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We Were Once Kids

Name: We Were Once Kids
Director: Eddie Martin
Released: 2021
Duration: 88 min

Representation Score

7.6/10

Good

2021

Director

Eddie Martin

Runtime

88 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

We Were Once Kids provides a gritty, decentralized view of community building through the lens of 1990s New York skateboarding culture. It successfully dismantles traditional family structures, replacing them with resilient, unconventional social networks formed out of necessity. However, the film's scope is limited. Its heavy focus on the male-dominated skate scene and the absence of explicit LGBTQ+ or disability-focused narratives hinder a more inclusive portrayal of underrepresented youth.

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Category Breakdown

Does We Were Once Kids have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film focuses on socioeconomic bonds rather than explicit LGBTQ+ identities. It explores the idea of found families but doesn't provide detailed stories centered on non-traditional gender expressions.

How does We Were Once Kids portray gender?

Fair

The narrative challenges traditional patriarchal structures by focusing on young people navigating difficult home lives. However, the story remains heavily focused on a male-dominated skateboarding subculture, which limits gender diversity.

How racially and ethnically diverse is We Were Once Kids?

Fair

The documentary highlights a diverse urban landscape of pre-gentrified New York. It emphasizes the intersection of ethnic identity and socioeconomic status among underrepresented groups.

How does We Were Once Kids represent religion and culture?

Good

The film portrays youth who operate outside mainstream religious and capitalist frameworks. It presents traditional Western institutions as inadequate for these underrepresented communities.

Does We Were Once Kids include disability representation?

Limited

There is no significant representation of neurodivergent or physical disabilities. The narrative focuses solely on socioeconomic struggles and subcultural identity.

Present on Screen

Effectively challenges traditional domestic hierarchies and patriarchal models.
Offers a nuanced view of diverse, underrepresented urban populations in New York.
Validates unconventional social bonds and the active role of youth outside mainstream systems.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit visibility for LGBTQ+ identities and non-traditional gender expressions.
Limited representation of neurodivergent or physical disability perspectives.
The male-centric skateboarding focus restricts broader gender diversity.

Official Synopsis

In the early nineties, before the massive gentrification of many of New York's then slums, several young people from very disparate backgrounds left their broken homes and ventured onto the brutal streets of the city. United by their love of skateboarding, they formed a family and built a unique lifestyle that eventually inspired Kids, a groundbreaking and outrageous film directed by photographer Larry Clark and released in 1995.

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