Frontline: Country Boys
by David Sutherland
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Chris Johnson, Cody Perkins, David Stükenberg, Jessica RiddleDirector: David Sutherland
Brand: PBS
Cinematographer: Bill Arnold
Cinematographer: David Miers
Cinematographer: Joe Seamans
Producer: David Sutherland
Writer: David Sutherland
Editor: Sean F. O'Gara
Editor: Steve Audette
Producer: David Fanning
Producer: Erin Anguish
Producer: Michael Sullivan
Producer: Robin Parmelee
Producer: Sally Jo Fifer
Producer: Sally Rubin
Producer: Sarah Moughty
Producer: Sharon Tiller
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 360 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-01-17
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: PBS
Movie Reviews of Frontline: Country Boys
Movie Review: Life is infinitely more interesting than most fiction
Summary: 5 Stars
I was heartened to see the five star average of the reviews here. Perhaps people who don't care for this type of thing just didn't watch it so weren't around to criticise it. I love documentaries. I have to admit, though, that I found this a bit long and draggy in parts. Obviously it's paced for TV and watching it all in one sitting may be overwhelming. I watched it over two evenings.
As others have said, this is a look at the lives of two teenagers in Appalachia over a three year period. I suppose everyone will have their favorite of the two and of the supporting cast of characters. Personally I found it hard to warm up to Cody, and was relieved when the camera turned to Chris. Yet Cody was the class valedictorian and appeared to have some sort of charisma that attracted his classmates to him. It just didn't come across on film to me. I did really like his girlfriend's father, Roy, though. Roy was a handsome charming guy who sang and played guitar like the best of any Country singer I've heard. He should be a star!
Chris, on the other hand, was the one who won my heart early on. He was heroic in his struggle between trying to take care of his highly dysfunctional family and getting on with his education. He's the one I'll be thinking about for a long time, wishing him well.
The film maker gives us generous pictures of the supporting characters and some of them come across as heroic, too. The wonderful principal of David School gets highest grades for her no-nonsense, but extremely compassionate help for Chris. I teared up, as others did, when she announced her resignation and I had to wonder why....It was great to see her appear again at Chris's graduation. The quality of caring that the school staff showed for these kids was amazing. Maybe some of it was staged for the camera, but some of it must have been real.
My only complaint regarding the film making was the staged feeling to so many of the conversation. We saw many of them, between the one of the boys and: the step-grandmother, the principal, the mother, a teacher,the pastor, etc. They had a rehearsed quality that seemed artificial and even tedious after a while. However the boys, themselves seemed perfectly natural for the most part, which is amazing. Chalk it up to youth.
This is a film that will keep you thinking for a long time. I add too, that it's refreshing to see something in mainstream media (well, not exactly mainstream) that shows Christianity in a positive light.
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