7 Up

Have you ever heard of the 7 Up series of films? I stumbled upon them about a year ago through a Netflix recommendation. The first in the series of films was created in 1964. The film focused on the lives of a select few seven year old children, all from varied and disparate backgrounds. The film took as its premise a saying of St. Ignatius of Loyola: Give me the child until he is seven and I will show you the man. In the opening credits, the narrator states that the future barristers, shopkeepers, solicitors of the next millenium are children now. The question he asked was whether or not we can see into the future by looking at the lives of these children now.

The original film was intended to stand alone and no sequels were planned. As the years progressed, however, the producers of the film began to discuss the possibility of a longitudinal documentary of these children's lives, checking in with them every seven years. Thus came 14 Up, followed by 21 Up, 28 Up, 35 Up, 42 Up and finally in 2005, 49 Up. After the first two films, I was hooked, and was addicted to these films as much as I was to Lost or 24. This is more compelling, because this is real life, and in the stories of these strangers, you see the story of your own life in powerful ways. I can safely say that these films are the most fascinating films I've ever seen. In an interview that Roger Ebert had with Michael Apted, Ebert stated his belief that these films represent the most noble use of the medium he has encountered.

I wonder about my own life when I watch these films, and I wonder how I would appear at ages 7, 14, 21, and 28. There are times when I wish I could talk with the Dan of yesteryear, to pick his brain and ask him how he viewed the world back then. What were my dreams and aspirations, struggles and triumphs? I can recollect them from the perspective of a thirty-something man, but this is a far cry from being able to hear these things from my own lips. I had dreams as a seven year old, but I can't remember what they could have been. The dreams of these children are there for us all to see, and for some, surprisingly, they actually came true. Some have been wildly successful, while some fail at many things, only to become successful later in life. One man was homeless for many years, and had the appearance that perhaps he would go mad, but all is relatively well later in life. What is striking is that in that seven year old boy, you truly can see elements of the man later in life.

It causes me to wonder about my own foibles and struggles, as well as strengths. Could these be seen at a young age? Was the foundation being laid back then for who I am now? Of course the answer is yes--we all know the importance of the "formative years." But this program shows it all in black and white, and in more striking ways than I've considered before. It's amazing and stimulating fodder for thought and self reflection.

I highly recommend the movies to everyone. If you wanted, you could simply watch 49 Up, and in that film, you will see vignettes of each character as they age and progress. But this would only be scratching the surface, and you'd be missing out on the richness the films have to offer. I recommend starting at the beginning, and watching them over a series of several weeks.

And if you do...let me know what you think.