MINDING THE GAP

Skateboarding offers an escape from the confines of family life, perhaps even from Rockford, a city in decline. But eluding life and responsibility is not so easy after all, as a group of boys on the cusp of manhood must learn. Documentary filmmaker Bing Liu is one of them. He observes his friends and himself and their families while marveling at his friends' skateboarding skills. The result is a film that tells of finding oneself and of eluding that self again and again in a rush of speed on four rollers.