- Network: HBO
- Series Premiere Date: Jul 14, 2020
Critic Reviews
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There are few darker corners in the entertainment industry than the history of child stars, a subject explored with candor and nuance in "Showbiz Kids," an excellent HBO documentary directed by Alex Winter, a one-time child actor himself, punctuated by the voices of those who have lived the experience.
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A thoughtful and fresh take on the subject, thanks in large part to extensive interviews with former child stars such as Wil Wheaton, Milla Jovovich, Evan Rachel Wood, Henry Thomas, Todd Bridges and Mara Wilson.
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A rambunctious and revealing documentary.
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It’s tough to highlight who’s the best interview — Wheaton, Bridges, Jovovich, Thomas, Wood and Wilson are all insightful and forthcoming. ... We should all know by now that Hollywood glamour is a phony facade. Showbiz Kids digs deeper into that truism, Winter piecing together a collage of stories adding up to one big cautionary tale.
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It's a story that we've seen play out with young celebrities like River Phoenix, Corey Haim, Dana Plato, and others who succumbed to stardom in tragic ways. And while Showbiz Kids does spend some time on these extreme cases, it's the stories of those who survived and recount the day-to-day life of a child star that are the most fascinating.
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Winters hits the bases but doesn’t necessarily come all the way home. In “Showbiz Kids” there are enough storylines to fill a stadium.