The passage of time makes Hollywood nervous.
The film industry hates the idea of leading ladies growing older, action heroes slowing down and, in particular, precocious kids becoming awkward adolescents. For the child star, a career usually lasts until the last vestiges of cherubic baby fat have fallen away, leaving behind a frustrated thespian forever referred to as "the cute kid from ..." The popular opinion is that nobody wants to see the Goonies agonizing over 401(k) plans or Our Gang's take on the Eisenhower administration.
Still, there have been a few film series that have acknowledged, even embraced, the idea that youth is fleeting and we all grow up. Here are some cinematic series that allowed audiences the rare opportunity to watch performers grow:
ANDY HARDY (1937-58): Over 10 movies, audiences saw Mickey Rooney's Andy Hardy character come of age, fall in love and, after an extended break, return with a wife and family. Viewed in order, these films are an interesting look at the All-American Boy becoming Everyman.
THE BOWERY BOYS (1937-1956): For nearly 20 years, this loose-knit group of actors, who also performed as the Little Tough Guys and the East Side Kids, served as a mold for the tough-but-tender street gang. Particularly interesting is their ability to shift from high drama, as in their 1937 debut, Dead End, to broad comedy, exemplified by the later Bowery Boys serials. I guess that's what growing up is all about.
SEVEN UP (1964-PRESENT): An intriguing, enlightening series of documentaries, the Seven Up films - Seven Up!, 7 Plus Seven, 21 Up, 28 Up, 35 Up, 42 Up and the recently completed 49 Up - feature a group of 14 British youngsters filmed every seven years, documenting how their lives and dreams evolve and alter. Although two of the group dropped out of the series in their 20s, the remaining 12 offer an intriguing look at English society.
SPY KIDS (2001-03): It would have been easy for director Robert Rodriguez to make each of his Spy Kids movies a separate entity, a freestanding film that only tangentially relates to his heroic preteen duo's previous adventures. Instead, he made his family films as much about the process of growing up and experiencing the painful truths of adolescence as high tech adventure. The result, fantasy films that remind us what it is to be young.
DEXTER REILLY (1969-75): For six years, Kurt Russell played Dexter Reilly, a college genius with a penchant for trouble. Why it took this smart character six years to get through college is a story for another time, but the three Disney films - The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, Now You See Him, Now You Don't and The Strongest Man in the World - offer a rare opportunity to watch an actor mature and grow comfortable in his craft.
Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.
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