In 1964 Michael Apted made a documentary for ITV called 7-up. They interviewed a dozen seven year olds. It was cute. Then 7 years later they went back to the same kids for 14-up, then 21-up... we are now at 49-up. The lives unrolling. It is awesome stuff. It is awesome to see time fulfilling and destroying the lives of these people, who are of the same generation as my partner H. It is awesome to see what is transient and what endures. It is chilling to see them weakening and aging.
Noticeably none of the 12 have taken my journey from one class to another. Because many of my friends and all my relations have taken this journey it is easy for me to overestimate how many people in the country as a whole have made it. The nearest is the boy who wanted to be an astronaut - his name is Neil - he tried to make it and fell, and for that reason I find his story heart-breaking.
Here is Roger Ebert's review of 42-up. He comments 'I have seen them all since 14 Up, and every seven years the series measures out my own life, too. It is impossible to see the films without asking yourself the same questions--without remembering yourself as a child and as a teenager, and evaluating the progress of your life.' Yes.