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Kids (film)
Encyclopedia
Kids is a 1995 drama film
written by Harmony Korine
and directed by Larry Clark
.
The film features Chloë Sevigny
, Leo Fitzpatrick
, Justin Pierce
, Harold Hunter
, and Rosario Dawson
, all of them 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 substance abuse
(alcohol
and other drugs) during the era of HIV
in the mid-1990s.
Kids created 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. It was later released without a rating.
) and an unnamed 12-year-old girl (Sarah Henderson) are kissing. Telly convinces the girl, who is a virgin, to have sex
with him. Afterwards, he meets his friend, Casper (Justin Pierce
). Telly tells Casper about his sexual experience in graphic terms. They go inside a local store, and Casper shoplifts a bottle of malt liquor
as Telly distracts the cashier. They then steal a peach, using the same set-up just outside the store from a sidewalk display. Looking for drugs and food, they head to their friend Paul's apartment, though they express dislike of him on the way there. They arrive at Paul's house, talk about sex and smoke marijuana
while watching a skate video (Video Days
) (Casper inhales nitrous oxide
out of balloons, which Telly considers dangerous). The scene intercuts with a group of girls, among them Ruby (Rosario Dawson
) and Jenny (Chloë Sevigny
), talking about sex and smoke--each gender contradicting what the other gender says, especially about oral sex
.
Ruby and Jenny mention that they were recently tested for STDs
at Ruby's request. Ruby's test is negative, though she has had multiple sexual encounters, many of them unprotected. Jenny tests positive
for HIV. She says she has had sex only once, with Telly. Jenny 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. Telly and Casper walk to Telly's house and steal money from Telly's mother. They go to Washington Square Park
and buy a "dime bag" of marijuana from a Rastafarian. They then meet up with a few friends, one of whom gives a blunt-rolling tutorial, to talk and smoke. After taunting a homosexual couple, Casper rides on a skateboard
and carelessly bumps into a man (Ellsworth "Cisco" Davis), who furiously threatens him. He pushes Casper, but is 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. A number of other skaters join in, beating, stomping, and hitting the man with their skateboards until he is unconscious.
While discussing whether or not they killed the man at the park, Telly and some of the group from the park pick up a 13-year-old girl named Darcy (Yakira Peguero). She is the younger sister of an acquaintance and Telly wants to have sex with her because she is a virgin. He convinces her to go with them to a pool. The other girls engage in pseudo-lesbian kissing and flirtation, but Darcy is restrained, though not shocked by the others' behavior. Telly and the group go to another friend, Steven's, house to smoke, drink and talk about sex. Meanwhile, Jenny goes to a rave club called NASA trying to find Telly. She runs into "Fidget" (Harmony Korine
), who gives her a pill: which he refers to as "a euphoric blockbuster drug that is supposed to make 'special K'
look weak". It turns out to be a depressant
(a downer). She eventually finds out that Telly is at what has become a party at Steven's house.
Jenny arrives at the party to discover Telly having sex with Darcy, thus exposing her to HIV. Exhausted by her ordeal and with the drugs still affecting her, Jenny passes out on a couch among the other sleeping party-goers. A drunken Casper proceeds to rape Jenny as she sleeps, unknowingly exposing himself to HIV as well. The film ends with a soliloquy
by Telly about how without sex he would have nothing to live for, as well as a poignant look at several early-morning junkies in the streets of New York. The final scene features a naked Casper looking at the camera and saying "Jesus Christ, what happened?"
was reported to have said that he wanted to "make the Great American Teenage Movie, like the Great American Novel." The movie is filmed in a quasi-documentary
style, although all of the scenes are scripted.
In Kids, Larry Clark cast 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
, Clerks II
, 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
, Scary Movie
, and Meet the Parents
, as well as the television series Boston Public
. In addition, the film's writer, Harmony Korine
, makes a cameo
in the club scene with Jenny, as the kid wearing glasses and a Nuclear Assault
shirt who gives her drugs, though the part is credited to his brother Avi. Pierce appeared in a number of movies before committing suicide
in 2000. Professional skateboarder, Harold Hunter, also made several more film and television appearances before being found dead from a cocaine-induced heart attack on February 17, 2006.
