I love this movie so much

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

I had a tough time watching the scene where the camera is on Steve James as Tonya tells him that at least something good came of all this, that at least a film was made about Stevie. I didn't like how long they allowed the camera to catch Steve's emotional reaction and it seemed a little too obvious...like the scene in Broadcast News where William Hurt whips up some tears to show on camera. I don't like that kind of manipulation. However, that being said, I don't mean to imply that Steven James wasn't sincere in his reaction; it was his editing choice that seems insincere.It's a complicated film. Just like Stevie the person, there are no easy answers; unlike Stevie the person, life is not simply black and white. I do think the title reflects many things: the subject as he is now, the director's memory of Stevie the little boy, and the director himself. I don't believe that Stevie was exploited, but there is something in the intention of the film that is unsettling. And I think that unsettling feeling is an okay thing to have. If I taught a film class, this is a film I would definitely want to use to explore the nature of point of view, the ethics of documentary film-making, and the nature of simply being human.I adored Tonya's friend in Chicago. Tonya, her friend, and Wanda reflect the very best about people and shatter easy stereotypes. These are all smart, independent, warm, thoughtful women, which is just wonderful to see in a documentary film.

I don't think you can blame Steve James for a very honest and open portrayal of a sick and wasted life.The real culprit is obviously the mother, not Steve James. Documentaries are not supposed to opine or edit necessarily, but tell the facts. I think this movie does this in a very honest fashion. Don't feel sorry for Stevie. When he gets out he will offend again, it's just a matter of time. Thank God we have sex offender registry laws today that will track him and send him back to prison. It's a little too long, but still held my attention. Anyone who has seen Hoop Dreams knows that Steve James' movies are way too long anyway.

I really can't decide if Steve James is one of many I had met when I lived in Carbondale who came down from Chicago and viewed locals as stupid inbred hicks ripe for exploiting.If all of Rural Southern IL could fit into Chicago this would not happen as much.Jackson Co DCFS does have some major problems and this case cannot be found among the JUDCI records on the Jackson county court records website.I don't think James would have made this movie about a troubled Chicago area "Little Brother" because it just wouldn't be as interesting.I don't know why so many people come down to So IL for college when they have several great schools in northern IL.I think it's less of a challenge when someone migrates to an area where they are higher on the food chain and can make a profit from the misery of others who have no control over the geographical location in which they were born.I really can't tell if the scene where Steve James is Crying is Real or Technique..

This film is about a kid named Stevie from rural southern Illinois who was abused, neglected, and bounced around between various homes as a child. As an adult, he acts as we might predict: he is unstable, has a skewed moral compass, is child-like, and commits serious crimes. The filmmaker was a mentor to Stevie while at college and returns to catch up with him years later. He finds out that Stevie has been indicted with a serious crime and faces a long prison sentence. He uses this film as a way to investigate the root causes of Stevie's current behavior and to alleviate some guilt about not 'being there' for Stevie - after college, he moved to Chicago and didn't have contact with Stevie for many years. This film is a discussion-starter and brings up many questions about how children are raised and how a child's upbringing will affect his/her life. The editing job is mediocre and I think the film starts to get long-winded and boring toward the middle. Also, I can't help but feel that the director's somewhat warped, voyeuristic vision of what the film is or what it will do is ethically questionable. However, the film is honest and straight-forward and will elicit good discussion afterwards, even if you do end up pretty depressed. 6 out of 10