Spoon (2004)

Directed by: Willem van de Sande Bakhuyzen | 90 minutes | family | Actors: Joep Truijen, Neeltje de Vree, Barry Atsma, Carice van Houten, Loes Luca, Kees Hulst, Peter van den Begin, Reinout Bussemaker

What is seventeen divided by eighteen? Most adults will use a calculator for this calculation, let alone children. Main character Spoon from this film does it by heart and surprisingly fast too. It should therefore be clear that we are dealing with a special child here. Spoon lives with his evil grandmother. For as long as he can remember he has been waiting for his parents to return from their long world trip in a hot air balloon. So long that he no longer knows what his parents look like. His grandmother, with a name as dismal as her character, Koppenol, is downright mean to Lepel. He regularly has to go on the thieves’ path with her, because she steals all the buttons from the clothes in the Bromo department store. He also has to sort the buttons by colors and it is not a container full, but a room full.

One day he manages to escape and hides in the department store. There he meets Pleun, a girl who ran away from home and now lives in the department store. During the day she sleeps in a closet behind the ties. The sympathetic salesman Max knows about it and he can also live with the secret of Lepel very well, despite the fact that he secretly has a crush on the manager Broer. Sympathetic and unsympathetic characters, it all belongs in a children’s film like this, but that doesn’t matter. It is sometimes a relief to see a film in which there are no hidden intentions, everyone is clear about what he or she wants. It is unclear where and when the film will take place. Given that it’s housed in a department store, it may well be a big city, but the streets are remarkably deserted – except for a lonely old-timer – and the houses have a village feel.

Just as there is something magical about a hot air balloon ride, the film also has a magical appearance. The sweet face of Joep Truijen will evoke maternal feelings in every woman. The atmosphere of the film is perfect and reminiscent of Minoes. You can’t imagine a more fanciful and warmer film. ‘Spoon’ is like a bite of your favorite ice cream flavor and leaves you wanting more. And you can count on that!