My Kid Could Paint That, a documentary by filmmaker Amir Bar-Lev, chronicles a year in the life of young Marla Olmstead, a four-year-old painter who at the time, had taken the art world by storm. Initially, as we learn from the film, Marla painted for fun and a friend of her parents, Mark and Laura Olmstead, asked if he could hang Marla's art in his coffee shop as more of a joke than anything else. When people starting inquiring about the art and actually purchasing it, then things started getting a little crazy. Eventually, when it was revealed that these abstract works of art were done at the hands of a four-year-old little girl, collectors really went nuts. Anthony Brunelli, a local artist and gallery owner, really took an interest in Marla and started displaying her works in his gallery. Elizabeth Cohen, a local newspaper writer who specialized in family pieces, was contacted about doing an article and soon she became involved. Marla's mother, Laura, seemed to want to shield her child from the fame and notoriety that came with her "discovery" and her father, an aspiring artist himself, seemed to really enjoy his child's moment in the spotlight, what with the documentary that Bar-Lev was shooting and all of the major news shows calling for interviews.

It wasn't until a 60 Minutes profile aired in 2005 that things started tumbling down. As we watch Marla's parents viewing the show, what they thought was going to be a positive piece turns things into a tailspin when doubt is cast onto whether Marla created the works by herself. The woman in the profile, an art expert of some sort, says that the paintings have too much polish and thinks perhaps Marla had a little help, or at the very least, some direction from Dad. However, both parents are completely adamant that Marla does everything by herself with no help whatsoever. Never mind that we are talking about huge canvases that she has to climb around to get to as they are laying on the floor. Some footage reveals Marla tugging on her dad's sleeve and saying something about Zach, her two-year-old brother, doing the "green one," meaning her primarily green painting. Of course, to me, this is even more amazing since he is half her young age, but still.

The parents maintain that Marla acts differently in front of the camera than she does when painting alone. I can totally see this as being the case. Children are natural clowns. When on camera, she asks her father for direction on what to paint and even asks him to paint on the piece. He is visibly embarrassed and unnerved at this.

I think the whole situation is somewhat sad. Yes, the parents and Marla have made hundreds of thousands of dollars and Marla, at least, is set for life. I think this is terrific. I also think she is an incredibly talented little girl with an amazing gift for creativity in painting. But when the paintings are lined up, some definitely look different than others. Some look like they came straight from the mind of a young child and others don't. "Ocean", for instance, is one that the parents filmed from start to finish and you can view that video or at least parts of it on Marla's website, listed below. But I ask you to consider this - do we fault singers and artists for honing their craft by taking some lessons to better themselves? Of course not! If Dad was giving Marla some direction, so be it. She's still an artistic genius in my book and I don't see any harm in that. If that were the case, it certainly would have been wiser to simply say that, however.

One thing that I couldn't help noticing was the parents' body language towards the end of the film, when they are speaking to Bar-Lev about his doubts of Marla. Laura is clearly uncomfortable and even says she will submit to a polygraph. She is visibly distraught. She and Mark lean in opposite directions on the couch and when he reaches to hold her hand, she pulls it away. Maybe somewhere deep inside, she too believes Mark may have helped a bit. Who knows? What is sad is what this family went through trying to clear their name.

My Kid Could Paint That is a really objective and fair documentary that vacillates between showing things in a positive and negative light, just as the filmmaker must have felt during the year of shooting. First, intense excitement and amazement, then as seeds of doubt spring up, perhaps a little more negative towards the situation. In the end, he leaves it up to the viewer, as he should. If you heard about Marla Olmstead and were intrigued by her, definitely check this film out. It's very eye-opening and extremely well done, and the featurette, "Back to Binghamton", where Bar-Lev revisits the town and discusses his experiences while shooting were really intriguing. After you've seen the movie, you can visit Marla's website and make your own decision.