Comparison of 49 & Up and Two American Families

           "49 & Up" and Two American Families are similar documentaries. They are both considered observational documentaries filmed over a long period of time. Additionally, the two films are also about people’s lives; however, the focus of each documentary is very different.

The “Up series” has followed fourteen British children every seven years since they were seven in 1964. “49 & up” is the seventh installment in the series. The film spends around fifteen minutes on each person, interviewing them to see what has changed in their lives. The film includes footage of the people at the other periods in their lives to contrast where they are now. Surprisingly, most of the fourteen people have consistently participated in the filming. Only one completely stopped filming after the age of 21, Charles. At the end of each interview in “49 & Up,” the camera crew was asked if they felt the film was important.  Of the interviews I watched many of them agreed that they could understand why the series is entertaining for others. However, while some do feel the documentary series has importance many of the others don’t agree.

“Two American Families” chronicles the lives of two ordinary families, one black and one white, for over twenty years. These two families embody the hopes and dreams of millions of Americans. The film captures the struggling middle class through these two families. Between 1991 and 2000 Bill Moyer returns every 2 years to catch up with the families and then he returns again in 2012. Both families had many things in common, at least one parent from each family had worked in factories but were laid off when production moved to a 3^rd world country because of reduced labor costs. Both families experience  the trails of a struggling economy through home foreclosures, unexpected medical bills, and strained or fractured marital ties.

Both films were very interesting looks into the lives of “normal” people. “Two American Families definitely hit home for me because that is the time I was growing up. I never specifically remember my parents struggling with money but I know they did. I could identify with the Neumann children because both my parents worked full time and I often came home to an empty house. However, I always loved it because I got time to myself before my sisters and parents arrived. Overall, I love the idea of filming people over a long period time because it fulfills that nosy side every human being has. It is a lot like what reality television tries to do today.