Kids (film)
Updated: 12/11/2025, 9:05:23 AM Wikipedia source
Kids is a 1995 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Larry Clark and written by Harmony Korine in their directorial and screenwriting debuts, respectively. It stars Leo Fitzpatrick, Justin Pierce and Chloë Sevigny in their film debuts. Fitzpatrick, Pierce, Sevigny, and other newcomers including Rosario Dawson portray a group of teenagers in New York City. They are characterized as libertines, who engage in sexual acts and recreational substance abuse, over the course of a single day. Ben Detrick of the New York Times has described the film as "Lord of the Flies with skateboards, nitrous oxide and hip-hop... There is no thunderous moral reckoning, only observational detachment." The film caused controversy upon its release in 1995 over its treatment of the subject matter. It received an NC-17 rating from the MPAA, but was released without a rating. Critical response was mixed, and the film grossed $20.4 million on a $1.5 million budget. It is now considered a cult classic.
Infobox
Tables
| Year | Award | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref. |
| May 1995 | Cannes Film Festival | Palme d'Or | Larry Clark | Nominated | |
| Golden Camera | Nominated | ||||
| 1996 | Stinkers Bad Movie Awards | Worst Picture | Kids (Shining Excalibur) | Dishonourable Mention | |
| March 23, 1996 | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Supporting Female | Chloë Sevigny | Nominated | |
| Best First Screenplay | Harmony Korine | Nominated | |||
| Best First Feature | Kids (Shining Excalibur) | Nominated | |||
| Best Debut Performance | Justin Pierce | Won |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Entertainment Weekly | A |
| NME | 7/10 |
| Spin | 8/10 |
References
- Kidshttps://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/kids-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmtuznjg
- Box Office Mojohttps://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl22840833/weekend/
- The Numbershttps://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Kids#tab=summary
- Kidshttps://web.archive.org/web/20061108044626/http://www.harmony-korine.com/paper/main/c_kidscast.html
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/23/fashion/kids-20th-anniversary-chloe-sevigny-rosario-dawson.html
- Salonhttps://www.salon.com/2021/06/12/the-kids-eddie-martin-movie/
- Photography: Art Gallery of New South Wales Collection
- Filmmakerhttps://web.archive.org/web/20231011230255/http://www.harmony-korine.com/paper/int/hk/rascals.html
- Dazedhttps://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/25649/1/the-secret-history-of-kids
- Hynes 2015, pp. 1-6.https://archive.today/20240708181104/https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/kids-the-oral-history-of-the-most-controversial-film-of-the-nineties-105069/
- Interview Magazinehttps://www.interviewmagazine.com/art/leo-fitzpatrick-exhibition-a
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2000/03/12/movies/oscar-films-first-timers-who-says-you-have-to-struggle-to-be-a-star.html
- Hynes 2015, p. 6.https://archive.today/20240303055423/https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/kids-the-oral-history-of-the-most-controversial-film-of-the-nineties-105069/6/
- IndieWirehttps://www.indiewire.com/features/general/heres-how-kids-happened-20-years-ago-60680/
- A Killer Life: How an Independent Film Producer Survives Deals and Disasters in Hollywood and Beyondhttps://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Killer_Life/BdMOQjEjFmcC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Julien+Donkey-Boy%22+canon&pg=PA77&printsec=frontcover
- A Killer Life: How an Independent Film Producer Survives Deals and Disasters in Hollywood and Beyondhttps://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Killer_Life/BdMOQjEjFmcC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Julien+Donkey-Boy%22+canon&pg=PA77&printsec=frontcover
- The Eyehttps://web.archive.org/web/20110719134534/http://www.harmony-korine.com/paper/int/hk/southern.html
- Newsweekhttps://www.newsweek.com/controversy-kids-adults-185042
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/1998/biz/news/bowles-distrib-n-prez-for-shooting-gallery-1117434599/
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/1995/scene/markets-festivals/it-s-lights-out-at-shining-excalibur-99128726/
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/1997/scene/vpage/bookie-bets-on-paradise-1117342022/
- Down and Dirty Pictures: Miramax, Sundance, and the Rise of Independent Filmhttps://archive.org/details/downdirtypicture00bisk
- Rotten Tomatoeshttps://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kids/
- Metacritichttps://www.metacritic.com/movie/kids
- Ebert, Rogerhttps://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/kids-1995
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/21/movies/film-review-kids-growing-up-troubled-in-terrifying-ways.html
- Washington Posthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/kidsnrkempley_c029f5.htm
- The Washington Posthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/kidsnrhowe_c02a2c.htm
- Cultural Criticism & Transformation by bell hookshttps://www.mediaed.org/transcripts/Bell-Hooks-Transcript.pdf
- Lit Hubhttps://lithub.com/are-the-kids-all-right/
- festival-cannes.comhttps://www.festival-cannes.com/en/f/kids/
- The Stinkershttps://web.archive.org/web/20010413025218/http://thestinkers.com/qanda.html
- theenvelope.latimes.comhttps://web.archive.org/web/20070815101800/http://theenvelope.latimes.com/extras/lostmind/year/1995/1995st.htm
- Chicago Tribunehttps://www.chicagotribune.com/1996/01/12/film-nominations-are-independent-minded/
- Los Angeles Timeshttps://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-03-25-ca-50950-story.html
- Chicago Tribunehttps://www.chicagotribune.com/1996/03/25/independent-spirits-give-awards-all-own/
- American Film Institutehttps://prdaficalmjediwestussa.blob.core.windows.net/images/2019/08/handv400.pdf
- Tribecahttps://tribecafilm.com/films/kids-2021
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2021/film/news/kids-new-documentary-larry-clark-harmony-korine-1234995023/
- Americana Film Festhttps://americanafilmfest.com/en/film/we-were-once-kids/
- Deadlinehttps://deadline.com/2021/12/lightyear-entertainment-acquires-docs-a-ha-the-movie-and-we-were-once-kids-1234899776/
- MSNBChttps://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/jesus-christ-what-happened-larry-clarks-1995-kids-turns-20
- Hypebeasthttps://hypebeast.com/2015/5/supreme-kids-20th-anniversary-capsule-collection
- AllMusichttps://www.allmusic.com/album/kids-original-soundtrack-mw0000174690
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/04/arts/music/folk-implosion-kids-soundtrack.html
- Pitchforkhttps://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/the-folk-implosion-music-for-kids/
- Entertainment Weekly
- NME
- Spinhttps://books.google.com/books?id=rV8XFH6DQVcC&pg=PA120