42 Up

42 Up

1998
Documentary
TV Movie
2h 19m
In 1964, a film crew interviewed seven-year-old English kids: five or six from privilege, a Yorkshire farm lad, East-End girls, and boys from a children's home. Every seven years, Michael Apted re-interviews those willing (two declined this time). At 42, careers are stuck or flourishing; marriages are strong, shaky, or over (and Bruce recently married for the first time). They're dealing with parents' dying, and children coming-of-age... (imdb)
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42 Up

1998
Documentary
TV Movie
2h 19m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 72.76% from 274 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(274)
Compact view
Compact view
Rated 04 Oct 2010
90
86th
So damn happy for Bruce in this one.
Rated 04 Jan 2013
80
86th
Michael Apted continues to chronicle the lives of these people. It's illuminating and food for thought. He makes smart aesthetic choices (the new scenes generally cuts together perfectly with the old footage) and his questions always continue previous lines of inquiry. This and '21 Up' are the best instalments of the series so far.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
45
34th
See my review of 49 UP.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
79th
A great series, although not as engaging as the earlier ones, better with the directors comentary.
Rated 20 Oct 2007
88
85th
One of the high points of the series, for sure, particularly as certain of the relationships are fleshed out. That said, I would have been fine if they had stopped with this one.
Rated 18 Mar 2008
86
80th
I'm not sure why, but I found this one more interesting than 35 and 28. Maybe because now that they're in their 40s, you see what they've made of their lives moreso than in the previous films. There are definitely some surprises in this one.
Rated 19 Jul 2009
82
72nd
A very honest Up where the subjects are old enough to reflect on how life doesn't work the way fiction does. I also think this is the last truly innocent one before the explosion of Reality TV in the 2000s (and now self-documenting through Web 2.0) altered everyone's perspective. A project like this can never again really be done.
Rated 03 Oct 2009
80
61st
Watching all these in a short time span maybe wasn't a great idea. It's interesting and there some moments that generate genuine reflection. Very much worthwhile, as is the rest of the series. The editing does get a little tiring, though, with all the use of old footage that I've already seen. It also feels a bit more voyeuristic than the previous films, which isn't a good thing.
Rated 20 Jan 2010
7
65th
Intriguing to no end. Some real opinions are presented now. "The Up Series" concept is a thought provoking look at the social structure.
Rated 20 Jun 2010
90
88th
I'm rating all of these a 90 because I see the experiment as valuable. These are normal people, for the most part, and some are interesting, some are not. Some of them have very bad problems, some don't. The prejudice of the film-maker is obvious, but what captivated me was whether or not we come to know these children, and later adults? I think we do, better than we ever will know Tom Cruise or Lindsay Lohan, no matter how many films they make. For that, for the depth of information, it's a 90.
Rated 24 Sep 2010
89
90th
Now that everyone's life has been more-or-less cleaned up, it does kind of make the show a tad less interesting, but they can at least still contemplate their past experiences. There's also an excellent clip at the end of this one that breaks the fourth wall by having these participants talk about this program itself, it's successes and it's hypothesis on class systems.
Rated 14 Dec 2010
30
78th
"Two subjects acknowledge their conjoined lifeline, become best friends, and as a result a life is forever changed." - Ed Gonzalez
Rated 26 Feb 2011
80
95th
Excellent.
Rated 19 Apr 2011
30
12th
Making the same class based argument for six films in a row has become a bit tedious. Furthermore, at 42 I'm not sure that we're getting much introspection or insight anymore. The subjects were asked a bit about regrets and if they would change anything, but there wasn't enough new there. I'm not entirely sure if I'll bother with 49 Up, but I know I'll probably become interested again once they come into their 60s, and have a bit more perspective on life.
Rated 21 Aug 2011
75
54th
Maybe it's because the participants are closest to my own age, but I found this the most interesting of the series. Many of the subjects are in some state of transition or are eloquent enough to reflect on their lives with insightful introspection. The most compelling one, Neil, has taken a turn for the better, though still struggling. The commentary on class was more thoughtful than previous attempts to address the subject. I still think the series is better as an idea than in execution.
Rated 08 Jan 2012
75
53rd
More interesting than 35 Up, as some of the "Uppers" have had some surprising changes since they were 35. It's also a far more hopeful and optimistic part of the documentary series, and although 50% of each documentary is of old clips now the editing is getting better. This is also seen when the same questions are being asked to different people, it feels less like a routine or statistical analysis.
Rated 27 Aug 2012
80
69th
Bruce is awesome.
Rated 03 Jan 2013
84
86th
It's no longer about the epiphanies of people as they grow up and reflect upon their lives, nor have they changed a whole lot, but it's still a great watch.
Rated 19 Oct 2014
80
87th
The series is becoming less interesting now that the subjects have settled into stable middle-aged lives. The only big surprise in this instalment is that Bruce outs himself as the Caped Crusader at his own wedding.
Rated 17 Feb 2020
70
53rd
Neil Hughes: "Well, I'm not married. I value all experience. I feel that part of my life hasn't happened."
Rated 24 Apr 2020
99
97th
These quite magnificent films have now evolved to a poignant, piercing insight into the ageing process and the frustrations and mini-triumphs to be found in the mundanity of life. Apted becomes better and better at illuminating his subjects' quiet truths, balancing his gentle, honest enquires with the inherent exploitative nature of his project. The sometimes repetitive nature of the archival footage has molded now into being reminded of the lives of who feel like old friends at this point.
Rated 27 May 2020
90
97th
If you've followed the subjects of this series this far, you're committed for the long haul just as they are. The biggest reward of tuning in to this entry is to see the progress of Bruce and Neil. Neil is on the upswing from his bouts of mental illness and homelessness, while his sweet friend Bruce finally finds love and is married.

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