APTED'S `49 UP' HOPS FROM JUMP-ROPE TO DIVORCE COURT.Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Critic The appeal of Michael Apted's long-running ``Up'' series, which returns to theaters today with the seventh installment, ``49 Up,'' isn't that its subjects' lives are extraordinary or even unusual. The series began in 1964 as a one-off television special that randomly took 14 British schoolchildren schoolchildren school npl → écoliers mpl; (at secondary school) → collégiens mpl; lycéens mpl schoolchildren school from different social and economic backgrounds and asked them about their hopes and dreams for the future. That they were randomly chosen is probably why the series, which Apted decided to continue after working as an assistant on the first entry, remains so relevant and revealing of the human condition. These days, you'd have a casting director hand-picking participants, looking to manufacture conflict and drama. But life, as we've learned from checking in with these people every seven years, has plenty of inherent interest and doesn't need any help from Hollywood, thank you. ``49 Up'' isn't the most exciting installment in the series. Having weathered divorces and illnesses and disappointments in previous ``Ups,'' the subjects are approaching their golden years Noun 1. golden years - the time of life after retirement from active work time of life - a period of time during which a person is normally in a particular life state aware of the way time and their own decisions limit future options. Two of the original group of 14 no longer participate, and others seem weary and wary of Apted's continued interest in their lives. ``You will edit this program as you see fit,'' the combative com·bat·ive adj. Eager or disposed to fight; belligerent. See Synonyms at argumentative. com·bat  ive·ly adv. Jackie tells Apted. ``I've got no control over
that.'' Suzy calls her participation in the ``Up''
series as ``not something I've enjoyed in any way.''
And who can blame her? Watching images from your childhood juxtaposed jux·ta·pose tr.v. jux·ta·posed, jux·ta·pos·ing, jux·ta·pos·es To place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast. with the footage taken 42 years later would be disconcerting dis·con·cert tr.v. dis·con·cert·ed, dis·con·cert·ing, dis·con·certs 1. To upset the self-possession of; ruffle. See Synonyms at embarrass. 2. for anyone. If there's a lesson to be gleaned from the series, it's how quickly life passes from the playground Playground - A visual language for children, developed for Apple's Vivarium Project. OOPSLA 89 or 90? to the pension home. I mean, really, wasn't it just yesterday when ``42 Up'' was playing in theaters? Glenn Whipp, (818) 713-3672 glenn.whipp@dailynews.com 49 UP - Three stars (Not rated: language) Director: Michael Apted. Running time: 2 hr. 15 min. Playing: Landmark's Nuart, West Los Angeles
In a nutshell nut·shell n. The shell enclosing the meat of a nut. Idiom: in a nutshell In a few words; concisely: Just give me the facts in a nutshell. Adv. 1. : Another seven years in the lives of the ordinary. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Jackie, Suzy and Lynn check in for their seventh update in ``49 Up,'' a documentary film by Michael Apted that began in 1964 as a TV series about 14 British schoolchildren. |
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