Customer Reviews

Flintown Kids

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This movie was alright. Worth watching. Not really worth owning. Some interesting material in here but the quality made it a lower grade documentary.

Omar Mcgee sheds light on the truths behind the "American Dream" when many do not have the same opportunities as others in this country. It is amazing how he and others have avoided the pitfalls which many have succumbed to growing up in Flint, MI. Mcgee and Michale Moore should get together and do a documentary on the state of Michigan as a whole, it would be a great collaboration.

Immediately upon seeing the cover of this work, I thought about the young, Black male in "Farenheit 9/11" who said, "When I look at the destruction in Iraq, I think that's Flint!" This documentary marinates on how numerous basketball stars come from this impoverished city.
This is an anti-ageist work. It's not older people dismissing a supposed "lost generation." This shows several adults saying, "We are to blame. We should have been opening doors for the youth and we failed to plan long-term." The work is diverse in terms of the age of interviewees as well. It's not diverse in that it's wall to wall bruthas. The first Black woman shows up five minutes into the work. The only Caucasian interviewee appears near the end and his story is the most tragic. Some of those interviewed have colorful names like Fat Rat or Grits. Toni Morrison mentioned a litany of colorful names in her "Song of Solomon."
I think it will be very easy for viewers to compare this to "Hoop Dreams" from a decade ago. However, I think an African American studies major could write something interesting comparing this work to the documentary on techno artists in Detroit, as both works touch upon Black creativity in a post-industrial urban space. This also reminded me of "Rize" in how death and creativity collide with each other often for these inner-city Black youth.
Some places are known for stuff. Seattle had its grunge musicians. Yale University has its rainbow flag alumni and students. Australia is producing great film actors. This shows an interesting slice of life up in Michigan.
Some viewers used to the documentary work of an ESPN or an ABC on Sunday might dislike the grainy video camera images of high school games. I wish they would have mentioned that body type prevents many from becoming B-ball players. Those who lack the height couldn't thrive. The country's obesity epidemic is disproportionately felt in low-income and African-American communities, thus many Flint natives don't have this sport as a ticket out of the area.
I'm not a sports fan in the slightest, but for those of us concerned about issues of equality and access, you should find this work thoughtful.