Age of The Nerd
Soleil Moon Frye has been a staple on our television screens for the last thirty years plus years. The young actress would steal American hearts as Punky Brewster, which aired on NBC from 1984 to 1986. The show would spawn a cartoon called It’s Punky Brewster and aired right around the same time as Punky Brewster stardom.
You might ask yourself or your friends, whatever happened to that girl that played Punky Brewster? Well, Punky Brewster herself has all those answers and much more in the film Kid 90, which she also directed.
My wife and I sat down a week ago and watched Kid A. I was instantly hooked in on the film because I recognized an Eddie Vedder song during the opening. Not only does Soleil have great taste in music, but she was also a little J. Edgar Hoover because she filmed and documented her life for years and years.
Kid 90 takes an insider look into Soleil’s life as she grows up in Hollywood surrounded by many famous faces. The ups and downs of teenage life and then adult life was very nostalgic but sad. Many of her childhood friends sadly took their own lives. I never knew she was so close to Jonathan Brandis. I was a massive fan of Brandis’s growing up and sad that he passed away. But he was not the only one, a lot of kid actors unfortunately took their own life.
The film was excellent, and I highly recommend it to anyone that was a fan of Punky Brewster or want to see what life is like for a childhood star in Hollywood. Many childhood stars from the 80s and 90s make appearances in the film. Sometimes life is not fair, but Soleil makes it look fun and innocent. It can be very hard for someone to reveal so much of themselves to the public. I look forward to her next film, because Soleil has an eye and heart to tell a good story.
Watch Kid 90 streaming on Hulu. Soleil Moon Frye is also busy with a new take on Punky Brewster, which is streaming on the Peacock Network.
Check out the trailer for Kid A below:
