“Was it as real as I remembered it?” Was a quote from the Soleil Moon Frye documentary Kid90 that really got me thinking. I often reminisce about my youth and how everything felt so intense and serious. Time seemed to move so much slower back then and everything seemed paramount. The documentary really encompasses the grittiness of the 90’s and the film that seemed to lay over everything making it feel edgier and cooler than teenage life appears now. Frye’s time capsule of videos, photos, answering machine messages and journal entries is an interesting view of 90’s Los Angeles and the freedom teens had before cell phones and social media. Being brought up in that lost generation that straddled a pre internet universe and one enveloped in it really gives you a unique perspective that other generations can’t quite understand. We didn’t worry about our every move being documented. We captured our life in a series of disposable cameras and folded notes that are now stored in boxes somewhere for our children to find. Seeing the documented tragedies through Moon Frye’s lens like that of 90’s child actor Jonathan Brandis showcases how awry things can go when you’re young and not worried about the fleeting nature of the world or life’s fragility. So long story short, if you are a 90’s kid, watched and adored Punky Brewster and want to jump in a time machine then watch Kid90 you will not be disappointed. Kid90 is available now on HULU
Style Tribe Writer 