Harmony Korine reportedly wrote the film's screenplay in 1993, at the age of 18, and principal photography took place during the summer of 1994. Contrary to perceptions on the part of many viewers, the film, according to Korine, was almost entirely scripted, with the only exception being the scene with Casper on the couch at the end, which was improvised. 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, Miramax paid $3.5 million to buy the worldwide distribution rights of this film.
, physical violence
, drug dealing
, alcohol
abuse, theft
, seduction
of barely pubescent
minors
, and (non-explicit) teenage sexual displays
, as well as (apparently) adolescent actors/actresses in near but not quite explicit exposure
. The original version of the film was rated NC-17 in the US. It was later released without a rating.
. 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. Meanwhile, other critics have labeled it exploitative (in the lascivious sense) as borderline "child pornography
". Korine attributes the negative reaction to Kids to the expectation on the part of audiences that the film would explicitly make moral judgments on the actions of the characters when Korine gave the film no such moral compass.
Miramax, which is owned by Disney
, paid $3.5 million to buy the worldwide distribution rights of this film. Later, Harvey
and Bob Weinstein
(the co-chairmen of Miramax) were forced to buy back the film from Disney and created Shining Excalibur Films (a one-off company) to release the film, due to Disney's policy forbidding the release of NC-17 rated movies. Eamonn Bowles was hired to be the chief operating officer of Shining Excalibur Films.
's book Down and Dirty Pictures, Eamonn Bowles had stated that Harvey
and Bob Weinstein
might have personally profited up to $2 million each.
Other songs not included on the soundtrack
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
written by Harmony Korine
Harmony Korine
The story is told from the perspective of a young man suffering from untreated schizophrenia, played by Ewen Bremner, as he tries to understand his deteriorating world. Julien's abusive father is played by Werner Herzog...
and directed by Larry Clark
Larry Clark
Lawrence Donald "Larry" Clark is an American film director, photographer, writer and film producer who is best known for the movie Kids and his photography book Tulsa...
.
The film features Chloë Sevigny
Chloë Sevigny
Chloë Stevens Sevigny is an American film actress, fashion designer and former model. Sevigny gained reputation for her eclectic fashion sense and developed a broad career in the fashion industry in the mid 1990s, both for modeling and for her work at New York's Sassy magazine, which labeled her...
, Leo Fitzpatrick
Leo Fitzpatrick
Leonardo Aurellio Randy "Leo" Fitzpatrick is an American actor.-Biography:Leo Fitzpatrick was born in West Orange, New Jersey. He was discovered at age 14 by director Larry Clark at Washington Square Park in New York City, skateboarding. Fitzpatrick was trying to perform certain skating tricks,...
, Justin Pierce
Justin Pierce
Justin Charles Pierce was an English-born American actor and professional skateboarder.-Early life:Born in London, England to a Welsh mother and an American father of English descent, Pierce was raised in the Marble Hill section of New York City. He attended P.S. 7 in the Bronx for Elementary...
, Harold Hunter
Harold Hunter
__notoc__Harold Atkins Hunter was an American professional skateboarder and actor. He was best known on screen for his part in Larry Clark's 1995 film Kids, playing the role of Harold....
, and Rosario Dawson
Rosario Dawson
Rosario Isabel Dawson is an American actress, singer, and writer. She has appeared in films such as Kids, Men in Black II, 25th Hour, Sin City, Clerks II, Rent, Death Proof, The Rundown, Eagle Eye, Alexander, Seven Pounds, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Unstoppable.-Early...
, all of them 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
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and their unrestrained behavior towards sex and substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
(alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
and other drugs) during the era of HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
in the mid-1990s.
Kids created 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. It was later released without a rating.
