The Enduring Influence Of 'Kids': 25 Years Later
Image via Rolling Stone
By Ashley Diamantis
Making its debut 25 years ago, Kids (Larry Clark) is the controversial but eye-opening film - following a group of New York teenagers through a 24 hour period.
Viewers accompany friends Telly (Leo Fitzpatrick) and Casper (Justin Pierce) as they go about their day, from the morning at a girl’s house, to stealing liquor from the local convenience store, to an altercation at the skate park, ending at a house party. Just a few steps behind them throughout their day, Jennie (Chloë Sevigny) attempts to track down Telly, in hopes of delivering some life-altering news to him.
The film has become equal parts infamous and iconic for its confronting scenes, depicting everything from underage drinking and drug use, to non-consensual sex.
What set this film apart from others that hit the box-office around the same time was that it didn’t sugar-coat the reality of these teenager’s lives. In the heat of the late 90s, it explored youth culture with a sense of honesty and grit that was notably lacking.
Released that same year (and now a staple at girl’s movie nights all over the world) Clueless takes a more superficial lens to how teenagers were living, and what was important to them.
Kids came across as something authentic (to the point where viewers felt uncomfortable watching) while some fell for the documentary-style cinematography altogether, believing it was real. It felt as if you were friends with the characters, witnessing these events happening in person, but with no control in changing them.
The reason why Clark was able to capture and accurately reflect realistic characters was largely due to his work prior to creating the film. For up to three years before Kids was filmed, Clark had begun hanging around skate parks in and around New York City, making himself familiar with, and befriending, the teenagers he was observing.
Image via Imgur
Once writer Harmony Korine had begun working on the script, a flyer was displayed and passed around New York City, advertising that Clark and Korine were looking for “real NYC kids” of “all backgrounds and colours,” hoping to fulfill Clark’s intention of absolute authenticity.
Although it wasn’t necessarily a focus of the film, this idea of replicating reality was also reflected in the costuming, and the fashion choices of the characters.
Head of costuming and wardrobe, Kim Marie Druce, hasn’t put out any statements about her motives behind the choices made, but it seens apparent that people were put in clothing they felt comfortable in - and more specifically what they felt comfortable skateboarding in.
As fashion trends continue to move in endless cycles, a lot of the fashion tropes seen in the late nineties have resurfaced and have become staples again, with some of them being reflected in Kids’ costuming.
Both boys wear oversized baggy shirts and wide leg pants, and although it’s not particularly too decade specific, the way that the ends of the pants fall onto the top of the sneakers is something that has seen a resurgence in the Y2K trends, largely bought to life via Tik Tok trends and Gen Z influencers like Emma Chamberlain.
Meanwhile going against the logo-trend of the ‘90s, the only branded item of clothing seen throughout the whole movie is an Independent t-shirt worn by Casper. But the outfits worn by the girls come across in a totally opposite way to the two male leads - the pair wear bright coloured t-shirts with tight jeans and shorts, coming across as a little more girly, youthful and innocent.
Notably, Chloë Sevigny’s short hair is reminiscent of the kinds of iso-haircuts people having been giving themselves in quarantine these past few months, sharing some resemblance with the re-trending mullet.
Despite the lack of definitive clarity statements behind the costuming, there is no doubt about their homage to authenticity, and the film’s lasting influence. The movie paved the way for depictions of teenage-life within pop culture with a sense of brutal realism - while teens of the ‘00s had Skins, Gen-Z saw themselves reflected in 2019’s Euphoria.
Whether through skillful casting or otherwise, Kids was an unmitigated success and has since developed a cult-following that cements its place on the mantelpiece among the most iconic ‘90s films of all time.