28-Up: Real Drama, No Gimmicks
so far. Tony responds first with the birth of his children, but then quickly moves to the day he rode in his first horse race as a jockey, a dream of his since childhood, and one that was seemingly shrouded in failure. He came in last place, but he calls the experience "the proudest day of my life," adding his loss "didn't make any difference," he was happy "just to be a part of it."
For all the important questions about human development and the effects of the class system, these emotional disclosures are what give the film its heart. Whatever your background or education, we can all relate to Tony's need to be a part of something larger than ourselves. In fact, the film works because it appeals to that very desire for community. We want to watch these people grow up, not just for entertainment, but because we are looking for a common ground, hoping to discover something of ourselves in their mundane, yet endlessly watchable, lives. On some level, the series is a sociological experiment, but Apted doesn't let this scientific aspect eclipse the warm humanity in each of the subjects. Unlike the hot TV shows of the moment, there are no crazy gimmicks or sensational effects to heighten the drama in 28-Up; it's simply 10 average people trying to make sense of their lives before a camera, and it turns out, that's more than enough.
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