Child Star feels like it’s two movies clumsily stitched into one. On the one hand, it’s a straightforward documentary about the history of child actors. There are talking heads of experts explaining things like the Coogan Law, also known as the California Child Actor's Bill, as well as interviews with children who dream of being famous one day. These latter interviews are precious and heartbreaking, and they make the documentary’s advocacy feel more urgent and real. On the other hand, it’s a documentary about Demi Lovato and her famous friend's trauma dumping over coffee. I’m not saying these parts are less watchable than the others. In fact, I appreciate the celebrities’ willingness to unpack the traumatic parts of their childhood—Drew Barrymore, in particular, seemed to have it incredibly tough. But there’s just too much ground for a feature-length film to cover. This is all on top of Demi’s own catharthic confrontation with her past, which she hashes out with her friends and family. As a result, it feels like the film is merely scratching the surface of the important issues it brings up.
Genre: Documentary
Actor: Alyson Stoner, Ariana Grande, Chris Columbus, Christina Ricci, Dallas Lovato, Daniel Radcliffe, Demi Lovato, Drew Barrymore, Ellen DeGeneres, Emma Watson, Hilary Duff, Jackie Coogan, JoJo Siwa, Kenan Thompson, Macaulay Culkin, Madison De La Garza, Miley Cyrus, Oprah Winfrey, Raven-Symoné, Rupert Grint, Selena Gomez, Shirley Temple, Zendaya
Director: Demi Lovato, Nicola B. Marsh
Rating: R