Plot
15-year-old Telly (Leo FitzpatrickLeo Fitzpatrick
Leonardo Aurellio Randy "Leo" Fitzpatrick is an American actor.-Biography:Leo Fitzpatrick was born in West Orange, New Jersey. He was discovered at age 14 by director Larry Clark at Washington Square Park in New York City, skateboarding. Fitzpatrick was trying to perform certain skating tricks,...
) and an unnamed 12-year-old girl (Sarah Henderson) are kissing. Telly convinces the girl, who is a virgin, to have sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
with him. Afterwards, he meets his friend, Casper (Justin Pierce
Justin Pierce
Justin Charles Pierce was an English-born American actor and professional skateboarder.-Early life:Born in London, England to a Welsh mother and an American father of English descent, Pierce was raised in the Marble Hill section of New York City. He attended P.S. 7 in the Bronx for Elementary...
). Telly tells Casper about his sexual experience in graphic terms. They go inside a local store, and Casper shoplifts a bottle of malt liquor
Malt liquor
Malt liquor is a North American term referring to a type of beer with high alcohol content. In legal statutes, the term often includes any alcoholic beverage above or equal to 5% alcohol by volume made with malted barley. In common parlance, however, it is used for high-alcohol beers made with...
as Telly distracts the cashier. They then steal a peach, using the same set-up just outside the store from a sidewalk display. Looking for drugs and food, they head to their friend Paul's apartment, though they express dislike of him on the way there. They arrive at Paul's house, talk about sex and smoke marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
while watching a skate video (Video Days
Video Days
Video Days is a skateboarding video by Blind Skateboards released in 1991. It is considered one of the most influential skate videos, as director Spike Jonze's format has continued to be the definitive template for most skate videos....
) (Casper inhales nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas or sweet air, is a chemical compound with the formula . It is an oxide of nitrogen. At room temperature, it is a colorless non-flammable gas, with a slightly sweet odor and taste. It is used in surgery and dentistry for its anesthetic and analgesic...
out of balloons, which Telly considers dangerous). The scene intercuts with a group of girls, among them Ruby (Rosario Dawson
Rosario Dawson
Rosario Isabel Dawson is an American actress, singer, and writer. She has appeared in films such as Kids, Men in Black II, 25th Hour, Sin City, Clerks II, Rent, Death Proof, The Rundown, Eagle Eye, Alexander, Seven Pounds, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Unstoppable.-Early...
) and Jenny (Chloë Sevigny
Chloë Sevigny
Chloë Stevens Sevigny is an American film actress, fashion designer and former model. Sevigny gained reputation for her eclectic fashion sense and developed a broad career in the fashion industry in the mid 1990s, both for modeling and for her work at New York's Sassy magazine, which labeled her...
), talking about sex and smoke--each gender contradicting what the other gender says, especially about oral sex
Oral sex
Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...
.
Ruby and Jenny mention that they were recently tested for STDs
Sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease , also known as a sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of human sexual behavior, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...
at Ruby's request. Ruby's test is negative, though she has had multiple sexual encounters, many of them unprotected. Jenny tests positive
HIV positive people
HIV-positive people are people who have the human immunodeficiency virus HIV, the agent of the currently incurable disease AIDS.Over the years of coping with the stigma and discrimination that accompany the diagnosis in most societies, a large number of support groups have been formed...
for HIV. She says she has had sex only once, with Telly. Jenny 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. Telly and Casper walk to Telly's house and steal money from Telly's mother. They go to Washington Square Park
Washington Square Park
Washington Square Park is one of the best-known of New York City's 1,900 public parks. At 9.75 acres , it is a landmark in the Manhattan neighborhood of Greenwich Village, as well as a meeting place and center for cultural activity...
and buy a "dime bag" of marijuana from a Rastafarian. They then meet up with a few friends, one of whom gives a blunt-rolling tutorial, to talk and smoke. After taunting a homosexual couple, Casper rides on a skateboard
Skateboard
A skateboard is typically a specially designed plywood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability, used primarily for the activity of skateboarding. The first skateboards to reach public notice came out of the surfing craze of the early 1960s,...
and carelessly bumps into a man (Ellsworth "Cisco" Davis), who furiously threatens him. He pushes Casper, but is struck in the back of the head with a skateboard by Harold (Harold Hunter
Harold Hunter
__notoc__Harold Atkins Hunter was an American professional skateboarder and actor. He was best known on screen for his part in Larry Clark's 1995 film Kids, playing the role of Harold....
