7 Plus Seven
Directed by Michael Apted
1970/UK
IMDb page
Repeat viewing/YouTube
Michael Apted – Narrator: Are you happier now than you were then?
What a difference seven years makes!
In 1964, MIchael Apted selected a group of seven-year-olds – 10 boys and 4 girls – that were meant to be representative of a wide spectrum of British society – and made a one-off TV documentary called Seven Up! (1964). The premise was that this was to be a “glimpse of England in the year 2000,” when the children would be in their prime.
This installment reunites the entire cast of the first film when they are now fourteen-years-old. They have all aged nicely, save for Suzy who no longer seems to want to look at the camera, and give thoughtful opinions on a whole range of timely issues such as racism, hippies, the importance of having money, the opposite sex, etc., etc. Several flashbacks to the first film are used to contrast the childrens’ outlooks, behavior, and opinions and make this documentary watchable as a single film.
I absolutely love this series. It is fascinating to watch these people grow up and age. They seem like friends after a couple of episodes. There are those whose path in life seems rooted in the expectations of age seven and those that change in sometimes remarkable ways. Apted is highly skilled at getting to the heart of the matter. Most highly recommended.
Clip – These particular kids know exactly where they are going
