Country Boys

Country Boys is a 6-hour documentary film centered on Cody Perkins and Chris Johnson, two teenage boys from David, Floyd County, Kentucky. They attended the David School, a non-denominational private high school with a mission to serve underprivileged and struggling students.

The film covers the 3-year period from 1999 to 2002 in which the boys' age ranges from 15 to 18. It was directed by David Sutherland. It was a three-part edition of Frontline on PBS, with each part running for two hours. The film originally aired in January, 2006.

The focus of the film is to portray Cody and Chris' struggles with the problems of growing up in a rural, relatively impoverished environment. In addition to the problems their environment presents, both boys have unique challenges as well. Chris, growing up in a family without strong role models and parents that limit him in a variety of ways, struggles to motivate himself to do well in school and life. Cody deals with how to find acceptance among his peers and reconcile his Christianity with his alternative lifestyle.

The film is set in rural Kentucky. As a result, the film addresses a wide range of topics. Some of these topics include the gun culture, religion, and science (a biology teacher and students at the David School are portrayed dismissing evolution and misinterpreting scientific ideas).

Garry Lee Cody Perkins

Cody was born on the 19th of October, 1983 in Lexington, Ky. When he was 5 months old, his mother killed herself. When he was 12 years old, his father killed Cody's stepmother and then himself. He left his life in the city to live in the country with his step-grandmother, Liz McGuire.

At the time of the filming, he had a girlfriend, Jessica Riddle. Both were born again Christians. At one point Cody wanted to be a preacher. In the documentary he played in a Christian heavy metal band, Seven Rise Up. The film shows Cody getting nipple piercings to add to his many other piercings. Cody graduated valedictorian of his class at the David School.

Post Documentary

Cody and Jessica married on April 10, 2004 and both attended college. Cody graduated from Mayo Technical College in May 2006 and began working as a service technician with an HVAC company. Cody and Jessica divorced in 2006 and Cody has since remarried [1]; he has a stepson and a daughter. The band, Seven Rise Up, is no longer together. The bulk of the band formed Bellor; Cody split from the group but continues to make music under the name Sledgehammer Persuation. Cody continues to believe in God and Jesus but is now skeptical about the Bible and is not associated with organized religions.

Chris Johnson

At the beginning of the documentary, Chris lived with his father, Randall (who could not work because of medical problems related to his drinking), his mother, Sheila, his grandmother (who is rarely shown in the documentary until the very end), his younger brother, Daniel, and his younger sister, Amy. Chris received Supplemental Security Income for disability, related to a behavior disorder that played a role in his ending up at The David School.^[1] The Supplemental Security Income is a prominent element in the documentary as it is a reliable source of income for Chris and his mother. They both worry that he might lose the benefit if he does well in school, is re-evaluated, and they find that he no longer has a behavior disorder. He does not lose it during the documentary, but the supplement ends when he turns 18.

Later on in the documentary his mother moves out (his parents fought regularly) and eventually moves in with a boyfriend and then moves to Florida. Chris worked at various low wage jobs during the documentary, including jobs at Taco Bell and Little Caesars. Near the end of the documentary he passes the exam to receive his GED and graduates from The David School. He attempts to get into college but does poorly on the ACT.

Post Documentary

Chris's father, Randall Johnson, died due to health related issues stemming from alcoholism in 2005. Chris has had various jobs, ranging from fast food to lawn care to working in coal mines. Chris spent some time outside of Kentucky but moved back as he missed his home state. The most recent updates say he still lives in Kentucky with his friend Jay Pritchard.^[1] Unlike Cody, there is no evidence that Chris has an online presence.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Frontline: Country Boys. Chris's Story.". PBS. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/countryboys/chris/cfaqs.html. Retrieved 2009-06-20. 

External links

• Frontline's web page for the film - allows viewing the full documentary, free of charge
• Country Boys at the Internet Movie Database
• Update on Chris in 2006
• Update on Cody in 2006
• New York Times review of Country Boys, 2006
• Cody's MySpace page
• Ray Riddle's MySpace page with sample music