), a friend of Telly and Casper's, causing him to collapse. A number of other skaters join in, beating, stomping, and hitting the man with their skateboards until he is unconscious.
While discussing whether or not they killed the man at the park, Telly and some of the group from the park pick up a 13-year-old girl named Darcy (Yakira Peguero). She is the younger sister of an acquaintance and Telly wants to have sex with her because she is a virgin. He convinces her to go with them to a pool. The other girls engage in pseudo-lesbian kissing and flirtation, but Darcy is restrained, though not shocked by the others' behavior. Telly and the group go to another friend, Steven's, house to smoke, drink and talk about sex. Meanwhile, Jenny goes to a rave club called NASA trying to find Telly. She runs into "Fidget" (Harmony Korine
Harmony Korine
The story is told from the perspective of a young man suffering from untreated schizophrenia, played by Ewen Bremner, as he tries to understand his deteriorating world. Julien's abusive father is played by Werner Herzog...
), who gives her a pill: which he refers to as "a euphoric blockbuster drug that is supposed to make 'special K'
Ketamine
Ketamine is a drug used in human and veterinary medicine. Its hydrochloride salt is sold as Ketanest, Ketaset, and Ketalar. Pharmacologically, ketamine is classified as an NMDA receptor antagonist...
look weak". It turns out to be a depressant
Depressant
A depressant, or central depressant, is a drug or endogenous compound that depresses the function or activity of a specific part of the brain...
(a downer). She eventually finds out that Telly is at what has become a party at Steven's house.
Jenny arrives at the party to discover Telly having sex with Darcy, thus exposing her to HIV. Exhausted by her ordeal and with the drugs still affecting her, Jenny passes out on a couch among the other sleeping party-goers. A drunken Casper proceeds to rape Jenny as she sleeps, unknowingly exposing himself to HIV as well. The film ends with a soliloquy
Soliloquy
A soliloquy is a device often used in drama whereby a character relates his or her thoughts and feelings to him/herself and to the audience without addressing any of the other characters, and is delivered often when they are alone or think they are alone. Soliloquy is distinct from monologue and...
by Telly about how without sex he would have nothing to live for, as well as a poignant look at several early-morning junkies in the streets of New York. The final scene features a naked Casper looking at the camera and saying "Jesus Christ, what happened?"
Cast
- Leo FitzpatrickLeo FitzpatrickLeonardo Aurellio Randy "Leo" Fitzpatrick is an American actor.-Biography:Leo Fitzpatrick was born in West Orange, New Jersey. He was discovered at age 14 by director Larry Clark at Washington Square Park in New York City, skateboarding. Fitzpatrick was trying to perform certain skating tricks,...
as Telly - Justin PierceJustin PierceJustin Charles Pierce was an English-born American actor and professional skateboarder.-Early life:Born in London, England to a Welsh mother and an American father of English descent, Pierce was raised in the Marble Hill section of New York City. He attended P.S. 7 in the Bronx for Elementary...
as Casper - Chloë SevignyChloë SevignyChloë Stevens Sevigny is an American film actress, fashion designer and former model. Sevigny gained reputation for her eclectic fashion sense and developed a broad career in the fashion industry in the mid 1990s, both for modeling and for her work at New York's Sassy magazine, which labeled her...
as Jenny - Rosario DawsonRosario DawsonRosario Isabel Dawson is an American actress, singer, and writer. She has appeared in films such as Kids, Men in Black II, 25th Hour, Sin City, Clerks II, Rent, Death Proof, The Rundown, Eagle Eye, Alexander, Seven Pounds, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Unstoppable.-Early...
as Ruby - Jon AbrahamsJon AbrahamsJon Avery Abrahams is an American film and television actor.-Life and career:Abrahams attended Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn....
