Lily Topples the World
By Polly Conway, Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Inspiring docu about talented, ambitious domino star.
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Lily Topples the World
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Based on 2 parent reviews
Lily Hevesh is an inspiration
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What's the Story?
Lily Hevesh (aka Hevesh5) has been creating domino art since she was 9, and now is the only professional female domino artist in a mostly male-dominated community. LILY TOPPLES THE WORLD follows her journey as she chooses to leave college and take her hobby into the professional realm. At 22, she's already created art for Will Smith and Katy Perry, and appears on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Viewers get to see some of her incredible creations: large-scale Rube Goldberg-type domino runs that she films and shares on YouTube, where she's a very popular creator. The film then pivots to Lily's history -- she was adopted by the Hevesh family from China and brought up in New Hampshire. Lily was left on a doorstep as an infant, and as a young kid was deeply affected by her abandonment, according to her mom. The documentary also explores whether this young artist achieve her dream -- to get her own set of super-quality dominos into stores?
Is It Any Good?
This inspirational documentary is an outstanding example of perseverance and integrity. For such a young person, Lily Hevesh knows who she is and what she wants, and it's a joy to watch her succeed over and over again. She also shows the incomparable joy of sharing a passion with others; humble and generous with her skills, we see her talking to fans at Vidcon and offering her knowledge happily. She now advises others to stick with their weird hobbies, take chances, and be themselves -- she's learned from experience that the payoff is huge. The doc is also a commentary on the state of social media, specifically what it means to be "YouTube famous" and what video media means to the current generation. Lily's painstaking creations are mesmerizing enough to watch for hours on end, but the film's real depth comes from the unstoppable woman herself -- she almost makes it look easy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about patience and perseverance. How long do you think Lily's creations take to make? What do you think she does when something goes wrong? How does perseverance help her succeed?
What do you think life is like for YouTube stars? How does Lily manage her fame and her fans' expectations of her?
Lily was adopted from China by a White family and says that being the only Asian American person in her community growing up affected her deeply. How do you think this experience has shaped her life? Why is diverse representation important, both in life and in the media?
Over the course of the documentary, Lily learns that being true to herself and her unusual dreams pays off. Have you ever had a similar experience?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: August 26, 2021
- Cast: Jimmy Fallon
- Director: Jeremy Workman
- Studio: Discovery+
- Genre: Documentary
- Topics: Great Girl Role Models
- Character Strengths: Courage , Perseverance
- Run time: 90 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: July 1, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
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