Child Star

Coming into it you expect to hear inside stories and raw emotions from former child stars. Unfortunately you get one child stars story and slightly cooked emotions with the same old stories that we have heard before form Demi. I feel like I barely know the other child stars featured in this documentary, which for something that claimed to show what child stardom is really like and how it affects people later on in life, it doesn't really feel like I got any of that. Christina Ricci, Drew Barrymore, Kenan Thompson, Raven Symone are all amazing actors and whom I wish I got more in depth interviews from. We know Demi's story. Let's hear from some other people. I also didn't learn much of past child stars like Judy Garland or Shirley Temple. The documentary tried to cover over 100 years of child stardom by including current child star JoJo Siwa and the current fascination of YouTube Kids. I didn't really get the meaning or theme behind this documentary. Needed more refinement and a better vision statement.

I was impressed first off with the range of child stars she was able to talk to that have had success after child stardom and were a variety of ages. To be honest I don't think there is any revelations that you will learn from this documentary that you wouldn't already know if you follow the lives that many child actors have had. With the names they were able to get I guess I just wish there was a bit more substance. One thing I wish these documentaries would cover more is the internet side of exploitation with people using children however I think that will have to wait till the children now are older. One thing I did find a bit interesting was seeing Scooter Braun was a producer given the ages of people he has signed and their own issues with fame. Also, why is Keenan wearing sunglasses the entire time, there was absolutely no sun in that diner. I think if you are interested in how child acting can affect the kids this is an okay watch.

This is one show that canvasses the importance of mental health and its effects on child stars from the 1980s to today's rising YouTube sensations. Lovato's compassionate conveyance of such sensitive information is profound and features several A-list stars who faced the same struggles she, very publicly, has faced while working in the entertainment industry. This documentary is relevant for a wide range of demographics, from legal experts and healthcare workers to alcoholics and kids from the 80s, 90s, and today. This film encompasses how, for some celebrities, achieving fame is a miraculous dream and a hellacious nightmare for others.

"Child Star" is a documentary featuring Demi Lovato. It ostensibly is about the damage that occurs to child stars...on TV, in movies and on the internet. However, at times it seems more about Lovato in particular and a few of her friends and not the broader topic of child exploitation.

If you are looking for an exposee which shows the damage done to child actors by their parents and movie/TV studios, you can do MUCH better than this one. While the documentary talks about SOME of the issues concerning the exploitation of kids in the media, it also seems like it's very careful to excuse the studios and parents. Well, if they aren't to blame for the exploitation....why is?? And, it doesn't surprise me that the film is distributed by Disney...a corporation with a VERY bad history of child stars who run off the rails.

The film also seems to be leaving out a LOT in regard to Lovato. While it talks about her recent projects and SOME of her difficulties, it all feels very sanitized and leaves out some very important questions...such as about her parents' involvement in creating some of these problems. The father is never mentioned and her mother is pretty much given a pass. Overall, a mildly interesting film but one that manages to miss the mark.

There was too many people in this short time to get into anything other than surface level, this should have been a series with one child star per episode. Hour long for each person, details of struggles and lack of support in The industry and how they coped and got to survive today, so disappointing.

Think it is commendable though to be at least approaching these topics and having Demi as the lead made sense.

Please can someone try this again with more grit. Alyson has so much to her history and we heard hardly any of it just that her and Demi half got on half didn't but understood each other...