The 90s: the time when cell phones were the size of bricks, you were singing along to "Wannabe" by Spice Girls or "Ironic" by Alanis Morissette, or you were drinking Crystal Pepsi or Hi-C Ecto Cooler. Most of the best sitcoms came from the 90s like Friends, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Boy Meets World. Actress Soleil Moon Frye was a teen growing up in the 90s after starring in the 80s sitcom Punky Brewster. As a child growing up in the mid-90s, I wasn’t exposed to Frye until she was on Sabrina The Teenage Witch. She was also the voice of Zoey from The Proud Family and Jade from the Bratz animated movies and TV series. Little did I know the impact of Punky Brewster and the time it was on TV.
When Kid 90 was released, the reboot of Punky Brewster was streaming on Peacock. Why not a better time to look back at the 90s? In this brand new Hulu documentary, Frye revisits raw footage of her past by looking back at old photos and videos and reading personal diaries from when she was growing up in the spotlight. The documentary is a nostalgic love letter to Frye's teenage years where she examines her personal journey and growth.
Frye’s documentary has a lot of heart, consisting of interviews with the faces of 90s actors such as Brian Austin Green, Heather McComb, Stephen Droff, Mark Paul Gosselaar, and David Arquette. The film also shows a glance of a young Leonardo DiCaprio who just happens to be an executive producer. Frye shares many memories with famous 90s stars, including herself, to reveal how down-to-earth and genuine each actor was. She also struggles to find meaning through all the experiences she encountered.
Despite all of the positive moments Frye was faced with, the documentary also looks at the highly emotional and dark sides of living as a young Hollywood star. Frye gets extremely personal and exposes difficult moments in her childhood such as how she was raped, the friends she lost due to suicide, and doing drugs.
Frye presents audiences, especially young adults, with the struggles she tackled. The film’s runtime seems too short to supply the scope of Frye's personal story. Although moving and intimate, it lacks real structure. With so much to cover during her teenage years, there should have been more content. Kid 90 is sure to entertain any 90s kid; it's a portal of nostalgia and sort of comfort food for the soul.
Aud: C, P. Recommend.