Anyone else watching Frontline/Country Boys?

[AuntiePam]

I got distracted in the middle of Monday's two-hour first episode, but this Sutherland guy really knows how to do a documentary.

Chris had 15 assignments to do before he could hope to graduate, but instead of actually doing them, it seemed like he talked himself into failure. He could be worried about losing his SSI check. It wasn't clear whether the payment stops when he graduates or continues until he's 21, or finds a job, or what. (That might have been in the part I missed.)

I'm thinking it stops when he graduates -- all his mom said was "You'll do better next year." The family depends on that money.

Cody's grandma would drive me nuts, but her constant comments ("Dirty dirty boy" while she's dusting his room) didn't seem to bother him. Seems like he appreciates her -- he's definitely more patient with her than most kids would be.

I like both Chris and Cody. Cody wins the prize for speaking clearly without moving his lips. How does he do that?

Here (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/countryboys/) is the skinny. Parts 2 and 3 Tuesday and Wednesday.

[Hedda Rosa]

Logged on today to ask this very question.

I found this show riveting. Fascinating. Horrifying. Every other -ing you could think of.

Chris seems to actually be a sharp kid with a clever turn of phrase. It is a crying shame he can't push himself to succeed, becuase he seems like a kid who could make something of himself if he wasn't so scared fo failure.

Cody just seems to be looking for himself. I found him slightly less remarkable.

What really got me was the glimpse into the abject poverty of Chris's family. This is a world I've never seen at first hand. It it seems so cold and dirty and damp. The couch he's sitting on in one scene, well you can just tell it smells. The smoking makes Chris and his parents so unhealthy, along with poor nutrition. They looked unwashed, the bags under their eyes, their hair, their skin.

I'm the worst kind of classist snob I guess but I had a 2 hour long case of the shudders thinking how damned lucky I am not to be living like that. If that makes me a terrible person, so be it, but thank you Sweet Baby Jesus that is not my life.

I'll be watching tonight for sure.

[River Hippie]

Yes, I watched last night and will be watching part 2 tonight. Scary stuff. I agree that Chris seemed pretty intelligent and capable of doing so much more. With all the talk about how he didn't want to end up like his dad, he sure seems headed that way.

That pig squealing as they tried to get it out from under the trailer was pretty freaky.

[uglybeech]

OOh, I can't believe I missed it. I'll watch it when it repeats.

For the record, Frontline is my all-time favorite show. There just isn't any better television out there.

[AuntiePam]

Chris seems to actually be a sharp kid with a clever turn of phrase. It is a crying shame he can't push himself to succeed, becuase he seems like a kid who could make something of himself if he wasn't so scared fo failure.


He's very articulate, isn't he? Is that what it is -- he's afraid to fail?

He has a mental roadblock going on about the driver's license, focusing on the unfairness of the new law, but not doing what he needs to do to get around it. That's so familiar -- I've done it and my kids have done it.

I imagine that teachers get tired and burned out, and they're not babysitters, but I wanted one of them to do more than just tell him that he was missing assignments. Set him up with a study date, make him stay after school -- something.

I can't wait to see how this turns out, and I'm hoping that both boys overcome. No child left behind, indeed. Some kids aren't even in the race.

I went to Sutherland's website, hoping for an update on the farm family from a few years back, but I couldn't find anything. That film was exceptional too.

[Jennshark]

I watched a little more than an hour and it just started to hurt my heart too much, especially Chris's impoverished family.

[blondebear]

I'll watch it when it repeats
Fell asleep watching it last night--but I was able to watch the end on the Frontline Website. They'll be posting each episode after it airs. There's also extra clips, interviews with some of the other people in documentary, and a FAQ section if you want to find out how things are working out for Chris and Cody.

[AuntiePam]

I watched a little more than an hour and it just started to hurt my heart too much, especially Chris's impoverished family.

Not just financially. Heck, I've been poorer than that, and I have relatives who'd consider that trailer a big step up. With or without the pig.

Chris is getting nothing from either of his parents. He's growing up in an emotional vacuum, and it shows in his personality. He knows all the right words, but it's like there's a veil between him and reality. Cody seems much more connected. He relates to people, but Chris is just acting, and everything that happens just bounces off of him.

