7 Plus Seven (1970) (TV)

Director:

Michael Apted

Genre:

Documentary | Biography

Plot:

Director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born children after a 7 year wait. The subjects...

Plot Keywords:

Human Relationship | Sequel | Number In Title

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Bruce Balden	...	Himself (as Bruce)
Jacqueline Bassett	...	Herself (as Jackie)
Symon Basterfield	...	Himself
Andrew Brackfield	...	Himself (as Andrew)
John Brisby	...	Himself (as John)
Peter Davies	...	Himself (as Peter)
Suzanne Dewey	...	Herself
Charles Furneaux	...	Himself (as Charles)
Nicholas Hitchon	...	Himself (as Nick)
Neil Hughes	...	Himself (as Neil)
Lynn Johnson	...	Herself (as Lynn)
Paul Kligerman	...	Himself (as Paul)
Susan Sullivan	...	Herself (as Sue)
Tony Walker	...	Himself (as Tony)

Directed by
Michael Apted

Produced by
Michael Apted	....	producer

Cinematography by
Tony Mander

Film Editing by
David Naden

Sound Department
Neil Kingsbury	....	sound
Peter Walker	....	sound

Music Department
Steve Parr	....	music recordist

Other crew
Margaret Bottomley	....	researcher

Production Companies

• Granada Television

Distributors

• First Run Features (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

14 Up (International: English title) (informal title)
Fourteen Up (International: English title) (informal title)

Runtime:

52 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Company:

Granada Television

Movie Connections:

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

We Discover

The way I think of films is that every film is first about other films and incidentally about life. In referencing or extending our film experience — and at the same time providing tools for folding that experience into life — movies give us tools FOR life. Or for dreaming, which is much the same.

Here we have the second chapter of a movie made so far over fifty years. It deliberately references the story — a well developed one — of British class society which exists as much in art as in life, perhaps more. That's because the notion of class is enfranchised by the resources and fealty of those not privileged, and they buy into it because it gives them a story worth being a part of. This is a story about that story.

So just in its notion, this series will be important. I am only at the second chapter at this writing and boy am I hooked. It seems that they couldn't have picked more exemplary types if they had tried. The painfully shy farm boy. The three young upper class schoolboys, trying on old costumes. The three low class girls headed toward shopclerking and daft motherhood. The aspiring jockey. The rich, empty girl on her Scottish estate, sitting on the grass while her dog mauls a rabbit. Its all too perfect. And though the seven year stretch between chapters seems a bit long at this point in their lives, 14 is a great age to see the clumsiness with which these kids adopt their roles.

I understand that some of the 14 souls chose to not continue being gawked at in future episodes. I am sure I would opt out, because each of us are so mundanely transparent when viewed this way.

What an experience. The first chapter was dull. This already is engrossing.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.