Extra Credit 1: The UP Series (in response to Roger Ebert interview with Michael Apted)

The UP Series, directed and narrated by Michael Apted, was created to show how the British class system impacts a child’s upbringing from the very beginning of their lives. The documentary interviews fourteen children at the age of seven (in 1964), and then interviews them again at seven year intervals until the age of 56. These interviews give a snapshot into the progress of their lives, in their schooling, careers, and families. The first series (UP 7) focuses mainly on aspects such as where they were from, their family’s income (wealthy, middle class, or poor), education, and thoughts about what they will do in the future. Later we get to know about their choice of careers, love life, and future plans. As demonstrated by the children at seven, Britain was divided by the “haves” and the “have-nots.” At the time, it was a widely accepted belief that class is a good predictor of success. It is interesting how the seven-year olds display their feelings about the class system, even at such an early age. Some of the better-off boys and girls even say (to summarize) that we ought to treat the less fortunate as people too, and not look down upon them. Tony (the East End boy), on the other hand, says that the rich kids just need a good beating.

Nearly all of those who were bound to succeed ended up being successful. Those who grew up poor start families early and relinquish themselves to working low wage jobs, complacent with living a “simple life” (although all “lower class” individuals were most likely making more money than their parents). One conclusion that can be made from the UP Series is that the individuals born into wealth tended to have children later in life, having prioritized completing university and having a career. The UP Series shows how some of their ideas about the world change as they enter into adulthood (between UP 21 and UP 28). Suzy, for instance, consistently states that she does want anything to do with kids, yet at age 28, she is happily married with kids. In contrast, Tony admits at 21 that he wishes to be a father. It is apparent that there are different ideas of marriage, not necessarily within the class structure. There is much emphasis on how growing up rich or poor affects one’s outcome.  One of the questions is whether they feel they have had more or less opportunities than other participants in the UP series. Most have the same opinion that a good education is critical. More subtly, the UP Series questions the impact of not having a mother (i.e. Paul) or a father (i.e. Bruce) during adolescence. Apted says there is “something universal,” that people all over the world somehow relate to (suffering- the human condition).

Michael Apted’s questions regard their happiness, satisfaction at work, views on love and marriage, and whether they would have done things differently in retrospect. For the most part, the interviewees answer with honesty and sincerity, in other words, attempting to tell their individual stories. There is hostility to the interviews from some of the participants themselves. Some outright questioned the show’s intentions, and said that it was not a fair representation or an accurate portrayal of them. For instance, Jackie openly requests that the questions respect her privacy, and not focus on her private life. In the Roger Ebert interview, Apted talks about how important it was to have a good relationship with the people on camera, in order to be able to ask the right questions without offending anyone. He says too that the ones who are reluctant to talk have an altruistic sense that they are part of something greater than themselves.

In the last UP series Apted asks a question along the lines of “When you see yourself at seven years of age, do you recognize the person that you are now?” Because of his experience, the director is compelled to believe that the “essence” of the person is present in the 7-year old boy or girl. That “essence” is the core of what becomes the adult personality. He touches on a concept that as we grow up we lose ourselves, and have to spend the rest of our lives trying to return to the inner-child. Perhaps the opening aphorism is true: “Give me until child he is seven, and I will give you the man.” The most relevant quote in the UP series comes from Bruce, when he says, “I think we sort of live without our dreams.”

Works Cited

56 UP. Dir. Michael Apted. YouTube. ITV, n.d. Web.

Apted and Ebert. Perf. Roger Ebert and Michael Apted. POV. PBS, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2013.             <http://www.pbs.org/pov/fortynineup/video_ebert1.php>.