Rich Kids Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Rich Kids Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 15, 2016

Robert Young's "Rich Kids" (1979) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Olive Films. There are no supplemental features on the disc. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The kids

They live in an area of Manhattan where life seems to have an unusual rhythm. Some couples easily adjust to it and then forget about it, but some struggle and eventually give up. When it happens, they part ways and then try to find happiness with a different partner.

12-year-old Franny (Trini Alvarado, Little Women) has discovered that her father (John Lithgow, Cliffhanger) and mother (Kathryn Walker, Neighbors) have given up and are planning to get divorced. They have been trying to fool her -- by pretending that her father is still living with them but is so busy that he can see her only early in the morning, after he quietly sneaks into their apartment -- but she knows that they both have been spending more time with their lovers. She also knows that they are fear that she won’t be able to recover if they tell her the truth.

A few years ago Franny might have panicked, but not now. She knows exactly what her parents are going through and even agrees with some of their choices. Maybe if they are both happier with their new relationships one day the three of them can become close again.

The only person that understands exactly how Franny feels is Jamie (Jeremy Levy), her new friend from school, who is in a similar predicament. His father is a wealthy playboy who routinely meets single women with big ambitions who think that he is too young to understand why they find him attractive. Jamie likes to grade them, just like his teacher grades his home assignments.

When Franny and Jamie decide to have a secret sleepover at Jamie’s place while his father is away, they abruptly force their parents out of their comfort zones. In the ensuing chaos, the adults lose their cool and while blaming each other make a series of odd discoveries that reshape their relationships.

Directed by Robert Young and executive produced by the great Robert Altman, Rich Kids is a light but refreshingly honest film about the common lack of trust between kids and adults and the many awkward games they play that tend to complicate their lives. A lot of its points are delivered with a healthy dose of laughs, but there is also a genuine (and serious) desire to understand some of the major issues and flaws that affect their relationships.

The script relies on a series of excellent contrasts -- once the lies of the parents are exposed, the roles are basically reversed and the kids begin acting like the adults should have from the very beginning -- that reveal the weaknesses of the relationships and the dilemmas they are responsible for. There are no major surprises here, but a lot of the discussions are wonderfully scripted and acted.

Alvarado and Levy are delightful together. There are a couple of risky scenes that could have been quite problematic, but the young actors look very relaxed and natural. Lithgow and Walker are also convincing as the dysfunctional parents who can’t quite figure out how to get out of the mess they have intentionally created.

Director Young worked with Oscar nominated cinematographer Ralf Bode (Saturday Night Fever) whose fluid camera movement feels perfect for this film.

Rich Kids Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Robert Young's Rich Kids arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.

The transfer isn't recent, but it is a very good one. Indeed, even when light is restricted the majority of the close-ups boast very nice depth. Shadow definition could be better, but the overall balance is very good. Contrast levels are stable and convincing. Colors are stable and healthy. Some nuances can be expanded, but there is actually a pretty decent range already. There are no traces of problematic degraining or sharpening adjustments. Image stability is very good. A few tiny flecks can be spotted here and there, but there are no massive cuts, damage marks, debris, stains, or warped frames to report in our review. Ultimately, there is some room for cosmetic improvements, but the majority of the basics here are quite strong. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Rich Kids Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

There are a couple of sequences where Craig Doerge's soundtrack makes its presence felt, but it does not have a crucial role. The intended atmosphere is enhanced by specific lighting and lensing choices, exchanges, and even the attitudes of the main protagonists. There are no audio dropouts, distracting background hiss, or digital distortions to report in our review.

Rich Kids Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Most unfortunately, there are no supplemental features to be found on this Blu-ray release.

Rich Kids Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is not surprising to see that Robert Young's Rich Kids was executive produced by Robert Altman. It is very witty and entertaining and it has the type of atmosphere many of Mr. Altman's films are known for. Olive Films' technical presentation of Rich Kids is very good. However, this Blu-ray release would have been even easier to recommend if there was a nice selection of new supplemental features. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.