56 Up
In 1964 a group of seven year old children were interviewed for the documentary "Seven Up". They've been filmed every seven years since. Now they are 56.
In 1964 a group of seven year old children were interviewed for the d...
Documentary
-
2012
Available on
Country
When a cross-section of seven-year-olds were interviewed for 7 Up in 1964 it was immediately evident that their social backgrounds influenced their attitudes towards life. While the upper class children were confident and self-assured, those from middle and working class backgrounds were resigned to a challenging life of hard work. This premise was put to the test every seven years when the same group were interviewed about the progression of their lives. 49 years in the making, the changes that occurred to the original 14 make for fascinating television and are in many ways the stories of all our lives. From success and disappointment, marriage and childbirth, to poverty and illness, nearly every facet of life has been captured on film. Now, at the age of 56, the group are once more brought together and, with the benefit of hindsight, assess whether their lives have been ruled by circumstance or self-determination.
Director:
Cast:
Similar
Details
Runtime:
144 min
Release date:
14 May 2012
Country:
GB
Languages:
English
Budget:
$0
Revenue:
$0
Awards:
3 nominations total
Top Critics Reviews
rotten:
This suffers as well from the fact that the subjects' lives haven't changed all that much since 49 Up (2005); perhaps the series will improve yet as they head into old age.
– J. R. Jones,
Chicago Reader,
1 Jan 2014
fresh:
The original documentary was intended to illustrate how the country's deeply ingrained class system inscribed itself on the aspirations and inner lives of its young people. But the successive movies have been far less polemical.
– Ann Hornaday,
Washington Post,
1 Jan 2014
fresh:
We're now at 56 Up,, and with each passing calendar leap, the experience of watching has only become more soul-stirring.
– Lisa Schwarzbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Jan 2014
fresh:
Yes, on some level it's just a seven-year check-in with people maybe half-remembered, if that. Yet the films also serve as a kind of check-in with us, too.
– Bill Goodykoontz,
Arizona Republic,
28 Mar 2013
fresh:
What ultimately is so compelling about 56 Up is the universality of the experiences. We were all once children. And we all will die. And in between, there is everything else.
– Steven Rea,
Philadelphia Inquirer,
21 Feb 2013