The Kids

By: Ashlee Dell’Arciprete

In 1995 Kids is the skateboarding film of the summer. These kids in the original documentary by Larry Clark went on to have their own fame nearly overnight and suddenly in the spotlight. Some handled fame well, others not so well. But what made things worse was the exploitation that ensued not only in its production, but afterward. The updated 2021 documentary of The Kids spotlights their lives after the movie that made an overnight success of names such as Rosario Dawson and Chloe Sevigny and the downfalls that followed for others.

This documentary in a word is powerful. New director Eddie Martin does an excellent job at allowing the now adults to speak openly and candidly about their experiences. This documentary also provides for the surviving cast members to heal from it. This is a hard film to do so given that it was produced by the Weinstein Company, and we all know how that ended up. However, the 2021 version of The Kids allows for creative expression and all anyone would have asked for back in the 1990s.

The Kids documentary reveals disturbing secrets that were going on behind-the-scenes in Larry Clark’s disturbing and controversial film and aimed to rewrite its wrongs or at least explain them. Clark’s film depicted the kids as drug and sex-crazed maniacs and provided drugs to actors, along with a slew of other things happening that they felt were okay at the time. However, many of them, as you can see from the documentary, did not have the support system needed being that some were so young.

The Kids was directed and written by Eddie Martin and produced by Shannon Swan and Resolution Media. Martin’s direction is impeccable, allowing the kids to speak for themselves and right their own wrongs. Being that The Kids revisits one of the most controversial films of the ‘90s, it was definitely challenging to turn down poor perception and change the narrative. But Martin does well at it while still allowing for those interviewed to speak their truth fully and openly.

Overall, Eddie Martin provides an excellent look into the lives of The Kids and also instead turns it into a story of hope. The documentary also goes on to be about Hamilton Chango Harris, who co-wrote and produced The Kids. Kindly, the narrative alters to be about Harris finding a new life. All in all, The Kids is a challenging but worthwhile documentary that gives justice to the original cast.