That's my impression of him anyway. He's cold.

[Cat Fight]

I got the same thing, AuntiePam. It's horrible to say, but he got a bit of an abuser/serial killer looks at times, when things didn't go his way.
The whole time, I just wanted to scoop him and Cody up and send them on a trip around the world then put them in some nice New England university where they could worry about dumb things like keggers and dorm pranks (of course, this is just some stupid naive fantasy and I realize the problem is much more complex). Cody's girlfriend seems smart (albeit with low self esteem), as do most of the girls on the show- here's hoping they don't get knocked up before they can get out of Dodge. Compelling viewing.

[The Big Cheese]

Here they are showing it mon - wed evenings, then re-running them one day later late at night. So you can catch it again tues-thurs at 10:30pm or so. Maybe they're doing that where you live, and you can catch them if you missed them(Yes, I know it's wednesday already)

Alcoholism seems to be rampant there. And smoking, though it is an alternative school which might account for a big part of that. Cody really seems to have his head on straight, but there seems to be so little opportunity there. Ray Riddle isn't half bad with music. The website has a video of him singing and video from the show that's pretty good.

'Make sure you feed my pig.'

[AuntiePam]

I was confused by the episode with the Yellow Jackets. Chris admits to giving some to the girl (Kim?) but then he says to his mom that her boyfriend gave them to her and he lied about it so he wouldn't get kicked out of school.

The film, so far, hasn't shown him actually doing any school work, except for his efforts with the newspaper and the choir. Makes me wonder if the filmmaker didn't think it was important to the story, or that we'd be bored with it, or whether the kids at the school don't do much except show up.

I cringed when the science teacher described evolution theory as "Darwin says man evolved from apes." Well, of course, if that's all you're going to say about it, the kids are going to dismiss it as silly. Shame on her.

Agreed on Mr. Riddle's singing ability. I thought we were listening to a professional, someone who'd been recorded.

I read the FAQ on the website. I hope Sutherland or Frontline or somebody keeps it updated. It'd be nice to see these kids in five years.

[Captain Wawa]

Another fantastic documentary from David Sutherland! This one is even better than The Farmer's Wife, which is saying something. Three years to film, amazing dedication!

A wonderful, poignant look at life in Appalachia. Chris and Cody are fascinating personalities. I truly hope they both make it.

[Sinek]

Excellent show. I actually know kids like this. I grew up in a very similar town, except not quite so poor. A lot of my classmates floundered after graduation, and even some of the ones who did have ambitions got taken in by drugs.

I liked both Chris and Cody. Cody seemed belligerent at times, but he's had a deeply tragic life. It's amazing he's as well adjusted as he is. His girlfriend seemed sweet too.

I really related to Chris. I was just like him at that age until I got tired of feeling like a failure. I focused on my strengths and found a new source of pride in my achievements. It's an addictive feeling and it made me apply myself in ways I hadn't before. I wasn't quite so shy around other people, but I know that can be a huge barrier. That kind of anxiety really makes you shy away from any criticism so that you reject whatever opportunities have the potential to backfire on you. It feels like if Chris can find one thing he really loves that he could turn himself around

[AuntiePam]

It feels like if Chris can find one thing he really loves that he could turn himself around

From the website -- Chris's comments:

"Right now I'm on standby. Sort of a mental standby on what I'm going to do for the future. All I want to live for is now. I want to go out. I want to have fun with my friends. I want to be a normal teenager. Not this kid who's like, "Oh my God, what am I going to do next? What am I going to do next?" No, I want to be free-spirited for a while. I decided I'm going to live for me. Not for anybody else, just for me for once. I mean I've done all these things for other people. I lived up to Mitzy's expectations. I lived up to Danny's expectations. I lived up to my mother's, my father's. Finally I can say "I've done enough." That's all I want."

It's curious that Chris doesn't see that he did finished school for himself, not for others.

I don't know when Chris wrote this. Filming started in 1998 -- I would hope that these aren't Chris's thoughts now. If they are, it looks like he could still use some help. He talks such a good game and he knows the system -- I wonder if he'd make a good school guidance counselor someday. (?)

