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EnhanceTV :: Educational TV :: Society & Culture :: 21 Up America

21 Up America

The latest in the 7 Up series from the USA, it was released there in 2006. It follows the lives of 14 Americans whom audiences first met when they were seven, then 14 and now 21 years old. The subjects come from a range of backgrounds and circumstances, from rich kids in Manhattan to an immigrant from El Salvador to poor kids from 'the projects' in Chicago.

Written and directed by Christopher Quinn, the documentary cuts between earlier episodes so viewers can see the young adults as they were in childhood, with all their dreams, ideas and intentions for their life ahead.

21 Up America is a telling piece of work, not just because of its poignant moments, but also by its sheer ordinary-ness. Most of the characters are living pretty average lives, still dreaming about what lies ahead. Indeed at age 21, the majority feel caught between adolescence and adulthood, not really sure which they want to be.

The push to succeed is paramount, as is the notion that much must be done before settling down. As Kate puts it: "There's this one phrase that I hear over and over again: this is the time in your life. Like, better do it now because you're not going to get the chance to do it again. And that's almost, like, paralysing. I feel this sense of panic. What if I find myself settled in three years and there are all these things that I didn't do?"

21 Up America explores a number of themes, such as the impact parents (whether controlling or easy-going) have on a child, what's important in a relationship and the need to contribute to the wider world in some way.

It's also moving: Leroy talks of resuming his once-promising rap career when he's done his 12-year jail term; Alexis alludes to her battle with depression ("Most people don't want to hear your crap - you're not that important") and then there's the disappointment that Lewis tries to hide when his dead-beat mother doesn't turn up to a family reunion.

There are also uplifting moments, like discovering that 14-year old Branden - overweight and terribly slow - has transformed himself into a fit, confident young man, and that Kate, a woman searching for meaning in her life, has found it in through helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

These are true stories, of average human beings, and that's the beauty of 21 Up America. (From the US, in English) (Documentary)