Michael Apted’s brilliant documentary series has checked in with the same group of people every seven years since they were seven. As the title suggests, this installment is the third in the series. Now as young adults, some of the subjects have stronger opinions about the way they are portrayed in the previous two films. Some have stayed the same, while others have taken surprising turns. Being older, the young men and women begin to comment on the others, as well as their pasts.

In the first film, John, Charles and Andrew were attending the same lavish pre-preparatory school. John and Andrew have gone onto the same colleges they said they would attend at seven. However, John, the most conservative of the group, points out that the films make it seem like they’ve had it easy, underplaying the hard work that went into how they got where they are today. Charles didn’t make it into Oxford as he planned at seven, but rather enjoys avoiding the pre-prep to Oxford conveyor belt. Since the first film, both Charles and Andrew’s parents divorced. While Andrew seems reconciled to the split, Charles seems to struggle with how it really has affected him. When asked about their opportunities in life, John believes it’s his duty to give back to England, which has given him so much. Charles agrees, but adds that they have no more opportunities than any of the others in the series.

Charles specifically references the three girls, Jackie, Lynn and Sue, who came from working class families. Jackie and Lynn are now married. Jackie works at a bank and Lynn works as a librarian. Jackie is as outspoken and independent as she was at seven, while Lynn is more reserved. Sue is still close to Jackie and doesn’t know what to think about marriage. When it comes to opportunities, Tony, who grew up in the East End of London, makes his own opportunities. At seven he said he wanted to be a jockey, and by 14, he seemed to be on his way. Now at 21, he has retired after only three races, reconciling himself to the fact that he didn’t have what it took. Now he’s working at the dog tracks, working at getting his cabbie license, which was the same fall back job he had when he was seven.

Simon and Paul went to the same charity boarding school when they were seven. By 14, Paul had moved to Australia and now 21, he is a bricklayer and has a girlfriend. He comes off far more confident then he did in the previous editions. Simon, the only mixed race subject, now works at a meat packing plant. He seems content, but believes that when he gets the spark he could learn a trade. He talks openly about his mother’s bouts with depression and how it affected him, driving him to want to be strong for her. Paul comes back to England to walk the halls of the boarding school to reminisce with Simon.

Nick was raised on a farm where he didn’t have many children his age to play with. He came off painfully shy at 14, but has grown into an opinionated and handsome man at 21. Following his love of science, he is studying nuclear physics at Oxford. Suzy, who came from a wealthy family, seemed to have a growing indifference by 14. At 21, she has dropped out of school and travels the globe. She seems discontent with her life, striving to find something better elsewhere. When asked about her parents’ divorce, she clearly states that when people don’t get along anymore they should split up. Bruce also came from wealth, wanting to be a missionary at seven, but dropping the idea by 14. Now at 21, he seems concerned about how people view his socialist and religious beliefs. When asked about sex, he says that a couple must go into it knowing what the other wants, because if one person wants casual sex and the other is looking for love, the relationship can end painfully.

Attending the same suburban school at seven, Peter and Neil have taken two different paths in life. Peter lives with a couple of flat mates and is about to graduate from college. He doesn’t seem like school is his top priority and doesn’t have any real plans for what he will do after school. Neil is the most surprising of all. At seven, he seemed full of hope, but by 14 his spirit seemed dampened. At 21, he has been homeless, having dropped out of college soon after starting. Now living as a squatter, he works odd jobs when he can get them. He talks about having a sheltered, religious upbringing that didn’t prepare him for the realities of life. When asked about what he wants in the future, he says just to be able to wake up and have something to live for.

As one watches the next episode of this series, one begins to gain the feeling of familiarity. These are people we know and each installment is like a reunion of old friends. Knowing details of the subsequent films, I know this is the last to feature all the original subjects. Only three will appear in all the films, some will drop out and come back later. It’s surprising to see how these people change and grow over time, but even more surprising is to see the same seven year old in the eyes of someone older.

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