MOVIE LISTINGS | MOVIE REVIEW ARCHIVE | THEATER INFO
Present at the Creation
BY SUZI STEFFEN
MY KID COULD PAINT THAT: Directed by Amir Bar-Lev. Editors, John Walter and Michael Levine. Starring Marla Olmstead, Mark and Laura Olmstead, Zane Olmstead, Anthonh Brunelli, Michael Kimmelman. Sony Pictures Classics, 2007. PG-13. 83 minutes. 
“All art in some way is a lie,” says New York Times art critic Michael Kimmelman.
In My Kid Could Paint That, documentary filmmaker Amir Bar-Lev asks big questions about that lie. Marla Olmstead, 4 years old when the film begins in 2004, paints like a child genius, or so people believe. The first portion of the film simply documents her life with her parents and little brother as their world turns upside down: Her paintings start selling for thousands of dollars, and positive media attention comes to her in Binghamton, N.Y., from all over the world.
 |
| Marla Olmstead |
Bar-Lev and his cameramen stick with the Olmsteads through this time and through the painful moments as 60 Minutes uses a psychologist and hidden video (hidden with the parents’ consent) to imply that father Mark, a dabbler in painting, might be the real artist. Bar-Lev also captures Marla painting on camera, a process the parents say disturbs the process of creation. And the audience can easily judge the comparative quality of the documented work to earlier “Marla” pieces.
“I choose to trust you,” mom Laura tells Bar-Lev early in the process. During an agonizing interview late in the movie, she cries as she says she just wants him to believe her.
The reporter who first broke the story tells Bar-Lev, “This is a story about adults.” Yes, it is — about nice adults, some of them quite intelligent, behaving foolishly. Whether or not Marla paints all of the canvases, the question that haunts the film, also becomes a question of who controls the narrative and what parental and artistic responsibility are. Though Bar-Lev leaves these unanswered, viewers will come away with definite beliefs about Marla — and an appreciation for Bar-Lev’s fine, intimate, disturbing film. – Suzi Steffen
My Kid Could Paint That opens Friday, Nov. 30, at the Bijou.
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519