Movie-42 Up

I know I have run out of superlatives for this film series...none of them high enough probably. In 42 Up, we have now followed these people for 35 years. And it reminds me that life is amazing.

We think of our lives as pretty static much of the time...pretty much everything the same...we are much the same. But we don't take this detailed record every 7 years as these people have done since they were 7 years old. And it really shows how our lives change so much, for these people are much like us.

Jackie for instance. At 28 she was married and did not want kids at all. Now, at 42 she has 3 boys, from 2 different men, neither of whom was her first husband. And she loves being a mother. She does not currently have a man in her life, so she is having a tough time, and has just been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. What other drama is needed? What fictional drama could be more compelling?

And what about dear Bruce. At 7 he wanted to be a missionary to go help people. At 35he was still unmarried, but thoughtful and sweet and caring about the world and people. Now he has found love, and at 42, as in a romance, his new bride says he is the best person she has ever known.

And troubled Neil. He turned up in London and looked up Bruce, who took him in. And Neil is now is on a town council, re-elected and representing the liberal democrats and thinking of running for higher office. His troubles seem far away from him, and he admits the friendship of Bruce has helped tremendously. He was even at Bruce's wedding and gave a reading.

All our lives are the stuff of movies and books. We are too close to them to see the drama and romance and adventure, and OK, maybe it is a LITTLE too subtle for a Die Hard movie (though I have a few friends who it might not be---Alex!), but it is, we are, full of the drama, romance, comedy and adventure that inspires fiction.

The Up Series is a tremendous work of art and love. The subjects now address the director directly...answering him by name, a change that really shows the bond between them all. There is a bond they share, as Jackie mentions, from being together all these years. Well the viewers share it too, and we treasure it.