"Country Boys" Finale

To follow on to Bob and Shelly's posts below, tonight's finale of the film Country Boys on PBS was a fitting and fascinating end to a wonderful work.

In a discussion today on washingtonpost.com, the film's creator, David Sutherland, provided some interesting insight into his thinking about the computer as a sort of equalizer for youth in these depressed areas:

David Sutherland: I don't think there's any choice sometimes except government assistance... there aren't a lot of opportunities there, no public transit, and there aren't a lot of support services. A lot of government programs that helped the area have been cut back and have disappeared over the years. However, people your age do have the resource of the computer. I found kids in WV who were as adept at using the computer as kids in the cities. So I see that as the great equalizer.

He continued in another response with his thoughts about the film as a reflection of Appalachian culture:

I'm not saying that Cody and Chris "represent" every kid and everybody in Eastern KY. I'm not showing them as ignorant, I'm showing them as 2 kids that have a lot in common with teenagers everywhere. They're as hip as kids anywhere, they use the Internet, and kids all over the country are from broken homes or deal with alcoholism. But these kids have possibilities to amount to something great, and if you keep watching the film, open your mind and realize how intelligent they are. Cody's message is "don't judge a book by its cover", and if you can open your mind to him, he might be the most evolved person of any age you'll ever meet in your life.

As far as Chris goes, he's from a family living in deep "Appalachian Poverty", but he certainly speaks better than any teacher I ever had in Boston. When it comes down to it, he can do the work of 3 people, given the chance. By the end of the film, he does succeed, and you leave knowing that even though he could fall between the cracks, but he could also become governor. he's certainly smart enough too.

If I were you, I would try and look at both these kids for who they are, not by the trappings of their humble roots.

It's insightful to read his thoughts there, as well as some of the additional information on the PBS Web site for the show. While Sutherland's intentions in making the film may have been apolitical, there are important lessons to be drawn from the examples of the boys in the film. As Southerners and as progressives, we see things that trouble us and things we know we have to work to change. We also see, however, an inspiring picture of why our work is so critical.