Based on a popular Dutch children's book by Chris van Abkoude, this comedy-drama concerns Crumb (Ruud Feltkamp), a much put-upon youngster whose poverty -stricken mother is forced to turn him over to the stern Mrs. Koster (Sacha Bulthuis) when she's unable to support him herself. However, Mrs. Koster proves to be a cruel taskmaster who insists Crumb bring her money before she'll feed him. Crumb's money-making schemes sometime cause him to run afoul of the police, and he has earned the enmity of most of the grownups around him when Mrs. Koster unexpectedly dies. To Crumb's surprise, he's taken in by Chris (Hugo Haenen), the owner of a grocery store who develops a soft spot for the scruffy tyke. Crumb is happy living with Chris, but his joy is short-lived when Chris's market is destroyed in a fire; the boy once again is without a guardian, and is sent to an orphanage presided over by the mean-spirited Mr. Keyzer (Jan Declier). Kruimeltje received its North American premiere at the 2001 Palm Springs Film Festival.
by Mark Deming
synopsis
