Kids (film)

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Kids
Kids DVD poster
Directed by	Larry Clark
Produced by	Cary Woods Christine Vachon
Written by	Larry Clark Harmony Korine
Starring	Leo Fitzpatrick Justin Pierce Chloë Sevigny Rosario Dawson
Cinematography	Eric Alan Edwards
Editing by	Christopher Tellefsen
Distributed by	Shining Excalibur Films Lions Gate
Release date(s)	July 28, 1995
Running time	91 mins (Theatrical Version)
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$1.5 million USD
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Kids is a 1995 American drama film written by Harmony Korine and directed by Larry Clark.^[1] The film features Chloë Sevigny, Leo Fitzpatrick, Justin Pierce and Rosario Dawson, most of whom in their debut performances. The film is centered on a day in the life of a group of sexually active teenagers in New York City and their unrestrained behavior towards sex and drugs during the era of HIV in the mid 1990s.

Kids created a considerable controversy upon its release in 1995, and caused much public debate over its artistic merit, even receiving an NC-17 rating from the MPAA.^[2] It was later released without a rating. It is often compared to topically similar films such as The Basketball Diaries (1995), Thirteen (2003) and Kidulthood (2006), which deal with similar issues.^{[citation needed]}

1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production
- 3.1 Casting
- 3.2 Script
4 Controversy and critical reaction
5 Box office
6 Soundtrack
7 Awards
8 See also
9 Notes
10 External links

Plot

The opening scene shows 17-year-old Telly (Leo Fitzpatrick) and a 12-year-old girl kissing. Using sweet-talk and adulation, Telly convinces the virginal girl to have sex with him. Afterwards, he leaves, and meets his friend Casper (Justin Pierce). As they walk along the sidewalk, Telly tells Casper about his sexual experience in graphic terms. They go inside a local store, and Casper shoplifts another malt liquor as Telly distracts the Asian cashier. They then steal a peach, using the same set-up just outside the store from a sidewalk display. They head to a friend's apartment, though they express dislike towards him on the way there. At this point, the pair want drugs and food. They arrive at Paul's house, inhale nitrous oxide out of balloons, talk about sex, and smoke marijuana while skater videos play on TV. This scene then intercuts with a scene in which a group of girls talk about sex, contradicting what the boys say, especially about oral gratification. Both Ruby (Rosario Dawson) and Jennie (Chloë Sevigny) are introduced during the conversation.

Ruby and Jennie discuss that they were recently tested for STDs at Ruby's request. Ruby's test is negative, even though she has had many sexual encounters and many of the times were unprotected. However, Jennie tests positive for HIV, much to her shock, since she has had sex only once, with Telly. Jennie spends the rest of the film trying to find Telly, who has taken to only having sex with virgins on the premise that he cannot get STDs this way. Later, Telly and Casper walk to Telly's house. When they arrive, they steal money from Telly's mother. They go to Washington Square Park, meet up with a Rastafarian man, and discreetly buy a "dime bag" of marijuana from him. They then meet up with a few friends (one of whom gives a blunt-rolling tutorial) to talk and smoke. Casper starts to ride on a skateboard and carelessly bumps into a man, who threatens him. The man is immediately struck in the back of the head with a skateboard by Harold (Harold Hunter), 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.

Telly and the group from the park pick up a thirteen-year-old girl named Darcy (Yakira Peguero). She is the younger sister of an acquaintance and Telly is very interested, as she is a virgin. He convinces her to sneak out and join Casper and some girls at a pool. The other girls engage in pseudo-lesbian kissing and flirtation, but Darcy is restrained (though not shocked at the others' behavior). Telly and the group go to Steven's house to smoke, drink and talk about sex. Meanwhile, Jennie wanders down to a rave trying 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, which is never named, but has effects similar to a depressant such as GHB or rohypnol, she finds out that Telly is (at what has now become a party) at Steven's place. We see the girl, high and with her young life in a shambles, riding in a taxi.

Upon arriving at the party, Jennie discovers Telly having sex with young Darcy, who is now being exposed to HIV too. Emotionally and physically exhausted by her ordeal and the drugs still affecting her, Jennie passes out on a couch among the other sleeping party-goers. A drunken Casper takes advantage of this situation by raping the HIV-positive girl, thus continuing the cycle. The film ends with a soliloquy by Telly about how sex is one of his few worldly pleasures, and how without it he has nothing to live for. The last shot of the film is Casper sitting on a couch naked as he says, "Jesus Christ, what happened?"

