KIDS
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 8.7
United States, 1995 U.S. Availability: 7/21/95 (New York); 7/28/95 (limited release elsewhere) Running Length: 1:35 MPAA Classification: No MPAA Rating (Profanity, sex, violence, drugs) -- No one under 18 admitted without parent Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Leo Fitzpatrick, Justin Pierce, Chloe Sevigny, Rosario Dawson,
Yakira Peguero
Director: Larry Clark
Producer: Cary Woods
Screenplay: Harmony Korine
Cinematography: Eric Alan Edwards
Music: Louis Barlow
U.S. Distributor: Excalibur Films
The vision presented in Larry Clark's KIDS is as bleak as things get -- an ugly portrait of amoral youths who resort to drugs and sex not as a form of rebellion, but to fill the void of otherwise empty and meaningless lives. Unfortunately, KIDS is an accurate portrayal of how certain inner city children live out their existences. Take a look at the documentary TEEN DREAMS if you doubt how dangerously close to reality this fictional presentation comes.
On the outside, Telly (Leo Fitzpatrick) is the kind of clean-cut teenage boy any mother might let her daughter go out with. He looks "normal" -- perhaps even a little nerdy -- and can be polite and sincere when it suits him. But Telly is an inveterate liar. He will say or do anything to satisfy his addiction for deflowering virgins. Sexually uninitiated girls present the greatest challenge and, as a bonus, are guaranteed disease-free. Not that he believes in AIDS anyway -- condoms, in his opinion, are a waste of time.
Telly's best friend is Casper (Justin Pierce). While Casper also enjoys sex, his partners don't have to come with their hymens intact. And Casper's as much into drugs and drink as sleeping with girls. Like Telly, he's not concerned about the future or the consequences of his actions. He takes life as it comes, whether that means inhaling dope, raping a stoned girl, or beating someone half to death with a skateboard.
Then there's Jennie (Chloe Sevigny), who's only had sex once, but, without protection, that was enough to do irreparable damage. When her HIV test comes back positive, her life collapses around her. Nothing makes sense. Her best friend, Ruby (Rosario Dawson), has had sex with at least eight guys, yet she's clean. And when Jennie rushes to stop another girl from sharing her fate, she arrives too late.
KIDS is shot like a documentary and, in its uncompromising depiction of every aspect of the characters' social and sexual interactions, it seems almost too raw for fiction. Clark has meticulously designed this movie to blur the lines between reality and scripted story, hiring 20 year old Harmony Korine to write a screenplay that reflects what's really going on in the streets. The actors are all newcomers, and their unfamiliar faces and unpolished-yet-effective performances add to the documentary-like effect.
KIDS follows the activities of a small group of teenagers over a twenty-four hour period (a little time frame cheating, by way of flashbacks, occurs). And what a twenty-four hours it is... KIDS will likely shock some viewers, but even those expecting this kind of grueling expose will be disturbed by the casual manner in which the most heinous acts are carried out. If people lose their souls as children, what happens when they grow up? This is a tragedy without a last act -- a wrenching experience that offers no catharsis.
One of the ironies surrounding KIDS is that the MPAA wanted to slap it with an NC-17, which would have disallowed anyone under 17 from seeing it. Yet, despite the graphic nature of the material, this is the sort of thing many teenagers live with every day -- so, apparently, the message is that they can experience it outside theaters, but not view it on the screen. Miramax's decision to release the film unrated through a spinoff company at least allows the under-17 crowd an opportunity to see KIDS, if only in the company of a parent or legal guardian.
Those who call KIDS exploitative may have seen the film, but they haven't bothered to really watch it. There is not a gratuitous moment in this picture, although some of the images are so strong that viewers will wish to close their eyes or turn away. KIDS shows what transpires when children are set adrift in a heartless world, and warns us what happens -- and is already happening -- in the absence of love and guidance.
- James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com)
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