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Kids is a 1995 American film written by Harmony Korine and directed by Larry Clark.[1] The film is centered on a day in the life of a group of teenagers in New York City and their unrestrained behavior towards sex and drugs during the era of HIV in the mid 1990s.
PlotSpoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
The opening scene shows Telly (Leo Fitzpatrick) and an attractive 12-year-old girl kissing. Using sweet-talk and adulation, Telly convinces the girl to have sex with him. Afterwards, upon leaving the girl's house, he leans over a hallway railing and spits onto the floor, a symbol of his disrespect for the girl, which sets up his character. An integral plot point about Telly is revealed at the end of the film, and reflects directly on the girl he seduces in this first scene. He then meets his friend Casper (played by Justin Pierce), who is drinking malt liquor and reading a comic book on a stoop. As they walk along the sidewalk, Telly tells Casper about his sexual experience, as Casper exclaims obvious admiration. They go inside a store, and Casper steals another malt liquor as Telly distracts the cashier. They then steal a peach, using the same set-up just outside the store from an Asian sidewalk vendor.
This scene then intercuts with a scene in which girls talk about sex, contradicting what the boys say. Both Ruby (Rosario Dawson) and Jennie (Chloë Sevigny) are introduced during the conversation. Later, Telly and Casper walk to Telly's house. When they arrive, they steal money from Telly's mother, which is discreetly hidden inside a leather sandal. They walk to the park, meet up with a Rastafarian man, and buy marijuana from him. They then meet up with a few friends (one of whom gives a blunt-rolling tutorial) to talk and smoke. After finishing, Casper starts to ride on a skateboard and carelessly bumps into another man, who then begins to shout. Angered, the man approaches Casper to fight him, but is hit in the back of the head by Harold (Harold Hunter) with a skateboard, a friend of Telly and Casper's, causing him to collapse. Seizing the opportunity, many of Casper's friends join in, kicking and hitting him until he is unconscious and covered with blood, and then Telly spits at the man's bloody face. Meanwhile, Jennie and Ruby get tested for STDs at Ruby's request. Ruby's tests are negative, even though she has had many sexual encounters and many of the times were unprotected. Meanwhile, Jennie tests positive for HIV, much to her shock, since she has only had sex once, with Telly. Jennie attempts to find Telly to tell him, but cannot find him. Soon after, Telly and the group from the park pick up a thirteen-year-old girl named Darcy (Yakira Peguero), a sister to one of their friends. Telly appears to lust after Darcy, and convinces her to go swimming with some girls and him, at which point suggestive banter and other activities ensue, including suggestive lesbian behavior and (not quite visible on-camera) naked penis-waving. Telly and the group go to Steven's house to smoke, drink and talk about sex. Jennie goes to a rave to try to find Telly, but instead bumps into "Fidget" (the film's writer Harmony Korine), who gives her "a euphoric blockbuster [drug] that is supposed to make 'special K' look weak." After taking the drug, MDMA, she finds out that Telly is at what has become a party at Steven's place, and goes there to tell him about the HIV diagnosis. Instead, Jennie arrives to find Telly having sexual intercourse with Darcy, who is now being exposed to HIV, declines to intervene, and lays down on a couch, lapsing into a state of semi-consciousness. Casper then effectively rapes her in her alcohol and MDMA-induced stupor, over her diminishing objections, thereby exposing himself to HIV infection. Spoilers end here.
ProductionThe movie is filmed in a pseudo-documentary style, although all of the scenes are scripted. Director Clark used handheld cameras and naturalistic compositions to give the film a documentary feel, giving viewers the impression that they are watching real events in real time. Controversy and criticismThe film depicts undisguised habitual and social use of profanity, marijuana, alcohol, nitrous oxide, tobacco, and MDMA, also known as "Ecstasy". The original version of the film was rated NC-17 in the US[2]; an R-rated, less explicit version is also commonly available. Because of its unexpurgated subject matter centering on relatively young teenagers, the film has been controversial, however, it has also been critically acclaimed.[citation needed] The movie includes a lot of explicit sexual dialogue, and also depicts scenes of date-rape, physical violence, drug dealing, theft, seduction of barely post-pubertal minors, and (non-explicit) teenage sexual displays, as well as (apparently) adolescent actors/actresses in near but not quite explicit exposure. Film critic Janet Maslin of the New York Times called the film a "wake-up call to the modern world" about the nature of present day youth in urban life.[3] Meanwhile, other critics have labeled it exploitative (in the lascivious sense) as borderline "child pornography".[4] Still others find it exploitative (commercially and emotionally) of both youth subculture and parental fears of the dangers to and mistakes of juveniles, deeming it an implausible story on many plot points (including the character Telly's seemingly effortless success at seducing multiple virginal females per day into sexual activities, and Jennie's lighthearted amusement at public bisexual eroticism at the rave, just hours after discovering she is HIV-positive, among numerous other examples).[citation needed] CastingClark's trademark as a director is to use young and often unknown actors in his films.[citation needed] In Kids, he used New York City "street" kids with no previous acting experience in the film, notably Leo Fitzpatrick (Telly) and the late Justin Pierce (Casper). Some have faded back into relative obscurity, meanwhile others, such as Rosario Dawson (Sin City, Men in Black II, Alexander) and Academy Award-nominee Chloë Sevigny (Boys Don't Cry, American Psycho, Big Love), have since found success in their acting careers as well-recognized actresses. WritingGus Van Sant had originally been attached to the film as a producer. After insufficient interest had been generated in the film, he left the project; under incoming producer Cary Woods, the project found sufficient independent funding for the film. Harvey Weinstein of Miramax, wary of (or perhaps even pressured by) the parent Walt Disney Company's opinion of the risky screenplay, declined to involve Disney in funding the production of the film. After Woods showed him the final cut, however, Harvey and his brother, Bob Weinstein, bought the distribution rights to the film on their own, without Miramax/Disney money (as they did for Fahrenheit 9/11). Today, Clark claims that while the film was relatively financially successful, he only received a comparatively small amount of money (approximately US$40,000) to make the film.[citation needed] SoundtrackThe soundtrack album of the film contains songs by Slint, Sebadoh, Daniel Johnston & The Folk Implosion. Trivia
See also
Notes
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