as Steven - Harold HunterHarold Hunter__notoc__Harold Atkins Hunter was an American professional skateboarder and actor. He was best known on screen for his part in Larry Clark's 1995 film Kids, playing the role of Harold....
as Harold - Harmony KorineHarmony KorineThe story is told from the perspective of a young man suffering from untreated schizophrenia, played by Ewen Bremner, as he tries to understand his deteriorating world. Julien's abusive father is played by Werner Herzog...
as Fidget - Yakira Peguero as Darcy
- Billy Waldman as Zack
- Julia Mendoza as Susan
- Jeff Pang as Jeff
- Hamilton Harris as Hamilton
- Ellsworth "Cisco" Davis as Hoodlum
- Sarah Henderson as Virgin Girl
Production
Larry ClarkLarry Clark
Lawrence Donald "Larry" Clark is an American film director, photographer, writer and film producer who is best known for the movie Kids and his photography book Tulsa...
was reported to have said that he wanted to "make the Great American Teenage Movie, like the Great American Novel." The movie is filmed in a quasi-documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
style, although all of the scenes are scripted.
In Kids, Larry Clark cast New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
"street" kids with no previous acting experience in the film, notably Leo Fitzpatrick
Leo Fitzpatrick
Leonardo Aurellio Randy "Leo" Fitzpatrick is an American actor.-Biography:Leo Fitzpatrick was born in West Orange, New Jersey. He was discovered at age 14 by director Larry Clark at Washington Square Park in New York City, skateboarding. Fitzpatrick was trying to perform certain skating tricks,...
(Telly) and the late Justin Pierce
Justin Pierce
Justin Charles Pierce was an English-born American actor and professional skateboarder.-Early life:Born in London, England to a Welsh mother and an American father of English descent, Pierce was raised in the Marble Hill section of New York City. He attended P.S. 7 in the Bronx for Elementary...
(Casper). Some have faded back into relative obscurity; meanwhile, others, such as Rosario Dawson
Rosario Dawson
Rosario Isabel Dawson is an American actress, singer, and writer. She has appeared in films such as Kids, Men in Black II, 25th Hour, Sin City, Clerks II, Rent, Death Proof, The Rundown, Eagle Eye, Alexander, Seven Pounds, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Unstoppable.-Early...
(Rent
Rent (film)
Rent is a 2005 American musical drama film directed by Chris Columbus. It is an adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name, in turn based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème. The film depicts the lives of several Bohemians and their struggles with sexuality, cross-dressing, drugs, life...
, Sin City
Sin City
Sin City is the title for a series of neo-noir comics by Frank Miller. The first story originally appeared in "Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special" , and continued in Dark Horse Presents #51–62 from May 1991 to June 1992, under the title of Sin City, serialized in thirteen parts. Several...
, Clerks II
Clerks II
Clerks II is a 2006 American comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, sequel to his 1994 film Clerks, and his sixth and latest feature film to be set in the View Askewniverse...
, Men in Black II
Men in Black II
Men in Black II is a 2002 science fiction action comedy starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. The film also stars Lara Flynn Boyle, Johnny Knoxville, Rosario Dawson and Rip Torn...
, Alexander
Alexander (film)
Alexander is a 2004 epic film based on the life of Alexander the Great. It is not a remake of the 1956 film which starred Richard Burton. It was directed by Oliver Stone, with Colin Farrell in the title role...
) and Academy Award-nominee Chloë Sevigny
Chloë Sevigny
Chloë Stevens Sevigny is an American film actress, fashion designer and former model. Sevigny gained reputation for her eclectic fashion sense and developed a broad career in the fashion industry in the mid 1990s, both for modeling and for her work at New York's Sassy magazine, which labeled her...
(Boys Don't Cry
Boys Don't Cry (film)
Boys Don't Cry is a 1999 American independent romantic drama film directed by Kimberly Peirce and co-written by Andy Bienen. The film is a dramatization of the real-life story of Brandon Teena, a transgender man played by Hilary Swank, who pursues a relationship with a young woman, played by Chloë...
