Child actor's life story involved betrayal and violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
some
Coleman was born with a congenital kidney defect that required transplants at ages 5 and 12. The drugs he was given post-operation stunted his growth. As an adult, he lived without kidneys and needed dialysis three times a week. Interviewees accuse people, including Coleman's dad, of bullying him and seeing him as a "meal ticket." Others, including both his parents, are accused of taking advantage of him. As an adult, he suffered depression and threatened suicide more than once. He was arrested after punching an autograph-seeker. He and his wife were said to have had a "tumultuous" if not "toxic" relationship that involved physical altercations and arguments. Coleman died after a fall led to a brain hemorrhage and his wife opted to pull him off life support. She was later accused of murdering him or pulling his life support too soon.
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Two child actors were said to have drug problems later in life; one died of an overdose in her thirties. A recreated scene shows a bottle of Jack Daniels. An incident involving a woman drinking too much is described.
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Coleman's ex-girlfriend, with whom he had an open relationship, says he was never interested in physical intimacy, and Coleman is seen in an interview as an adult confirming he was a virgin with little sex drive. He and his wife are seen kissing on their wedding day.
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The film could inspire viewers to seek out Coleman's shows and films. Clips are shown from a variety of media outlets. Olive Garden, Blockbuster, CashCall.
Diverse Representations
a lot
Coleman found fame as a Black child actor on a popular 1970s-1980s TV series that was among the first to show a "blended" family, although the storyline of a wealthy White man adopting two disadvantaged Black boys was critiqued by some as following a "White savior" trope. The documentary includes a dialogue among characters in the show hoping for a future where the color of one's skin doesn't define how people see or treat them. The message, one actor says, was "love conquers all."
A sense of betrayal is hard to overcome. People need to be able to trust those closest to them. Adults don't always act in the best interests of children. "Moral" action doesn't mean the same as "legal" action. Celebrity is a burden, especially for child actors once they grow up.
Positive Role Models
a little
Coleman was a natural entertainer from a young age and rocketed to fame as a child actor on a TV show that broke stereotypes. He and others questioned whether his parents and manager had misappropriated funds from his earnings. Friends tried to support him as best they could. People suspect his family, employees, and wife of mistreating him. He also had anger issues as well as depression and physical ailments.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that the documentary Gary contains descriptions and footage of a child actor, Gary Coleman, whose life was marked by betrayal, financial difficulties, suicidal thoughts, and an untimely death. The film contains mention of drinking, drugs, overdoses, and sexual inactivity. Swearing includes "s--t," "damned," "ass," "a--hole," and "bitch," and "f--k" is repeatedly bleeped out. Coleman, a Black actor who starred in one of the first primetime TV shows about a "blended" family, was born with a congenital kidney defect that required transplants at ages 5 and 12 and ultimately stunted his growth and required regular dialysis treatments. As an adult, he suffered depression and threatened suicide more than once. He was also arrested at least once for punching an autograph-seeker, and he was said to have had a "toxic" and mutually abusive relationship that involved physical altercations and arguments. He died after a fall led to a brain hemorrhage and his wife opted to pull him off life support, both incidents that elicited suspicion. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Katherine R.Parent of 12, 14, 18+, 18+, 18+ and 5-year-old
August 30, 2024
age 15+
What's the Story?
GARY is the tale of child actor Gary Coleman, whose successful career gave way to an adult life marked by controversy, violence, and disappointment. The documentary interviews his parents and ex-wife, a former girlfriend, best friends, manager, and others to reconstruct both the actor's early life and unexpected success as a child actor on the TV show Diff'rent Strokes as well as the controversies, court cases, suicidal thoughts, stunted career, and untimely death of his adulthood.
Despite some distracting elements in the filming and editing of this documentary, Gary Coleman's life story makes for a fascinating albeit heartbreaking story deserving of attention. Coleman was a person with an enormous innate talent who had a groundbreaking career as a child. This film can remind viewers of that, amidst the sordid headlines and cast of questionable characters it presents.
The biggest problem for viewers of Gary is that very few of the interviewees come across as trustworthy. This underscores the sense of betrayal the actor by all accounts felt over the course of his life, but it also complicates the reliability of the narrative. Recreations of scenes and artifacts, and suspenseful music (including the sounds of a heartbeat during discussion of his death) in the background don't help with authenticity. It's also a dubious technique to edit in clips of sources looking shifty between questions when someone else accuses them of something.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the life story of Gary Coleman, as presented in Gary. Where there aspects of his story you felt might have been missing in this documentary?
A childhood friend of Gary's suggests "celebrity is a burden" and Coleman's life story is a "cautionary tale." What does he mean by these statements? What evidence in the documentary supports these ideas?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