He sounds a lot like my daughter. She started working at 16 but always quit jobs in the summer, because "summer's for fun." She didn't buckle down until she was 25 and went back to school for an AA degree. Achievement did the trick, and she's been self-supporting for the last 15 years.

I'm glad that the SSI program helped this family -- I'd hate to think where they'd be without it.

[Dogzilla]

I'm loving this show as I'm related to a lot of people who are very much like Cody and Chris. Last night, as the final shot pulled back from Chris' mom's trailer... you could clearly see: one of those cheap, above-ground, PVC swimming pools, and a trampoline.

Why, why, oh why? Chris can barely afford to give his dad $2 for booze, McDonald's is a Night Out/Treat for these people, but they have a trampoline.

I have a college degree, a relatively privileged life, a great job, own my own home, and I don't have a f***ing trampoline. I realize these things could have been gifts, but if you cared enough about these people to buy them large gifts like that, wouldn't you give them something far more practical and useful? Like, a computer, for example. A cheap little Dell would be a godsend, in terms of helping these people with resources. (I'm not saying they could use it. But I'm quite sure Chris and/or Cody would figure it out.) I went to bed last night, trying to figure out how and why they have a freaking trampoline. I'm not judging; it just makes no sense to me. If I had to scrounge under the car seats looking for enough change to buy cigarettes (which I have done on more than one occasion), I never once came into a chunk of money and bought a trampoline.

:: baffled ::

[The Big Cheese]

Anyone know why Mitzi Crisp (I love that name, can I change my username?) quit? Too bad, I hate to see Chris tonight without here (But I DID see the previews).

They do have a little girl in that family, so I bet she loves the trampoline. I bet they didn't buy it new, or spend a lot of money on it either. I don't know ANYONE who has ever had a trampoline.

[AuntiePam]

There are lots of trampolines around here, but I've never seen any of them being used. They're a mystery to me too.

I missed the final episode. Had to be gone and could only record one show, and it was a hard choice, but I recorded Lost. I'll catch Country Boys via the website, I guess.

I know from last night's previews that Chris and Cody graduated. Did anything else of note happen?

[Gatopescado]

I really want to like this show, but I really fell like I'm watching "Hillbilly Spinal Tap". The whole thing just seams to spiral out of control into unrealality. It has a scripted feel at times.

I really don't like either kid. Chris is a lazy shiftless blamer and Cody is plain ignorant. I forsee a long, hard pull for both these losers.

I dig Ray's house. Looks pretty cool, but you know it stinks like hell in there.

I have a trampoline. ;)

Got it from the new neighbors. It came with the house next door. Six years ago when we moved here, we saw it in the back yard. I remarked to my wife that I that would be a stupid thing to have and that I bet nobody ever used it.

Damn! Those kids were on that thing nearly EVERY DAY! My favorite was Christmas a few years back. The kids got Razor Scooters. And they were JUMPING ON THE TRAMPOLINE WITH THEM!! :D :D :D

[Captain Wawa]

Damn, Chris blew it. He had a chance to go to college with tuiton and board paid in full, but he backed out. Why? - Because he needed to work to pay for his car?! The real reason, I suspect, is because of his fear of failure in school. Despite his obvious intelligence, he just doesn't have confidence in himself.

Man, that was hard to watch. I was the exact same way when I was his age.

Cody seems to be happy and doing well. That was great to see.

Ray Riddle needs to be signed to a recording contract.

[AuntiePam]

Did the filmmakers update to 2005, or leave things at the end of filming in 2001 or 2002?

[Captain Wawa]

Did the filmmakers update to 2005, or leave things at the end of filming in 2001 or 2002?

Updated to 2005: Chris is living with his friend Jay and working odd-jobs. His father passed away in the summer of 2005. Cody and Jessica were married and are both attending school (Cody vocational graphic design, Jessica college).

[Cub Mistress]

Damn, Chris blew it. He had a chance to go to college with tuiton and board paid in full, but he backed out. Why? - Because he needed to work to pay for his car?! The real reason, I suspect, is because of his fear of failure in school. Despite his obvious intelligence, he just doesn't have confidence in himself.

Man, that was hard to watch. I was the exact same way when I was his age.

Cody seems to be happy and doing well. That was great to see.

Ray Riddle needs to be signed to a recording contract.