Cast

Leo Fitzpatrick: Telly
Justin Pierce: Casper
Chloë Sevigny: Jennie
Rosario Dawson: Ruby
Jon Abrahams: Steven
Sarah Henderson: Girl #1
Sajan Bhagat: Paul
Dr. Henry: Ras
Harold Hunter: Harold
Harmony Korine: Fidget
Hamilton Harris: Hamilton
Atabey Rodriguez: Misha
Ellsworth "Cisco" Davis: The Hoodlum
Michele Lockwood: Kim
Carisa Glucksman: Joy
Yakira Peguero: Darcy
Deborah Draper: Jennie's Nurse
Virginia Reath: Ruby's Nurse
Julia Mendoza: Susan
Gillian Goldstein: Linda
Priscilla Forsyth: Diane
Alan Wise: Accordion Player
Joseph Chan: Korean Store Owner
Johnathan Staci Kim: Deli Owner
Adriane Brown: Little Girl
Billy Valdes: Stanley
Billy Waldeman: Zack
Raymond Batista: Legless Man

Production

The 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, and the impression that viewers are watching real events in real time.^{[citation needed]}

Casting

Clark'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 (Rent, Sin City, Men in Black II, Alexander) and Academy Award-nominee Chloë Sevigny (Boys Don't Cry, American Psycho, Big Love, Party Monster), have since found success in their acting careers as well-recognized actresses. Jon Abrahams also continues acting and starred in a string of successful movies including The Faculty, Boston Public, Scary Movie, and Meet The Parents. In addition, the film's writer, Harmony Korine, makes a cameo in the club scene with Jennie, as the kid wearing glasses who gives her drugs, though the part is credited to his brother Avi.^[2] Pierce appeared in a number of movies until commiting suicide in 2000.^[3]^[4]

Script

Harmony Korine reportedly wrote the screenplay for the movie in 1993, at the age of 18.^[2] Gus 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]}

Controversy and critical reaction

The film depicts undisguised habitual and social use of profanity, marijuana, alcohol, nitrous oxide, tobacco, and the drug ecstasy. The original version of the film was rated NC-17 in the US.^[2] It was later released without a rating. Because of its unexpurgated subject matter centering on relatively young teenagers, the film has been controversial, having received mixed reviews, with 55% of critics giving it a positive rating at Rotten Tomatoes.^[5] The movie includes much explicit sexual dialogue, and 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.^[6] Meanwhile, other critics have labeled it exploitative (in the lascivious sense) as borderline "child pornography".^[7] Still others, finding its story implausible on many points, consider it exploitative (commercially and emotionally) of both youth subculture and parental fears of the dangers to and mistakes of juveniles.^{[citation needed]} Sevigny received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her performance as Jennie.

Miramax, which was owned by Walt Disney Company, paid $3.5 million to buy the worldwide distribution rights of this film.^[8]

Harvey and Bob Weinstein (the co-chairman of Miramax) were forced to buy back the film from Disney, and created Shining Excalibur Films, a one-off studio name to release the film, due to Disney's policy forbidding the release of NC-17 rated movies.^[2] Eamonn Bowles was hired to be the chief operating officer of Shining Excalibur Films.^[9]

Box office

The film, which was made on a budget of $1.5 million USD, grossed $7.4 million in the United States, and $7.6 million internationally.^[10] According to Peter Biskind's book Down and Dirty Pictures, Eamonn Bowles has stated that Harvey and Bob Weinstein may have each personally profited up to $2 million each.

Soundtrack

Official Soundtrack:

Daniel Johnston - Casper
Deluxx Folk Implosion - Daddy Never Understood
Folk Implosion - Nothing Gonna Stop
Folk Implosion - Jenny's Theme
Folk Implosion - Simean Groove
Daniel Johnston - Casper The Friendly Ghost
Folk Implosion - Natural One
Sebadoh - Spoiled
Folk Implosion - Crash
Folk Implosion - Wet Stuff
Lo-Down - Mad Fright Night
Folk Implosion - Raise The Bells
Slint - Good Morning Captain

Other prominent songs featured in the movie but not on the official soundtrack:

Artifacts - Wrong Side of The Tracks
The Average White Band - I'm The One
Beastie Boys - Sabrosa
Beastie Boys - Pow
Brand Nubian - Word Is Bond
Crooklyn Dodgers - Crooklyn
Erule - Listen Up
Jeru The Damaja - Da Bitchez
John Coltrane - Slow Dance
O.C. - Time's Up
A Tribe Called Quest - Oh My God
Nine (rapper) - Whatcha Want

Awards

1995 Cannes Film Festival - Golden Palm Award (nominated; Larry Clark)
1996 Independent Spirit Awards
- Best Debut Performance - Justin Pierce
- Best First Feature (nominated; director Larry Clark and producer Cary Woods)
- Best First Screenplay (nominated; Harmony Korine)
- Best Supporting Female (nominated; Chloe Sevigny)^[11]