I Want to Be Famous

"I Want to be Famous" is a "lost film" that is finally resurfacing after more than two decades of neglect (although not yet on video or dvd). It concerns Steven (Steven Bratt), an 11 year old British kid who thinks football (soccer in the US) is "rubbish," preferring to paint pictures or just daydream. His unsympathetic dad is disappointed in his son's lack of interest in sports and denigrates his artistic inclinations. His mum defends her child and Steven must listen to many arguments about which he is the topic. His only solace is his friendship with another boy (Stuart Elliot) who is good at football but still likes to hang out with Steven. They get involved in various kinds of mischief, such as having a mud fight, harassing a band practice and playing "strip down naked" hide n' seek." A comparison has been made with this film to the movie, "If...," because of the boy's violent fantasies. There is virtually no plot, just a brief view of an unhappy childhood.

"I Want to Be Famous" is an example of the kind of made-for-TV British films that were produced in the '70s and early '80s. It feels realistic almost to a fault to our modern eyes. There seems to be no direction at all, nor much of a teleplay. The movie just goes on for a while, depicting a slice of life, and then ends.

But it is, of course, quietly effective. It gives us a window into the unhappy life an an 11 year old who is isolated by his small size and lack of interest in sport. He has one friend, but even his dad shuns him for his lack of athletic ability: he would rather paint pictures.

The movie doesn't have much of a plot, it just shows scenes from this boy's life. Some are quite strange and surprising, like a game of strip hide 'n seek in which the boys end up in their underwear, and another scene where the obviously prepubescent protagonist appears to masturbate while his parents fight in another room.

This was given something like a PG rating at the time ("A" in '70s Britain), but now seems like it wouldn't pass the censors. Actually, I can't imagine how anyone would take this movie now; it feels like a strange relic, which, of course, is reason to recommend it to anyone looking for something different.