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By
DEBORAH NICOL
Imagine resolving a conflict
in your life and coming to terms with it, moving
on, and yet being interviewed about it publicly
every seven years so that millions of people may
rip off that band-aid again. Such is the situation
for fourteen Britons, who since the age of seven
have had septi-annual check-ups of their
accomplishments and failures.
The initial "7 Up!" installment was intended to be
a film unto itself, with no contract for the
subjects to reunite. Granada Television crewmember
Michael Apted ("Coal Miner's Daughter," "Gorilla's
in the Midst") chose to continue this as a series,
and tracked down each child at age fourteen, and
then every seven years for the rest of their lives
(occasionally having to bribe the members to agree
to this brutal inquisition). Apted confessed that
if he had known what the series would become, he
would have involved a broader cross-section of the
country, with more women and different races. But
the series still remains an interesting spectrum
of people from wealthy, working class, middle
class, and country upbringings (the narrator's
claim of "startling different backgrounds" is
probably a slight hyperbole).
At age seven the children are precocious and
inquisitive, unguarded in their answers and
positive about the future. Many are surprisingly
eloquent, with the wealthy children discussing
from which newspapers they prefer to read their
stock quotes and their future education plans up
through university. A heartbreakingly funny scene
reveals a child's concerns of a future wife
forcing him to eat his greens when she knows he
does not care for the food. When asked about
future occupations, aspirations range from working
at Woolworths to many boys becoming astronauts
(the series began in 1964). At fourteen, the
children are obviously participating at their
parents' request, as faces are often buried behind
hair or into their laps. A terribly awkward age,
most of the kids appear shy and uncomfortable.
By 21 the subjects are on the brink of their adult
lives, making choices about school and life,
attempting to predict their future. At 28, many
have found marriage, though interviews with the
spouses prove very matter-of-fact relationships.
However, they later confess that while they were
attempting to be very honest about the ups and
downs and marriage, it came across instead that
there were inherent problems with their
relationships. In his commentary Apted reveals
that he attempted to second-guess the downfalls of
some relationships, and regretted those decisions.
At 35, many of the subjects were dealing with
parental loss and reflecting upon the immature
years before them and their failed marriages --
and some of the
working class ones were living off public assistance.
Currently the final episode occurs at age 42, when
many had established families and careers, but yet
are still evolving to new situations. It is
heartwarming to see how far these people have come
and what they have achieved.
Does Apted's film conclude the prediction, "Give
me a child until he is seven, and I will give you
the man?" His anthropological analysis of the
British class system unintentionally swings more
towards a psychological study, as much of the
children's personalities appear to be a result of
their parents' influence. A girl who spent her
childhood dealing with her parents' divorce is
often very sullen as a youth, a fatherless boy is
very quiet and reserved, and an endearing
East-Ender boy finds true happiness in his
parents' love. The class divisions do appear to
affect career goals, as lower and middle class
subjects often do not set their standards very
high, yet their happiness is not dependant on that
factor. During interviews Apted often attacks his
subject, asking why they failed a goal made seven
years prior. A smart, honest teacher once replied
that it was not that he had failed, but that he
had tried and discovered the path was not his to
take. These frank yet sometimes defensive
statements are what makes this series so
fascinating. No one attempts to gloss over their
difficult hurdles, and confessions arise
concerning personal inadequacies, infidelities,
and mental disorders. However this is far from a
depressing overview of their lives. Most have
achieved happy homes and family lives, and through
their struggles seem to appreciate where they
ended up.
Apted's series is invaluable to the world of film,
sociology, anthropology, and psychology. His film
style evolves with each passing episode, improving
upon the telling of these life tales. These people
have allowed the world, grudgingly or not, into
their lives and provided proof on film of the
affect of the nature and nurture theory. We owe
them a debt of gratitude, and owe Apted thanks for
relentlessly pursuing them.
DVD extras are spare, including photo galleries
for each film, director biography, and previews of
other First Run features. However, the final film
includes a director's commentary (unfortunately
with competing sound against the original
narration), which proves very interesting and
reveals Apted's personal relationships and
affection for each subject. |