, American Psycho
American Psycho (film)
American Psycho is a 2000 cult thriller film directed by Mary Harron based on Bret Easton Ellis's novel of the same name. Though predominantly a psycho thriller, the film also blends elements of horror, satire, and black comedy...
, Big Love
Big Love
Big Love is an American television drama that aired on HBO between March 2006 and March 2011. The show is about a fictional fundamentalist Mormon family in Utah that practices polygamy...
, Party Monster), have since found success in their acting careers as well-recognized actresses. Jon Abrahams
Jon Abrahams
Jon Avery Abrahams is an American film and television actor.-Life and career:Abrahams attended Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn....
also continues acting and starred in a string of successful movies including The Faculty
The Faculty
The Faculty is a 1998 science fiction horror film written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Robert Rodriguez...
, Scary Movie
Scary Movie
Scary Movie is a 2000 comedy-parody film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans, as part of Warner Bros. Entertainment. It is an American dark comedy which heavily parodies the horror, slasher, and mystery genres...
, and Meet the Parents
Meet the Parents
Meet the Parents is a 2000 American comedy film written by Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg and directed by Jay Roach. Starring Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller, the film chronicles a series of unfortunate events that befall a good-hearted but hapless male nurse while visiting his girlfriend's parents...
, as well as the television series Boston Public
Boston Public
Boston Public is an American drama television series created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on Fox. It centered on Winslow High School, a fictional public high school located in Boston, Massachusetts. The show was named for the real public school district in which it takes place...
. In addition, the film's writer, Harmony Korine
Harmony Korine
The story is told from the perspective of a young man suffering from untreated schizophrenia, played by Ewen Bremner, as he tries to understand his deteriorating world. Julien's abusive father is played by Werner Herzog...
, makes a cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in the club scene with Jenny, as the kid wearing glasses and a Nuclear Assault
Nuclear Assault
Nuclear Assault is an American thrash metal/crossover thrash band formed in 1984.-History:After the release of Anthrax's debut album Fistful of Metal, bass player Danny Lilker, a founding member of the group, was fired by the band...
shirt who gives her drugs, though the part is credited to his brother Avi. Pierce appeared in a number of movies before committing suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in 2000. Professional skateboarder, Harold Hunter, also made several more film and television appearances before being found dead from a cocaine-induced heart attack on February 17, 2006.
Harmony Korine reportedly wrote the film's screenplay in 1993, at the age of 18, and principal photography took place during the summer of 1994. Contrary to perceptions on the part of many viewers, the film, according to Korine, was almost entirely scripted, with the only exception being the scene with Casper on the couch at the end, which was improvised. Gus Van Sant
Gus Van Sant
Gus Green Van Sant, Jr. is an American director, screenwriter, painter, photographer, musician, and author. He is a two time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director for his 1997 film Good Will Hunting and his 2008 film Milk, both of which were also nominated for Best Picture, and won the...
had originally been attached to the film as a producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
. After insufficient interest had been generated in the film, he left the project; under incoming producer Cary Woods
Cary Woods
Cary Woods is a film producer. He produced the first films by Alexander Payne, M Night Shyamalan, Doug Liman, Harmony Korine, Kevin Williamson. Woods helped to fuel the rise of the independent films...
, the project found sufficient independent funding for the film. Harvey Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein, CBE is an American film producer and movie studio chairman. He is best known as co-founder of Miramax Films. He and his brother Bob have been co-chairmen of The Weinstein Company, their film production company, since 2005...
of Miramax
Miramax Films
Miramax Films is an American entertainment company known for distributing independent and foreign films. For its first 14 years the company was privately owned by its founders, Bob and Harvey Weinstein...
, wary of (or perhaps even pressured by) the parent Walt Disney Company's opinion of the risky screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
, declined to involve Disney in funding the production of the film. After Woods showed him the final cut, however, Miramax paid $3.5 million to buy the worldwide distribution rights of this film.
