Discussion of 'My Kid Could Paint That' has begun!

"This whole story, really, is about grownups. It's really not about this kid. She's just a little girl painting in her house."





I agree with the reporter who wrote the above quote. This is sooooo not about the kid. I'll be taking a second look at the film tonight and will post more of my reactions in the next few days. Please begin the dialogue and share with us your own responses about this interesting documentary. Also, I encourage people to continue reading and commenting on 'This is England'. (directly under this posting) It is one of the most dynamic conversations we have had and in my opinion we could go on for weeks and not run out of things to say about it.

THIS JUST IN!!! LATE BREAKING NEWS!!!! I am in the midst of rewatching the movie WITH the audio commentary. After seeing the film through once I strongly recommend that you watch it again this way. There is information that we are not privy to in the film itself that may well influence your reactions. In fact all the extras are invaluable.

Due to popular demand the discussion of "This is England" has been extended thru Sep. 26th.

About ten minutes into the film lonely, bullied 12 year old Shaun, who has recently lost his dad in the Falklands War passes under a bridge where a skinhead gang headed by kind and friendly Woody is hanging out. It is at this moment that I find myself leaning forward; my heart begins to race and I sense a familiar but not often felt excitement. THIS is why I watch movies. THIS is what I search for. This is a movie that will alter my DNA and ten minutes in I KNOW it. I wish someone was sharing this experience with me (which is why I began the blog!). From that point on I am in The Zone where the rest of the world ceases to exist (we all have one no doubt).

To me, each scene in this film could almost stand on its own as a one act play:

* The play that takes place under the bridge where Shaun is first introduced to his new substitute family.
* The play in the shoe store where the sales person convinces Shaun to buy the new shoes just in "from London!"
* The play that takes place as Shaun is initiated into the gang with a buzz cut and new clothing.
* The play where the guys dress up in costume and express their boundless energy safely by smashing out the abandoned house and hiding from Gadget in an old auditorium.
* The play where Shaun's mom brings him to the restaurant and confronts the gang about the new haircut.( Isn’t she just the most fabulous mom on the planet? )
* The play where they are at the party and Shaun hooks up romantically with the older girl ‘Smell’ (have we ever met anyone like her, black lipstick smeared after their kiss, “would you like to suck my tits?) and we meet the just out of jail gang member Combo.
* The play where Combo attempts to recruit them all into his White Nationalist crusade and ends up dividing the gang into two.
* The play where a well dressed representative of the National Front recruits Combo’s gang via his ‘THIS IS ENGLAND!’ speech.
* The absolutely SHATTERING climax where Combo turns upon his ‘family’ violently, releasing all the pain and rage of his life upon them. (In this play I am in the room with them. I am Milky receiving the blows, I am Combo delivering them, I am Shaun cowering in the hallway. The pain is searing. It is too much that we humans have to bear. It is not possible to survive in this world. But Shaun does. And most of us do . Scarred, battle worn, wiser, harder, more or less forgiving, more or less open and compassionate , more or less bitter and contained. We tend to go on , if given half a chance.)

The movie is over but it will stay with me forever. (DNA)
I rise and re-enter my own world shaking my head and repeating my mantra, “Life, can’t live with it, can’t live without it” and looking forward to the next episode of Sponge Bob.