Sunday, January 10, 2010

#13 The Kid - 1921s social commentary about adoption and the poor...kind of.

1921. dir Charlie Chaplin, starring Charlie Chaplin, Jackie Coogan.

Seen it before? Not sure...ask my dad!

When I was younger my dad would make us kids watch Charlie Chaplin movies because he got a kick out of them. I didn't understand them at the time. I remember feeling bored mostly, come on, I was like, 7 or 8, what the hell did I know? and occasionally I was entertained by the funny walk of the Tramp and the slapstick physical comedy. 20+years later I find myself watching this movie and really rather enjoying it. So first I would like to say, "Thanks Dad for making us watch Charlie Chaplin even if I didn't understand it back then."

Moving on. I've said it once and I'll say it again: I can't stand when there is a loving, caring, and nurturing parent who is raising a child to the best of his/her ability whose child gets taken away because someone of authority deems the parent unfit. Sure they were living in squalor but the child had a bed, a roof over his head, and food on the table, not to mention he was loved by someone who might not have had a ton of money (or much at all). I mean, come on, the note said, "please love and care for this orphan child" and so he did, even though he didn't know the first thing about children.

The kid was actually quite adorable. It broke my heart seeing him reach out for his "dad" when he was being taken away. Hard to believe he'd end up playing Fester. It's kind of like when Daniel sometimes (because let's face it, he rarely did this) cried when we would leave him at day care.

Charlie Chaplin is actually a really good looking guy behind that mustache. Of course the whole time we were watching I was imagining my brother in law Jack as Charlie Chaplin...something to do with the faces Chaplin makes. The other half of the time I was imagining Robert Downey Jr. who actually did play Charlie Chaplin in 1992. I know weird, but whatever.

Favorite scene: the fight scene where "John" kicked the crap out of a bigger bully boy.
Least favorite scene: when "John" was getting taken away
Would I see it again? YES
Would I add it to my collection? Sure

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