Streetwise

The filmmakers spending months with runaway teens on the streets of Seattle, to gain their trust and allow them to be filmed. There is something oddly 'stagy' about some of the behavior. The kids are clearly aware of the camera. Yet, as one writer pointed out, that's also part of the power of the film, since adolescence has so much posturing and acting out anyway. The film tries to stay un-judgemental and avoids commentating in obvious ways, sometimes at the expense of seeming disconnected or uncomfortable voyeuristic. Yet there are moments of tremendous power here, both in seeing these kids cling to what bits of joy they can find, and to each other, and in seeing the grim realities of both their street and home lives, in hard-to-believe detail. A variable film, but a special, important one.

Martin Bell's "Streetwise" looks at children living on the streets of Seattle. I understand that his wife Mary Ellen Mark's goal was to show that, even in the city ranked the most livable in the US, there was still homelessness. Are there any major cities in the US that don't have homelessness?* I'd say that the best thing about the documentary is that it humanizes these children, reminding us that street people aren't something to be feared. Everyone should see the documentary. I noticed that Baby Gramps did a song in the documentary. He performed once in my middle school. *By contrast, my parents didn't see any homeless people when they went to Japan.

I find the comments here really interesting. I have always felt the filmmakers probably manipulated events (rather than outright scripting), and the kids hammed it up in places for the cameras, still, that only added another fascinating element to this great film. I have a book of photographs that went with the film. Alas, the tall lesbian girl was killed in a fight not long after the movie was finished. I also saw a "Nightline" show years later that followed up "Tiny" from the movie. Again, alas, She was a real mess. Still, everything about this, staged in places or not, has a real ring of heartbreaking truth. Nine and a half out of ten.

Absolutely one of my all time favorite movies. I think my brother and I have watched my copy 20-30 times. It's fascinating to watch the teens (Tonya, Munchkin, Shadow, Tiny, etc.) as they live their lives dumpster diving, turning tricks and hustling on the streets of Seattle. You watch them in their day to day lives... dealing with living in abandoned motels, parents who honestly don't care that they're prostituting, and dealing with the violence of pimps and venerial disease. Warning: You will wonder for the rest of your life what happened to these people and where they are today (if they're still alive after the harsh reality of life on the streets.)

I could never forget the kids in the movie, I have done some searching and found out info on some of the kids, pics too and anyone interested can email and I will fill you in. Some think it was scripted, either way it is a touching movie and a harsh look at what life on the street for anyone let alone kids is like.

This documentary hits very close to home. I grew up with "Rat" after 1984, and our lives are still involved in some ways. I saw this movie as a teenager and it really makes you think about how things could be. Most kids can't wait to get out "on their own" and when you look at the way some roads can take you, you don't ever want to leave. When I look back at how "Rat" grew up and the lives of these other kids, I think to myself how easy it could have been me or kids that I know now. When you watch this movie, you will always remember that LIFE is such a short period of time and so many things can bring you down along the journey. But you have to keep in mind that the negative is always a learning experience, the question is...would you take the same journey again?

I have followed (or tried to follow) Tiny through the years, she is up to 9 children now and is moving to North Carolina with her husband. He is the father of her last 4 kids. Her oldest son Daylon lives alone and is 19, her 2 oldest daughters live with a relative. Here is the link to http://seattletimes.nwsource.com type in Mary Ellen Mark, the article is called: Focused on a life: Photographer uses camera as force for change I heard that Rat is living on a farm or ranch, , some people say he died, does anyone have any current info? Does anyone have a picture of Roberta, the victim of the Green River killer? I cannot remember her face.