My Old School (2022 film)

My Old School is a 2022 documentary directed by Jono McLeod on the subject of the Brandon Lee scandal.

In 1995, it was discovered that "Brandon Lee"—who had a year earlier enrolled as a fifth-year student at Bearsden Academy secondary school in Bearsden, Scotland—had actually been a 32-year-old former student, Brian MacKinnon, posing as a 16-year-old.

[1] My Old School tells the story of MacKinnon's time at Bearsden and subsequent outing and media coverage in chronological order.

One expresses surprise that he has the same enrolment name as Bruce Lee's recently deceased son, Brandon.

A black pupil describes experiencing racism and violence at school but 'Brandon' was friends with him and helped him with homework.

Interviews were conducted on sets designed to resemble the classrooms of Bearsden (the actual schoolhouse having been demolished years earlier).

[2] The visual style of these cartoon sequences has been compared by a number of commentators to the animated sitcom Daria, which aired on MTV between 1997 and 2002.

[2] There is a discussion of the school production of South Pacific, where he played Lieutenant Cable, ironically shown singing "Younger Than Springtime".

His mother (an opera singer) is already dead when a call comes to school to tell him that his father has now died.

The film concludes by saying that MacKinnon continues to apply for a place at medical school and cuts a sad figure in town.

The former pupils are shown in their real-life adult jobs, or with their children, looking happy and engaged with the future rather than the past.

It is suggested that MacKinnon may have decided to try again and may have undergone cosmetic surgery to alter his appearance.

Before its premiere, My Old School was picked up for worldwide release by Dogwoof, a British film distributor specializing in documentaries.

[7] It was picked up by distributor Magnolia Pictures for a 22 July North American release.