42 Up

Arguably the most fascinating project in the history of documentary film, 42 Up is the sixth installment of the remarkable series begun in 1964 when filmmaker Michael Apted set out to examine the Jesuit maxim "give me a child until he is seven, and I will show you the man," and interviewed 14 British boys and girls, each 7-years-old, for the film 7 Up. Every seven years, Apted has returned to his original subjects, 11 of whom are still willing to be interviewed, and recorded their thoughts on work, love and family--comparing the hopes and dreams of earlier days to the realities of middle age. Echoing Wordsworth's line that "the child is father of the man," a trio of upper class kids named John, Andrew, and Charles not only detail their educational and professional itineraries at the age of seven, but at 21, have largely followed their set-in-concrete pathways to the letter (from 28 Up on, both John and Charles have declined to be interviewed). On the other end of the spectrum, we find Neil, a once bright-eyed country boy who became a homeless drifter throughout his twenties and thirties, but has now found some stability and purpose as an elected councilor doing volunteer political work (though he remains on the dole). At 42, the men and women in Apted's film have seen and experienced a lot of life's triumphs and tragedies, from critical recognition for one's work to building happy families, to dead-end jobs and divorce. Presented in 11 sequential vignettes, 42 Up is a veritable wonder, as we watch--to quote a Talking Heads song--"people like us" on life's incredible journey. While middle-aged viewers (I happen to be the same age as the participants) will certainly be drawn to this mesmerizing mirror-like examination, the film's unique documented look at the stages of life should appeal to just about anyone interested in the human enterprise. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Pitman)