Jono McLeod takes a trip back to his high school years in the documentary film My Old School, but it’s not about him. Featuring Alan Cumming as a performer, the live-action/animated documentary relives a scandal that not only rocked Jono’s school but became a media sensation throughout Scottland. My Old School premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
(Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Tommy Ga-Ken Wan)
In 1993, a student named Brandon Lee enrolled at Bearsden Academy with an incredible yet sad story. He had been homeschooled on the road with his opera singing mother in Canada, who passed away unexpectedly, forcing him to move in with his grandmother in Bearsden. Extremely bright and charismatic, Brandon becomes a unifier for students at the school and a favorite pupil amongst the teachers… until the truth was revealed.
Yes, this is a documentary about a lie. In the prologue, viewers are told that a film based on the scandal was announced in the 90s, with Alan Cumming set to star as Brandon Lee. The project didn’t make it to the screen, but Alan Cumming gets a second chance to bring the story to life. With the real “Brandon Lee” (it’s an alias) unwilling to appear on screen, Alan Cumming becomes the face of the man behind the story, lip-syncing to his audio interview. It’s a poignant parallel with the real deception that was played by the persona he portrays.
With few photos or video recordings to fill in the blanks, Animation becomes a key part of the feature, recreating anecdotes from Jono’s classmates. The animation style changes depending on the decade it's set in, paying homage to MTV’s Daria during the 90s segments. When the narrative shifts to what really happened, the story gets thrown back to the 70s and the animation style and colors are reminiscent of the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons.
Whether you know the story or not, My Old School is a joy to watch. Between a web of lies and tricks of memory, the narration misleads viewers in the same way the documentary subjects were deceived. But just as we find out the true story, Jono clues his former classmates into what really happened. Their reactions are priceless. In many ways, the film feels like a joyous class reunion that centers around a scandal, albeit a relatively harmless one.
The film also takes a look at the ripple effect of the catfish that went to Bearsden Academy. With who they thought was Brandon Lee ultimately uniting students and befriending underdogs, the interviewed subjects talk about how knowing him changed the course of their lives. In that regard, My Old School has a lot of depth and subtext than what lies on the surface.
I give My Old School 4 out of 5 stars.