Nominally, this is a documentary about a guy reconnecting with the kids he grew up skateboarding with but really, it's about seeing the cycles of poverty and abuse through generations.Bing Liu grew up in Rockport, Illinois, a former manufacturing town. He took up skateboarding as a way to cope with his abusive step-father and got the hell out as soon as he could. Ten years later, he returns to check in with his two friends, Keire and Zack, one trying to break free of the cycle of anger and helplessness, and the other trapped unknowingly within it.
This is one of those documentaries that makes you sad for having watched it because you feel like part of the story. By the time this was over, I was really hoping for the best for Keire. I wanted him to get out, do well in his new job, go to college, get some therapy, and have a shot at a happier life with people who would value and support him. Same thing for Nina, Zack's on-off girlfriend. I want her to stay with her aunt and uncle and realize that she can do so much better for herself and her son. Zack, however, is beyond saving and needs to just go away to like a monastery where he isn't allowed contact with the outside world.
Bing Liu has been working his way up within the industry mostly in Chicago since 2009, according to his IMDb page. This is his first documentary. He has a lot of potential, although I think he struggled a bit with the neutrality required of documentarians. A less personal subject would most likely make that easier. I don't know that this is going to win because I haven't seen most of the category and I think Free Solo is the current favorite, but I hope the exposure boosts his profile tremendously.
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