Jay-Z did the same thing to his brother…
(True story, look it up…)

Women’s History Month - Film #2

Jay-Z did the same thing to his brother…
(True story, look it up…)

Women’s History Month - Film #2

He was sad about his brother's death for like 2 minutes.

He was sad about his brother's death for like 2 minutes.

Such a brilliant, authentic yet heartwarming coming-of-age story. This was one of the first American films to be created completely outside the studio system, while taking cues from Italian neorealism, making it one of the more culturally significant films that isn't talked about much. It was a huge influence on the French New Wave, particularly on Truffaut's 400 Blows (one of my favorite films), and I can see its influence on the films of Richard Linklater, Sean Baker, Barry Jenkins and Greta Gerwig today. Without Little Fugitive, there might not have been a French New Wave or modern independent cinema (i.e. A24 films) at all. The picture itself is fantastic on its own: I'm not sure how a story about a bunch of poorer city kids, the youngest of which, Joey, is constantly bullied and ostracized by his peers (even being the victim of a particularly harsh "death of a friend" prank early on in the film) could be so tender and endlessly charming. Part of the story's charm and believability comes from the fantastic child performances, all coming from nonprofessionals. Much of the story is Joey spending the day alone at Coney Island, and it serves as such a great time capsule of 1950s New York and all of its quirks. The film was shot on a low budget, on location and even with some handheld, giving it a grittiness that was unseen in most American films up to that point. All this adds up to one of the most underrated films I have ever seen, and an easy one to recommend to anyone looking for a small coming-of-age charmer.

Such a brilliant, authentic yet heartwarming coming-of-age story. This was one of the first American films to be created completely outside the studio system, while taking cues from Italian neorealism, making it one of the more culturally significant films that isn't talked about much. It was a huge influence on the French New Wave, particularly on Truffaut's 400 Blows (one of my favorite films), and I can see its influence on the films of Richard Linklater, Sean Baker, Barry Jenkins and Greta Gerwig today. Without Little Fugitive, there might not have been a French New Wave or modern independent cinema (i.e. A24 films) at all. The picture itself is fantastic on its own: I'm not sure how a story about a bunch of poorer city kids, the youngest of which, Joey, is constantly bullied and ostracized by his peers (even being the victim of a particularly harsh "death of a friend" prank early on in the film) could be so tender and endlessly charming. Part of the story's charm and believability comes from the fantastic child performances, all coming from nonprofessionals. Much of the story is Joey spending the day alone at Coney Island, and it serves as such a great time capsule of 1950s New York and all of its quirks. The film was shot on a low budget, on location and even with some handheld, giving it a grittiness that was unseen in most American films up to that point. All this adds up to one of the most underrated films I have ever seen, and an easy one to recommend to anyone looking for a small coming-of-age charmer.

A loosely structured, almost verite story about a young boy's exploits in 1950s Coney Island as he wanders around the amusement parks and beach. I've seen Little Fugitive referred to as an early influence on American independent cinema that would sprout later in the decade and take on full form in the 1960s. Indeed, the filming of this feels very ragtag and lean which provides a pristine time capsule of Brooklyn and Coney Island during the time period. What really sells the film though is the way our directors capture a distinctly childlike view of the world. Joey's adventure around the island is very aimless, going wherever his eye finds most interesting and briefly meeting people along the way. He collects bottles to raise money for him to ride horses, he accidentally spills water on a mother at the beach and offers to refill her cup before abandoning it once he sees how much trouble it becomes. It's incredibly charming and enough to make up for the disconnect this middle portion of the movie has between its bookending framing device where Joey becomes convinced he has killed his brother through a cruel prank. Much of the fun of the film is in observing Joey and the people around him as he passes the time on his own and for that it's worth a watch even if it's almost necessarily messy with its story structuring.

A loosely structured, almost verite story about a young boy's exploits in 1950s Coney Island as he wanders around the amusement parks and beach. I've seen Little Fugitive referred to as an early influence on American independent cinema that would sprout later in the decade and take on full form in the 1960s. Indeed, the filming of this feels very ragtag and lean which provides a pristine time capsule of Brooklyn and Coney Island during the time period. What really sells the film though is the way our directors capture a distinctly childlike view of the world. Joey's adventure around the island is very aimless, going wherever his eye finds most interesting and briefly meeting people along the way. He collects bottles to raise money for him to ride horses, he accidentally spills water on a mother at the beach and offers to refill her cup before abandoning it once he sees how much trouble it becomes. It's incredibly charming and enough to make up for the disconnect this middle portion of the movie has between its bookending framing device where Joey becomes convinced he has killed his brother through a cruel prank. Much of the fun of the film is in observing Joey and the people around him as he passes the time on his own and for that it's worth a watch even if it's almost necessarily messy with its story structuring.