My Kid Could Paint That

     A specific scene that really moved me was when Marla's Mom was discussing how her husband, Marla's father, loved the attention his daughter was getting and how he saw no negatives. She disagreed with him on this issue, and often questioned her decision to make Marla such a public figure. This scene perplexed me, because I can see both sides of the issue. On one hand, the exposure and money Marla was generating could pay for Marla's, and possibly her younger brother's, future in a way that the family wouldn't be able to supply without the additional income. On the other hand, Marla is seen numerous times throughout the documentary, seeming uncomfortable in her public appearances. She also is a minor and therefore cannot consent to the interviews, news coverage, or even this documentary. The documentary itself brings this issue to the forefront by covering the belief held by some that Marla's parents were fabricating her paintings and using her as a way to sell them. This question is left open ended, with attempts made by the family to prove Marla's paintings are hers, but nothing that eliminates the doubt of the videographer. Overall, the question, does Marla want to be in the spotlight, or is this something her parents are pushing, isn't answered by the documentary. 

    Something that surprised me was a moment in the documentary when the videographer has spent the morning with the family, and watches as Marla paints. Before this scene, the documentary shows the family on 60 minutes. The show's crew set up a camera to watch Marla as she paints. By the end, it zooms out to show a painting that looks like any four-year old's artwork, and nothing like Marla's past work. The show then accuses the family of altering Marla's paintings. This outrages the family, leading them to allow the documentary's creator to sit in on a painting session with Marla. This moment is set up to prove the parents don't interfere with Marla's paintings in any way. It's framed up so viewers only hear the father and Marla discussing her painting. She finally finishes, tells her dad she is finished, and when the camera pans over? The painting looks nothing like Marla's normal paintings. As a viewer, I was astonished. I completely believed Marla had been painting her own work, and while the documentary didn't disprove the parents, at that moment I lost all trust in them. I think I was so shocked because up until that point, there was so much footage of Marla painting on these beautiful cavasses, and the parents seemed to have nothing but good intentions.

    I have many questions after finishing the documentary. The most obvious being: Did Marla's parents fabricate her paintings? The documentary poses both sides of this question, but ultimately doesn't make any conclusions. Another question I have after finishing the documentary is, how does Marla feel about her experiences now that she is older? Finally, I wondered about how Marla felt during her moment of fame. The feeling that has stuck with me having finished the documentary is sadness. I feel sad that Marla had to experience fame when she was so young, and I feel especially sad that she and her family experienced the controversy that they did. Marla's mother seemed to come to the same conclusion I have at the end of the documentary, where she questions her decision to put Marla in the spotlight in the first place. 

    We might avoid putting research in our summaries because we don't want to extend beyond what the documentary is trying to convey. If we add our own research, it's possible we could discuss topics that the documentary doesn't explore. We could also have errors in our research that, when added into the summary, are discrepancies with the information in the documentary.