My Kid Could Paint That (DVD, 2008)

The prevailing question is "What is Art?". For all the times you have looked at a red circle in the middle of a blank canvas and thought (quietly), so what?, this is the movie for you. Young Marla Olmstead is an 8-year old who, at the age of 4 attracted international attention, acclaim and ultimately harsh scrutiny for her incredibly sophisticated "abstract" paintings. A "60 Minutes" segment on young Marla cited art and psychology observers who saw nothing different in Marla or her painting than in any other 4-year old child. However, interest in her paintings continues (as of the time of this documentary she had sold works for a total in excess of $300k). The movie never fully resolves the questions of fraud or at least of undue influence. There is evidence to indicate that Marla is "prodded" on occasion and that there is more of an agenda here (particularly between the father and the Binghamton art dealer who both seem a bit slippery), but we are left to judge for ourselves. Perhaps more importantly is the degree to which parents will exploit their child and expose her to the often harsh light of media and press coverage even if rationalized by college funds and future security. One note. No one seems to pick up on a small segment in which Marla is telling her dad that she didn't paint all the paintings in the exhibit to which they are going -- Her brother, Zane, painted the "green one".....