‘Kid 90’ throws it back to the dark side of being a child star
This intriguing yet slightly confused retrospective documentary “Kid 90” is the opening of a time capsule that shows a real side to some of the most famous child stars. Soleil Moon Frye, who played the famous character Punky Brewster, cracks open a vault on old home movies, tape recordings, and diaries that haven’t been seen in 20 years.
The audience embarks on the journey of Soliel and some of her most famous friends, including Sara Gilbert, a star of the show “Roseanne,” Brian Austin Green of the hit show “90210” and former teen heartthrob Mark-Paul Gosselaar from “Saved by the Bell.”
The documentary is a “blueprint” to being a teenager in the ’90s. Trying out drugs, exploring sexuality, fighting societal pressures and failing sometimes. But it also reopens old wounds and recollects traumas that have never been processed.
Frye brings up never-before-heard memories, both good and bad. She reveals secrets like which famous older man she lost her virginity to and a disturbing moment with a past partner.
While intriguing to look at the real side of these famous people, the editing is a little muddled and has too many quick cuts between some footage. You lose your understanding of what’s happening in the retelling.
Several times it talks around the subject, while then showing footage of the unnamed subject. It was slightly annoying because I felt like I still had to fill in the blanks.
However, I am one of those nostalgic people who loves to watch old home movies and go through photo albums; seeing all the old footage and diary excerpts was fascinating.
At the end of the documentary, Soleil Moon Frye pays tribute to the many friends she has lost over the years. She realizes through reliving these old memories that many of those friends were hurting and she was naively blind to it.
“Kid 90” shows that life gets better. It shouldn’t be wasted because tomorrow is never promised. The journey this film goes through is enthralling, but the conclusion is less effective. “Kid 90” is available to stream on Hulu.
Editor’s note: The original story date is March 24. Due to newspaper and college-wide technical difficulties, this story is now made available on April 16.
