Kids movie review & film summary (1995) | Roger Ebert (2024)

Early in "Kids," there is a scene where Telly and hisfriend Casper are walking along a Manhattan street. Telly, who is about 15 or16, is describing his latest sexual conquest, which we have just witnessed inheartless detail. Casper is swigging beer from a bottle, which he has probablystolen from a convenience store. Telly's language is like a series of uglyblows; he talks about his enthusiasm for "de-virginizing" younggirls, Casper cheers him on, and it becomes clear that neither one of them hasany interests, any curiosity, any values, any frame of reference, beyondimmediate animal gratification.

Thena curious thing happens. Casper pauses casually, in plain view of passersby ona street corner, to urinate. That is not what is strange. What is strange isthat Telly chooses to stand around the corner from his friend, to lend himprivacy. If you study this body language, you realize that these kids liveentirely in a world of their own. Other people - adults - simply do not exist.

LarryClark's "Kids" is a movie about their world. It follows a group ofteenage boys and girls through one day and night during which they travelManhattan on skateboards and subway trains, have sex, drink, use drugs, talk, party,and crash in a familiar stupor, before starting all over again the next day.The movie seesthis culture insuch flat, unblinking detail that it feels like a documentary; it knows whatit's talking about.

Telly,played by Leo Fitzpatrick, at least has an interest in life: sex. His face is ascary study in self-absorption as he tells girls lies they should laugh at.Being stupid, naive or simply curious, they listen to him.

"Whatif I get pregnant," asks a girl, who looks about 14.

"Ifyou - - - - me, you don't have to worry about that," Telly tells her.

"Whynot?" "Because I love you. Because I think you're beautiful."She believes him. Minutes later, his mission accomplished, he's back on thestreet with Casper, explaining his philosophy about virgins: "Say you dietomorrow. Fifty years from now, she'll still remember you." It is a goodthing he cannot hear the talk among some of the girls in the movie, who cannoteven remember losing their virginity.

Clarkhas published several famous books of gritty photography. In his first movie,he adopts a similar approach, shooting on location in the streets, placing hischaracters in their world. What is interesting is that you can hardly even seeManhattan in this movie; the camera, like the characters, sees only this sadyouth culture. What is not human and between 12 and 17 essentially does notexist.

Thecasting of Leo Fitzpatrick as Telly has a lot to do with the film's powerfuleffect. This is the kind of kid who gives parents nightmares. He is essentiallya very effective sex machine, plowing through fields of naive, underage girls.What makes him unforgettable is his voice, which is crude and grating;everything he says sounds unwholesome. Nor is he much to look at. What do thegirls see in him? The answer to their curiosity about sex, I guess.

SinceFitzpatrick is an actor (and "no ladies' man," he told Clark), thisis a performance and, as such, one of the most effective I've seen. It'samazing how, watching the film, you dislike Telly so much you want to denyFitzpatrick's accomplishment in creating him.

Themovie's dialogue, which sounds authentic, was written by a 19-year-old namedHarmony Korine, who lived in the world of skateboarders and suggested thecasting of some of his friends to Clark. There are two extended rap sessions -one for the boys, one for the girls - in which they talk about sex, drugs andtheir lives.

Gradually,a plot emerges, involving two of the girls, who go for an AIDS test.

Theresult shadows the rest of the movie, and gives "Kids" its reason forbeing; the film is intended as a wake-up call, and for some kids, it may be alifesaver. Other kids should probably not see it. The film received an NC-17rating by the MPAA, and then a decision was made to release it "unrated";in many markets, it will be "adults only." It is so raw, bleak andunfiltered that such a policy is appropriate, and yet there will be kids whoshould see this movie, and my hunch is, somehow they'll find it.

Clark'sdirection is discreet. He makes his points with character and action, not withspeeches. Only five times does his camera stray from the kids. Once is for ascene in a subway, where a blind man sings "Danny Boy" badly while ayoung man dances to the song, but is out of step. Once is when two Korean storekeeperstry to deal with the kids, who are stealing from them. Once is where awide-eyed little girl is given a peach by Casper, and throws it away.

Onceis when Telly briefly visits his apartment, talks to his uncomprehendingmother, and steals some money from her. Once is when the kids are on a subwaytrain, and a legless beggar wheels himself through the compartment. Lookclosely: The platform supporting his half-body is made from a skateboard.

Skateboardsprovide the way the kids move around town. They gather in Washington SquarePark, dope is bought and sold, sexual conquests are related, and they beat upanother kid so brutally that he could have been killed. The kid they attack isblack, but so are some of the attackers; their pack includes all races. Theyare color-blind, or perhaps it is more accurate to say they comprise a race oftheir own.

"Kids"is the kind of movie that needs to be talked about afterward. It doesn't tellus what it means. Sure, it has a "message," involving safe sex. Butsafe sex is not going to civilize these kids, make them into curious, capablecitizens. What you realize, thinking about Telly, is that life has given himnothing that interests him, except for sex, drugs and skateboards. His life isa kind of hell, briefly interrupted by org*sms.

Mostkids are not like those in "Kids," and never will be, I hope. Butsome are, and they represent a failure of home, school, church and society.They could have been raised in a zoo, educated only to the base instincts. Youwatch this movie, and you realize why everybody needs whatever mixture of art,education, religion, philosophy, politics and poetry that works for them:Because without something to open our windows to the higher possibilities oflife, we might all be Tellys, and more amputated than the half-man on hisskateboard.