Trainspotting VS Skins

Trainspotting is a Danny Boyle film made in 1996 about a group of drug addicts living in Edinburgh in the 1980s. The film shows the gang going through life, trying to beat their addiction and moving on. Renton (McGregor) is the main character throughout who is represented at first as a young drugged up adult who is unable to change his ways and beat his addiction. We see him try countless times to quit, but always returns to heroin. His parents are first shown as relaxed parents not really taken an interest in what Renton does which is highlighted in the pub scene where they celebrate him not being sent to jail, this shows that they are glad he has got away with it, however do not show any punishment for him getting into trouble in the first place. However when he needs to quit the drugs his parents are the only ones who lock him in his room so that he successfully goes ‘cold turkey’ which shows that they love him and will do what they can to help him, showing that he is an independent young adult but his parents are always there when he needs them. This is also identified with Diane’s parents who allow their underage daughter to smoke, sleep with older men and go out clubbing. Skins is a popular teenage drama which started in 2007. The show follows the lives of a group of teenagers at college as they cope with school work, social pressures and self identity.  Through all 5 series, the show as touched on many different issues and character such as drugs, sex, homosexuality and illnesses.  They also introduce character by letting them have an episode each which allowed the audience to get closer to the characters. The differences between Trainspotting and skins are mainly the fashion and attitudes. Throughout Trainspotting, they mainly where plan t-shirts and skinny jeans which represent the fashion during that time and also the stereotype of drug addicts who don’t particularly care about how they look. This contrasts with Skins where the fashion does tell the audience a lot about the character they are for example Maxxie from the first series wears bright colours, low cut tops etc which shows that he is comfortable and confident and also likes to make himself look nice. The attitudes have changed because Skins does cover more ground because it is an ongoing show, whereas Trainspotting only focus on drugs and how they affect the male’s lives. The similarities are the issues of drugs, sex and friendship which are represented through situations the characters are put in. They both revolve around a group of friends who each how their own personality to contribute which is something that easy to relate to in any time period whether it is 1990s or 2011.