Perhaps I misunderstood but I thought the reason Chris didn't go to Alice Lloyd College (is that right?) because he didn't score well enough on the ACT. I just want to take Chris and make him believe in himself a little bit!

Cody is much smarter than he sounds or looks. I was amazed when he made the comment that if you only believe something because that what you were taught, without thinking about it, then you don't really know if you believe it (highly paraphrased.) His not-grandma Liz, is a remarkable person. She didn't seem very affectionate on camera but I suspect she's just very private and didn't want to show that to the world. I cried when she told the investment guy she was paying for his college. Go, Liz!

Also, on the money thing. I wondered who was getting Cody's Social Security payments all during the first show, and if it would ever come up. I haven't seen the last thirty minutes of the 2nd show, I hope the resolution to that is in there.

Re: the trampoline. I can't tell you how many times I have seen people without a pot to piss in, yet they have a satellite dish (even 20-25 years ago when they were huge and very expensive) a pool, a big screen TV and fourwheelers for every member of the family. I don't understand it, but I have seen it over and over.

[Hedda Rosa]

Re. the "scripted" comment upthread:

I got that same feeling about Christ all through the show. Like everything he said and did was an act. I still think he's got a sharp turn of phrase and is a smart kid but he's got a huge wall between the real guy and what he showed us.

The line when he's in the car "That's the last time I'll call him father" I mean come on. No self-respecting screenwriter would put that in a script but it was so clear - to me anyway - that it wasn't a spontaneous line, but was what Christ thought he should be saying at that moment. I think Chris couldn't let go of being on camera and just be himself.

Cody, well I just wanted to get him a little bit of orthidonture. Couldn’t they spend some of that $26,000 on fixing his upper teeth so he'd move his lips while he talks? Just an idea.... Glad his life is on a good track. Jessica's dad was Ray right? His music was great; if he really was most of the soundtrack then he is a wonderful songwriter. Someone get that guy back on the independent charts! Oh and Liz seems like a real rarity in this world: a truly good person. Cody was lucky beyond measure when she took him in.

To me the story highlights the importance of a steadying influence at home. Lots of teachers cared about Chris, but he didn’t have anyone who cared about him as a unique person and who was there outside of school. Cody did. I think that is why Chris failed and Cody succeeded.

[The Big Cheese]

Chris took a test-ACT, and passed. Then he took the real one and failed. It would have been hard for him at school though, I bet. Coming from that rural alternative school to that college, competing with other kids, it would have been hard. Throw in the fact that he always finds something else to do that has to be done, it didn't look good. He does seem like a good manager though. Didn't you just want to bat him one when he was talking about getting a car and working more to pay for it, and jeopardizing his college studies. man.

Not to get into an abortion discussion, but only one person said it was ok to get an abortion after incest? And she was very hesitant to raise her hand. Then her teacher straightened her out (after she mentioned the child could be born wtih her hands and feet backwards), and said "Well, that doesn't always happen."

[Sinek]

Not to get into an abortion discussion, but only one person said it was ok to get an abortion after incest? And she was very hesitant to raise her hand. Then her teacher straightened her out (after she mentioned the child could be born wtih her hands and feet backwards), and said "Well, that doesn't always happen."

This dismayed me as well. That rebuttal was just weak and I'm glad to see that Cody didn't quite buy into it.

Regarding Chris, I was dissappointed that he decided not to go to college. All the same, it just doesn't seem as if he's cut out for it. I wouldn't call him a failure, but he doesn't seem particularly happy with his life as it is. I also agree that he did seem to be playing to the cameras for the most part. That makes it impossible to tell what he really wants out of life. I have to say that I don't think his guardedness just came out of nowhere. His family life was a mess, neither of his parents seemed to even care about what he wanted or how he felt. His life just seemed like a swirl of indifference.

[Dogzilla]

I was extremely disappointed with The David School teachers as well as both the material they presented and the way the material was presented. IIRC, there's a state law in Kentucky that teachers must have a Master's Degree within so many years of initially getting their teaching license. I do not know if that applies to private schools or just public schools in Kentucky. (I had a distant step-cousin who was a teacher near Morehead, KY, and she was going for her Master's and had so much time in which to accomplish that or she wasn't going to be allowed to teach. Or something like that.) So, I'm a little appalled. But it was an alternative school.

