On October 1, 2004, then four-year-old Marla Olmstead held her first gallery showing, displaying a colorful array of abstract art paintings. Some seemed simplistic while others showed an amazing ability to use color, shapes and techniques to create a beautiful finished product. Michael Kimmelman, art critic for the New York Times, asked in a column, if Marla was a "Pint-Sized Pollock?" But following numerous interviews and a particularly damning 60 Minutes piece, doubts about the authenticity of Marla's work surfaced, casting a dark shadow on the integrity of the Olmstead family. Was the Olmstead saga a casualty of the innocence on the part of the parents, or was the media willing to sacrifice the family's peace of mind to garner viewers? Director Amir Bar-Lev allows the viewer to decide for him or herself, but spares none of the painful details of the Olmsteads' plight.
Amir Bar-Lev's Film is a Sweet Story of Success and Public Scrutiny
Initially, Marla was given large canvases and lots of colorful paints and allowed free reign to create what she would. The resultant paintings were so full of color and vitality that soon, friends were asking to show them in their business. Then the Olmsteads were asked to put a price on them, as people wanted to buy them. After a short while, Marla's amazing talent began to skyrocket. She was on media outlets with such famed people as Conan O'Brien and Oprah Winfrey, intriguing the public and gathering a large number of fans. There was the art dealer who promoted Marla's work, the public's view of abstract art in general, and the vantage of the parents, all woven into a story that is less about art than a warning about becoming a public persona. Bar-Lev never leads his viewers to a conclusion but does seem to cast doubt on the subject of the authenticity of Marla's work. Was his own doubt transparent, or was he genuinely trying to look at all sides of the issue?
My Kid Could Paint That Shows the Documentary Filmmaker's Dilemma
There is a haunting quality to My Kid Could Paint That which is masterfully captured by Bar-Lev. Techniques used include showing his efforts to film the children and in particular, Marla's creative process, interviews with those in the art community, interviews with the Olmsteads, and interjections by the director himself, lending a director's view to the film. The parents seemed to be wearing thin from the world they had entered, as if they were ill prepared to handle the spotlight, the financial gain and the stardom. The beautiful somewhat avoidant Marla is also an asset to the story as she seems to grow weary of even the act of painting, while her young sibling tries desperately to introduce himself into the story, too. Perhaps nothing quite captures the poignancy of the film as much as that, unless it is the decision of the woman who first wrote about the family not to pursue the story. This journalist seems particularly troubled by what has happened to the family and her own part in giving birth to it all: the fame, the suspicions, the criticisms, the doubts. A sweet little story with a twist -- worth the watch.
- Movie Trailer
- PG-13
- 83 minutes
- 2007
- Sony Pictures Classics
Barbara DeGrande - Barbara DeGrande is a writer, film critic, and blogger, with years of experience as a program developer. She has a Bachelor of Arts in ...
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