Controversy
Because of its unexpurgated subject matter centering on relatively young teenagers, Kids has been controversial. The film includes much explicit sexual dialogue and depicts scenes of date rapeDate rape
"Date rape", often referred to as acquaintance rape, is an assault or attempted assault usually committed by a new acquaintance involving sexual intercourse without mutual consent....
, physical violence
Battery (crime)
Battery is a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact, distinct from assault which is the fear of such contact.In the United States, criminal battery, or simply battery, is the use of force against another, resulting in harmful or offensive contact...
, drug dealing
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
, alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
abuse, theft
Shoplifting
Shoplifting is theft of goods from a retail establishment. It is one of the most common property crimes dealt with by police and courts....
, seduction
Seduction
In social science, seduction is the process of deliberately enticing a person to engage. The word seduction stems from Latin and means literally "to lead astray". As a result, the term may have a positive or negative connotation...
of barely pubescent
Puberty
Puberty is the process of physical changes by which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of reproduction, as initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads; the ovaries in a girl, the testes in a boy...
minors
Minor (law)
In law, a minor is a person under a certain age — the age of majority — which legally demarcates childhood from adulthood; the age depends upon jurisdiction and application, but is typically 18...
, and (non-explicit) teenage sexual displays
Adolescent sexuality
Adolescent sexuality refers to sexual feelings, behavior and development in adolescents and is a stage of human sexuality. Sexuality is often a vital aspect of teenagers' lives...
, as well as (apparently) adolescent actors/actresses in near but not quite explicit exposure
Nudity
Nudity is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations and social considerations...
. The original version of the film was rated NC-17 in the US. It was later released without a rating.
Critical reaction
The film received mixed reviews, with 49% of critics giving it a positive rating at Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Film critic Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for The New York Times. She served as the Times film critic from 1977–1999.- Biography :...
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
Urban culture
Urban culture is the culture of towns and cities. In the United States, Urban culture may also sometimes be used as a euphemistic reference to contemporary African American culture.- African American culture :...
life. Meanwhile, other critics have labeled it exploitative (in the lascivious sense) as borderline "child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
". Korine attributes the negative reaction to Kids to the expectation on the part of audiences that the film would explicitly make moral judgments on the actions of the characters when Korine gave the film no such moral compass.
Miramax, which is owned by Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
, paid $3.5 million to buy the worldwide distribution rights of this film. Later, Harvey
Harvey Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein, CBE is an American film producer and movie studio chairman. He is best known as co-founder of Miramax Films. He and his brother Bob have been co-chairmen of The Weinstein Company, their film production company, since 2005...
and Bob Weinstein
Bob Weinstein
Robert "Bob" Weinstein is an American film and theatre producer, the founder and head of Dimension Films, former co-chairman of Miramax Films, and current head, with his brother Harvey Weinstein, of The Weinstein Company.-Career:...
(the co-chairmen of Miramax) were forced to buy back the film from Disney and created Shining Excalibur Films (a one-off company) to release the film, due to Disney's policy forbidding the release of NC-17 rated movies. Eamonn Bowles was hired to be the chief operating officer of Shining Excalibur Films.
Box office
The film, which cost $1.5 million to produce, grossed $7.4 million in the North American box office and $20 million worldwide. According to Peter BiskindPeter Biskind
Peter Biskind is a journalist, former executive editor of Premiere magazine, and the author of numerous books depicting life in Hollywood, including Seeing Is Believing, Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, Down and Dirty Pictures, and Gods and Monsters...
's book Down and Dirty Pictures, Eamonn Bowles had stated that Harvey
Harvey Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein, CBE is an American film producer and movie studio chairman. He is best known as co-founder of Miramax Films. He and his brother Bob have been co-chairmen of The Weinstein Company, their film production company, since 2005...
and Bob Weinstein
Bob Weinstein
Robert "Bob" Weinstein is an American film and theatre producer, the founder and head of Dimension Films, former co-chairman of Miramax Films, and current head, with his brother Harvey Weinstein, of The Weinstein Company.-Career:...
might have personally profited up to $2 million each.
