Despite the publicity surrounding the syphilis outbreak, including community meetings, most teenagers in Rockdale County have never heard of it, the Goodmans conclude. It's probably too much to hope for, but their film deserves that kind of national attention. Tonight's chilling 'Frontline' presentation centers on the binge decadence of suburban high school kids outside Atlanta. Careerist parents work long hours to provide kids with material wealth, but give up on giving the contact and structure they need. But it also underscores the documentary's weakness.
Teens here are either sex-mad or devoutly Christian virgins.
How the forces of these extremes affect those in the vast, confusing middle is left mostly unexplored. The Lost Children of Rockdale County' demonstrates just how rare that would be. But the kids on camera, some of whom were in high school during the publicized syphilis outbreak and another, younger cohort, aren't especially revealing. They talk blandly about their risky behavior but rarely in forthcoming detail or with any depth of insight. One popular girl says that sex isn't pleasurable, just an expected aspect of socializing.