My review was written in October 1980 after viewing the documentary in the New York Film Festival:
"Here's Looking at You, Kid" is a well-meaning, generally engrossing documentary concerning the adjustment of a severely burned child (and his mother) to living normally in society despite his disfigurement. Film consists mainly of interviews with the mother (Maggie Cole) and Rob Cole, the burn victim, conducted by producer Andrew McGuire, head of the Burn Center and a friend of the family. Helmer William E. Cohen intercuts these with revealing footage of Maggie watching and reacting to her home movies of Rob shot mainly before the house fire incident.
Film works best through Maggie's deeply felt reactions plus footage showing Rob operating quite normally in his classroom or out in public. Pic is intentionally unpleasant in closeup footage showing Rob's physical appearance (no cosmetic surgery has yet begun in what is termed a 10 year program of operations for him) and in McGuire's frequently stupid questions, e.g., "Do you love your mother?", which are suitably ridiculed by Rob and Maggie.
The filmmakers' hearts are suitably well-located, but this overly intrusive film combines its public education aspects with a morbid obsessiveness likely to turn off many viewers. It is difficult to strike a proper balance in films dealing with sensitive subject matter like this one, so credit McGuire and Cohen with a good try.
"Here's Looking at You, Kid" is a well-meaning, generally engrossing documentary concerning the adjustment of a severely burned child (and his mother) to living normally in society despite his disfigurement. Film consists mainly of interviews with the mother (Maggie Cole) and Rob Cole, the burn victim, conducted by producer Andrew McGuire, head of the Burn Center and a friend of the family. Helmer William E. Cohen intercuts these with revealing footage of Maggie watching and reacting to her home movies of Rob shot mainly before the house fire incident.
Film works best through Maggie's deeply felt reactions plus footage showing Rob operating quite normally in his classroom or out in public. Pic is intentionally unpleasant in closeup footage showing Rob's physical appearance (no cosmetic surgery has yet begun in what is termed a 10 year program of operations for him) and in McGuire's frequently stupid questions, e.g., "Do you love your mother?", which are suitably ridiculed by Rob and Maggie.
The filmmakers' hearts are suitably well-located, but this overly intrusive film combines its public education aspects with a morbid obsessiveness likely to turn off many viewers. It is difficult to strike a proper balance in films dealing with sensitive subject matter like this one, so credit McGuire and Cohen with a good try.
