Movie- 7 Up/ 7 Plus 7

7 Up (1964) was initially a documentary for the BBC. It began with the premise, show me the child at 7 and I will show you the man. Basically saying that we are already formed by the time we are 7 years old, into who we will be. The question is, is it nature or nurture. So they took 14 7 year olds, from all sorts of backgrounds and classes, and asked them about their lives, feelings, viewpoints etc. The concept is that it would show how these kids would be as adults in the year 2000, and show England in a microcosm at the turn of the century.

Now this would be interesting but not anything that worthwhile except for one thing... One of the researchers for the first show kept going. Director Michael Apted revisited the kids 7 years later, when they were 14. And compared them to when they were 7. That is also in this first film 7 Plus 7. It gets really interesting here as the children have started to develop the social filters, and ambitions, and their won opinions.

But Apted did not stop. he continued to make films in this documentary series. He made 21 Up, and 28 Up, and 35 Up. And kept going to 42 Up, and in 2005 he made 49 Up. So we get to see these people every 7 years, and find out how they compare to their original 7 year old selves.

First of all I am amazed that this guy has such a passion for the project. He is a major Hollywood director. Done some huge films. He is doing the next Narnia film. And in that city where everything seems to be disposable, he has stuck with this project for 42 years so far. Every 7 years he follows these people he met when they were 7, and finds out how their dreams in life are coming, and how they compare with what they thought when they were 7 years old. And it looks at the social class they were born into, and how that plays into their dreams and ambitions. It is really fascinating.