FROM 1953 TO 2006…

by Joanna Lipper

The original film took place in a nostalgic world—--which characterized a certain idyllic perspective that in some ways was one of the defining aesthetics of the 1950’s before feminism, desegregation, Vietnam and the free love era of the 1960’s came and irrevocably changed America, shattering the illusion perpetuated in shows like “Leave it to Beaver” and in Norman Rockwell’s paintings—the illusion of the pristine, economically-secure nuclear family and its innocent children portrayed as emblematic cornerstones of American society, masking all the turmoil that was bubbling just beneath the surface.

Despite a veneer of innocence, the original film hinted at some darkness—the unexplained absence of a father figure in the household, the presence of a gun that was accessible to children, the risk of the kids being left home alone, unsupervised, Lenny’s seething rage and resentment directed towards his little brother, and his own capacity for cruelty… and then there was also the story of Coney Island and its evolution.

These elements were developed in the remake.

Morris Engel died of cancer, leaving me with so many vibrant memories of his stories, his enthusiasm and his encouragement. I will always be extremely grateful that Morris took a leap of faith and gave me the chance to use his gem as an inspiration to create something new, a work that can open up a valuable dialogue about so many significant questions and themes that shed light on the plights of children at risk, on the process and history of independent filmmaking, and on the passing of the baton from one generation to another.

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