I'm not sayin' there's anything wrong with a trampoline, and that razor skate thing on the tramp sounds like the sort of hare-brained nonsense I'd try, so I'm all for that. I just know, like I said, I do fairly well for myself relatively speaking and just recently bought a receiver and speakers for the TV/CD/DVD/DVR system. Because, you know, I had other priorities, like eating and buying a washer and drying and fixing the car and such... So how come those people get a trampoline?

I don't think I'll ever get it.

[Beware of Doug]

Because, you know, I had other priorities, like eating and buying a washer and drying and fixing the car and such... So how come those people get a trampoline?You know, in the early 1930s, the phonograph record business just about died. Everybody stopped buying 78s except the very rich...and the very very poor, so backward they didn't have a radio or even live near a station.

Poor people do buy luxuries. They make life bearable. The working and middle classes are the ones who get all guilty about pleasure.

[AuntiePam]

To me the story highlights the importance of a steadying influence at home. Lots of teachers cared about Chris, but he didn’t have anyone who cared about him as a unique person and who was there outside of school. Cody did. I think that is why Chris failed and Cody succeeded.

Agreed. This is the message I got from the show. We've all probably seen worse parents than Chris's. Mom was at least physically present, she had a steady job, wasn't bar-hopping or trampy or doing drugs, and somebody kept the trailer looking halfway decent (except for that yard).

Dad was useless and a drunk, but he seemed harmless. He didn't appear to be an angry drunk, keeping everybody up nights ranting or crying.

Nobody in Chris's family prevented him from succeeding -- but they didn't help him either. Chris was lucky to have the resources of the David School, and it's too bad he didn't take advantage of them.

[Gatopescado]

I watched the 3rd and final part tonight. I admit I was kinda tough on the boys yesterday, and they came across as a bit more likable tonight.

But still, I stand by my "Hillbilly Spinal Tap" observation. Totally scripted and damn near farcical. Overall, a pretty big disapointment from PBS.

At one point, during Chris' graduation, I kinda felt bad for the other kids at David school, who weren't having a documentary filmed about them. Totally stole thier thunder, I bet.

Lets hope college works out for Cody, cause music ain't happenin' for him! :D

[eponymous]

Agreed. This is the message I got from the show. We've all probably seen worse parents than Chris's. Mom was at least physically present, she had a steady job, wasn't bar-hopping or trampy or doing drugs, and somebody kept the trailer looking halfway decent (except for that yard).

Dad was useless and a drunk, but he seemed harmless. He didn't appear to be an angry drunk, keeping everybody up nights ranting or crying.

Nobody in Chris's family prevented him from succeeding -- but they didn't help him either. Chris was lucky to have the resources of the David School, and it's too bad he didn't take advantage of them.

With regards to the earlier comment regarding the ACT, I believe the practice test that Chris took was the pre-GED. He did well enough to feel confident about taking the actual GED (which, of course, he did pass to graduate).

With regards to the ACT, Chris took it without any preparation. Given his background, it would have been extremely unlikely that he could have passed without any prior preparation.

While I generally agree with AutiePam's comment, I think the most striking thing between Cody and Chris was that I think Chris, while the more intelligent of the two in many ways, was much more emotonially immature and/or damaged than Cody. As others have noted, one could sense that Chris's attitude and behavior masked a kind of sadness and emptiness within himself. Sure, his mother held a steady job and his father wasn't a nasty drunk. But keep in mind we were only privy to several years of his life. I suspect that Chris's early childhood was an emotional desert. In other words, his family was around, but they weren't really there.

[AuntiePam]

I suspect that Chris's early childhood was an emotional desert. In other words, his family was around, but they weren't really there.

Definitely. Maybe that's why the emotions we saw from him seemed faked, rehearsed. "This is how someone like me is supposed to be." Like others have said, he gave the filmmakers what he thought they wanted.

I wonder if the filming affected his behavior. It had to, don't you think?

[eponymous]

I wonder if the filming affected his behavior. It had to, don't you think?

It's a good question - I think it probably did, but I don't think that it affected his behavior so much that we couldn't get a good sense of what kind of person Chris actually is.