My Kid Could Paint That

Who: Monica
What: My Kid Could Paint That - Documentary
Where: My House
Why: B/C I was interested AND it was $1 @ Hollywood Video Sale

This was a documentary I'd heard about a year or so ago. Since I work with kids, I was interested in seeing what all the buzz was about. When I found it for $1, I couldn't go wrong. I enjoy documentaries anyway.

Marla is (was at the time) a 4 year old little girl who loved to paint. Her Dad dabbled in painting himself and at an early age Marla was given her own canvas, brushes and paint. She loved to paint and did it all the time. Her paintings were abstract, full of vibrant color and really quite beautiful. A friend hung her painting in their coffee shop where it created a buzz and eventually sold for a couple hundred bucks. One thing led to another, paintings sold, a newspaper article was written and then this 4 year old little girl had her own showing in an art gallery.

Then the media got involved and the controversy began. 60 minutes did a story on her and it was all downhill. There was rumor that her Dad either did, polished or directed her painting. The camera crew had footage of her Dad getting frustrated with her painting and she never was filmed doing an actual painting beginning to end. Was it all a hoax and were these people making money on a lie?

Then someone decided to do this documentary about it all, they practically moved in with the family. The more the story gets involved, it's more a story about a story of what happened. More so than the story of a 4 year old little girl painting. Then there is the whole thing about who can really judge or place a value on abstract art? Is it all relative? Very interesting discussions.

Anyway, if you have an hour and a half to enjoy a documentary this is a good one. The little girl is adorable and all that happened is kind of crazy. I enjoyed it and am glad I watched. I'm still not sure if I think she did all the paintings on her own or not and the documentary leaves you to draw your own conclusion.