020/pauline-kael-6910_change_before-seeing-truffaut-s-small-change-i_1613629.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/020/pauline-kael-6910_change_before-seeing-truffaut-s-small-change-i_1613629.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Before seeing Truffaut 's Small Change, I was afraid it was going to be one of those simple, natural films…” — Pauline Kael", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Pauline Kael", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Before seeing Truffaut 's Small Change,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/before-seeing-truffaut-s-small-change-i-was-afraid-it-was-going-to-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/before-seeing-truffaut-s-small-change-i-was-afraid-it-was-going-to-be/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```