The fourth installment of Michael Apted's brilliant documentary series finds it's subjects, which it has followed every seven years since they were seven, about to move into their 30s. Many have families now and most seem to have truly found themselves. For people who have not seen the series before, entering at this point is not impossible, because the filmmakers give us recaps of the past, however I wouldn't it. This is the first installment to not feature all of the participants from the previous films, but we do get caught up on the two missing members as well. Sit back and enjoy catching up with old friends.
First, we meet up with Tony, who grew up in the East End of London. His dream at seven was to be a jockey and was able to enter in three races, one of which featured racing legend Lester Piggott. Outside of the birth of his children, he lists this as the best day of his life. Now he's living well as a cabbie (his fallback position when he was seven). Most of his rough and tough attitude has faded into a more reflective look on life. He seems to have accomplished what he set out to do and doesn't need to prove himself as much anymore. He's even taken up acting on the side.
At 21, Bruce was studying mathematics. Since seven, he's always had a need to help his fellow man. Now at 28, he has given up his job at an insurance firm, put behind his wealthy background and started new work to help the less fortunate in an interesting way. Suzy also came from privilege and always came off as spiritless in the previous entries. However at 28, she has made a surprising turnaround, spurred by something she said she had no faith in when she was 21. Nick lived in the country as a child and was curious about science at an early age. At 28, he has earned a doctorate in physics and married a fellow Oxford grad named Jackie. He's taken a post at the University of Wisconsin, where he and his wife struggle with the idea of balancing careers and family. At 21, Peter, who came from a middleclass family, was just about to graduate from college. Now he works as a teacher, which doesn't seem to be something he enjoys. He seems disgruntled with the current political climate in England and in life in general, looking back to the days when he played in a band. His wife Susan can't even say they married for love on camera.
Next we check in with Paul, who by 14 was living in Australia. He's now married with kids, and his wife, Susan, comments jokingly about how she gets frustrated with his lack of confidence, which is something he has struggled with since a young age. Three wealthy children from the same pre-prep school were interviewed together for the first three installments. John and Charles declined to be part of this new film. The most conservative subject John is now a barrister, while Charles works as a producer for the BBC. Andrew was the other and now works as a solicitor in the city with a home in the country. He and his wife Jane plan to raise their kids in the country. Andrew clearly recognizes the advantages he has had in life.
As for Neil, who in the last film was living a squatter's life, his life has not improved like he hoped. He's been out of work for three years wandering England to make ends meet. At 21, he seemed depressed and angry about his situation, but, at 28, he seems resigned to a miserable fate. Since the last film, he has been treated for mental illness, but has reconciled with his parents, who he spoke harshly of previously. His haggard transformation from a bright-eyed seven-year-old is haunting.
Mirroring John, Charles and Andrew, three girls from working-class backgrounds have been interviewed together. Jackie, Lynn and Susan have all returned for this installment. Lynn is still married and working for the same mobile library. Since the previous film, Susan has gotten married and settled into her role as a mother. Jackie, however, comments that 19 was too young to get married and has decided not to have children, because she is too selfish. When asked about whether they think about their disadvantages coming from a working-class family, Jackie answers — only every seven years when she's asked for the program. The final subject is Simon, the only mixed race participant. He too is now married with five children. Though he stated at 21 that he'd lose his mind if he had to work at the meat packing plant forever, he is now resigned to remain at what he sees as a stable job. His priorities have shifted to his kids, giving them the father figure he never had.
While this installment doesn't have the bold changes that the other three films had, many of the participants seem to have settled into themselves. However, Apted does allude to possible trouble on the horizon. Will Jackie, Nick and Peter's marriages last? Will Neil even survive to the next installment? It's an addictive series. You want to know what happens next in these people's lives, because you start to know them better than some of your own acquaintances in real life. This is reality TV for the film fan.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
