Seven Up! (1964) (TV)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

Paul Almond

Release Date:

5 May 1964 (UK)

Genre:

Documentary | Short | Biography

Plot:

A group of British children aged 7 from widely ranging backgrounds are interviewed about a range of subjects...

Plot Keywords:

Human Relationship

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Derek Cooper	...	Narrator (voice)
Wilfrid Thomas	...	Narrator (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bruce Balden	...	Himself (as Bruce)
Jacqueline Bassett	...	Herself (as Jackie)
Symon Basterfield	...	Himself (as Simon)
Andrew Brackfield	...	Himself (as Andrew)
John Brisby	...	Himself (as John)
Suzanne Dewey	...	Herself (as Suzy)
Charles Furneaux	...	Himself (as Charles)
Nicholas Hitchon	...	Himself (as Nicholas)
Neil Hughes	...	Himself (as Neil)
Lynn Johnson	...	Herself (as Lindsay)
Paul Kligerman	...	Himself (as Paul)
Michelle	...	Herself
Susan Sullivan	...	Herself (as Susan)
Tony Walker	...	Himself (as Tony)

Also Known As:

7 Up! (International: English title) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

39 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Latin

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Granada Television

Quotes:

Susan Sullivan: What would you do if you had lots of money, about, um, two pound?

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 50 Greatest Documentaries (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

What Would I Do

The first in a ground-breaking series that is one of a kind.

Michael Apted must be congratulated for having (or perhaps stumbling upon) the vision for this study. Take 14 seven year olds in England, film them in a few interesting situations, and follow those same kids as they grow up. Every seven years. Because all of our lives transpire at roughly the same rates, we cannot actually observe children growing up. But this filmed approach is the next best thing.

This first film is rather short, and in black and white plays about like an amateur home movie. We still get to see and hear these children, their opinions, their likes and dislikes, their ambitions. And, while it is interesting, you can get the same thing at any elementary school playground. What is really interesting, and groundbreaking, is the following these children as they grow up.

For that, one must see the next installments. The best way, for the uninitiated, is the 5-disk DVD set just out, which has all 6 films up through "42 UP" in 1998. ("49 UP" has been made but is not yet available on DVD.) However, simply seeing the most recent film is pretty good, because each film contains snippets of each of the former ones, allowing us to see how each child developed in 7-year increments.

Just a marvelous study of growing up.