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Make Me Young: Youth Knows No Pain
By Melissa Camacho,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Docu about youth-obsessed culture tackles image issues.
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What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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What's the Story?
YOUTH KNOWS NO PAIN follows creator/narrator Mitch McCabe, the daughter of a plastic surgeon, as she embarks on a two-year journey that explores pAmerica's obsession with looking -- and staying -- young. McCabe travels around the country interviewing medical professionals, journalists, and experts in the anti-aging industry. She also spends time with people who've gone to extraordinary lengths to look younger than they actually are. Throughout it all, McCabe wrestles with her own insecurities and the impact that her father's profession has had on her own feelings about taking measures to make herself look better.
Is It Any Good?
This unsettling and revealing film addresses society's interesting and at times disturbing attitudes about aging. Sadly, most of the people featured in the film seem to equate getting older with being lonely, invisible, and/or ignored. That's why they're willing to spend thousands of dollars on anti-aging products and subject themselves to painful cosmetic procedures, from Botox injections and laser peels to liposuction, tucks, and other major surgeries.
The film sometimes comes across as a little disorganized as McCabe attempts to pull in her and her father's personal stories while simultaneously showcasing an eclectic range of people who seem to be waging their own personal crusade against looking old. Endless interviews with people who knew her father, home movies, and images of various surgical procedures also make the film a little too long. But it definitely addresses important themes and highlights some rather worrisome ideas about how society seems to be desperately putting off the inevitable.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the media impacts the way people feel about getting older. Do advertisements, music videos, and fashion magazines create an unrealistic/unattainable image, or do they simply reflect what people want to see?
Do you think the media can cause someone to develop a negative body image or eating disorder? Why or why not?
Hop do you feel about getting older? Do you see anything wrong with getting plastic surgery if you don't like how you look as you age? What are the pros and the cons?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: September 21, 2010
- Cast: Mitch McCabe , Norman Deesing , Sherry Lee Mecom
- Director: Mitch McCabe
- Studio: Cinema Libre Studio
- Genre: Documentary
- Run time: 88 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: February 25, 2022
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