Soundtrack
Track listing- Daniel JohnstonDaniel JohnstonDaniel Dale Johnston is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and artist. Johnston was the subject of the 2006 documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston. He currently lives in Waller, Texas....
- "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 OneNatural One"Natural One" is an alternative rock song by the band The Folk Implosion.It was released as a single in 1995, and was featured on the soundtrack to the Larry Clark film Kids, but does not appear in the film itself...
" - SebadohSebadohSebadoh is an American indie rock band, formed in 1986 in Westfield, Massachusetts by Eric Gaffney and Dinosaur Jr bass player Lou Barlow. Along with such bands as Pavement and Guided by Voices, Sebadoh helped pioneer lo-fi music, a style of indie rock characterized by low-fidelity recording...
- "Spoiled" - Folk Implosion - "Crash"
- Folk Implosion - "Wet Stuff"
- Lo-Down - "Mad Fright Night"
- Folk Implosion - "Raise the Bells"
- SlintSlintSlint was an American rock band consisting of Brian McMahan , David Pajo , Britt Walford , Todd Brashear and Ethan Buckler...
- "Good Morning, CaptainSpiderlandSpiderland is the second studio album by the American post-rock band Slint, released on March 27, 1991 on Touch and Go. Featuring dramatically alternating dynamics and vocals ranging from spoken word to shouting, the album contains narrative lyrics that emphasize alienation...
"
Other songs not included on the soundtrack
- ArtifactsArtifacts (group)Artifacts is a hip hop group consisting of El Da Sensei, Tame One and DJ Kaos. They hail from Newark, New Jersey and made underground music that paid homage to the four elements of hip hop...
- "Wrong Side of the Tracks" - Average White Band - "I'm the One"
- Beastie BoysBeastie BoysBeastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
- "Sabrosa" - Beastie Boys - "Pow"
- Brand NubianBrand NubianBrand Nubian is an American hip hop group from New Rochelle, New York, consisting of three MC's: Grand Puba , Sadat X and Lord Jamar , and two DJs: DJ Alamo and DJ Sincere...
- "Word Is Bond" - Crooklyn DodgersCrooklyn DodgersThe Crooklyn Dodgers are a hip-hop supergroup based in Brooklyn, New York City, consisting of rotating members.They appeared in three separate incarnations since 1994. The first two incarnations recorded for the soundtracks for Spike Lee films, Crooklyn and Clockers, respectively...
- "Crooklyn" - Erule - "Listen Up"
- Jeru the DamajaJeru the DamajaKendrick Jeru Davis, known as Jeru the Damaja is an American rapper and recording artist who has worked extensively with Guru and DJ Premier of Gang Starr, whom he has known since high school.-Biography:...
- "Da Bichez" - John ColtraneJohn ColtraneJohn William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
- "Slow Dance" - O.C.O.C. (rapper)Omar Credle , known by his stage name, O.C., is an American rapper who has been involved with several renowned underground hip-hop groups and also released many solo albums.-Recording career:...
- "Time's Up" - A Tribe Called QuestA Tribe Called QuestA Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
- "Oh My GodOh My God (A Tribe Called Quest song)"Oh My God" was the third single from A Tribe Called Quest's third album Midnight Marauders. It contains a sample of "Who's Gonna Take the Weight?" by Kool & the Gang and "Absolutions" by Max Roach. It also features Busta Rhymes on the chorus....
" - NineNine (rapper)Nine is the stage name of Derrick Keyes , an American rapper from The Bronx, New York City, New York. He also been known as 9MM or Nine Double M...
- "Whatcha Want"
Awards
- 1995 Independent Spirit AwardsIndependent Spirit Awards 1995-Best Actor: Sean Penn – Dead Man Walking* Nicolas Cage – Leaving Las Vegas* Tim Roth – Little Odessa* Jimmy Smits – My Family* Kevin Spacey – Swimming with Sharks-Best Actress: Elisabeth Shue – Leaving Las Vegas...
- 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; Chloë Sevigny)