Dear FRONTLINE,

This is the best thing I've seen on television lately. Since I grew up in in Kentucky, I was holding my breath, waiting for the painful and humiliating scenes of poverty and ignorance that would surely follow. But instead, an amazingingly sympathetic portrait emerged of two intelligent young men dealing with overwhelming odds of ever succeeding in life.

My favorite scenes always included the music. Ray's singing is very moving, as is the singing of Christmas carols by the choir. I'll be looking for the soundtrack!

ann curtis

Dear FRONTLINE,

Dear Frontline,Country Boys takes me back to 1972 when I was a nursing student from Temple University working for a student project in Whitesburg, Kentucky, deep in stripmining Appalacia. We visited young mothers and their newborn babies in an attempt to offer education and helpful advice. I had never experienced such poverty and extreme living conditions but the wonderful people of Whitesburg insisted that we join them for dinner even though food was a precious commodity. They were loving and kind and gracious to us.

Chris and Cody are living in severe circumstances but each has a resiliance that I recognize from so many years ago. My own college counselor told me to my face that I was not "college material." I went on to attain a Ph.D. That is the power of resiliance. My own Philadelphia high school is documented in the 1968 Frederick Wiseman classic, "High School." The beauty of the teachers at David School are that they had faith and hopefulness for each student, especially Chris - a document to caring adults.

Thank you for this wonderful documentary (the music is great, too)

Janice Shapiro
San Francisco, CA

Dear FRONTLINE,

An outstanding, gripping, emotion filled account told honestly and with sensitivity. Writing today, Thoreau might have included teenagers like Chris and Cody in his famous quote regarding the lives of 'quiet desperation' led by the'mass of men'.

Congratulations to Itvs, PBS, Frontline and all those involved in the creation of this work. Much thanks, also for correctly redefining 'Reality TV.

Peter Pane
Brooklyn, NY

Dear FRONTLINE,

I can't believe how much this story has touched me and how much it parallels my own struggles with finishing high school in Oregon. It took me over ten years after that to get my life back on track, and I hope the boys continue their education and not waste as much time as I did. They are so passionate and strong, and struggle with so much. At least they have faith in God: that goes far in a world where chaos reigns and uncertainty is certain. Kudos to Chris and Cody. We are all rooting for you both! I can't wait for tomorrow's episode three...

Robin C
sacramento, ca

Dear FRONTLINE,

AWESOME show! It was so touching.

Ray Riddle should record an album, he sounds amazing and sings from the heart. This show shows how important education and the residing environment of a person has on one's success. I do beleive one has to fight with determination and all it's being to be succesful when life gives lemons and he shall have what he wants with Gods help.

Adrian Lewis
Galveston, TEXAS

FRONTLINE's editors respond:

Read more about Ray Riddle and his music in the Cody section of this web site, under "Frequently Asked Questions."

Dear FRONTLINE,

The choices and the lack of them: coal mining, starting a newspaper or a choir, Jesus, rocking with a Christian heavy metal-grunge-goth band, alcohol, another nebulous schol year, part-time at Taco Bell to support your family. It's amazingly complex for a simple life in rural Appalachia. Inner city problems, let alone suburban angst, seem remarkably dynamic and hopeful, comparatively.

Henry Kumagai
San Francisco, CA

Dear FRONTLINE,

I was struck by the wisdom and fortitude displayed by Ray, Jessica's father. Despite Jessica's wheedling to get her own way, Ray stuck to his principles and insisted on his common sense winning over the argument. Comically, the children comment on how much smarter they think they are than their elders, but in Ray's case, he IS smarter and he DOES know better. I wish I had a father like that looking out for me when I was growing up.

Renate W. Prescott
Mantua, OH

Dear FRONTLINE,

Floyd County will forever be 'home' to me. I grew up there and lived at David for several years, only houses away from the old David School. What Danny Greene has done for The David School and the students who attend/have attended is only minimally portrayed in this outstanding series. He has selflessly and tirelessly worked to provide encouragement and hope to children.

Several people have commented on their dissatisfaction with the portrayal of Floyd County / eastern Kentucky region. I think this documentary is candidly accurate in it's depiction. Although there are areas in eastern Kentucky with nice homes and wealthier residents, the documentary depicts the life of these two extraordinary young men, their surroundings and characterizes them with precise detail. It also focuses on the heart of the people in this area. "Although queer to the outside world, these are my people." I embrace my heritage and hope to someday return to the hills I longed to escape as a young girl.

In response to someone's comment on why all documentaries showing impoverished life has to be set in rural Kentucky...there are many towns across America with similar people and situations. It is the responsibility of people with ties or familiarity with those areas to shed light on them for others across the country to see. This documentary was not made with the narrow-minded thought that this type of life only exists in Kentucky. I'm sure they know it's everywhere across the country. Their vision just happened to be focused on this region.

Alice Hall-Justice
Winchester, Kentucky

Dear FRONTLINE,

I think 'Country Boys' shows the heart, charisma, and culture of a part of the country that many from the east, midwest, and west dismiss as lacking in all of these things.

I was impressed by how people there seem to live so much from the heart, and by those like Cody who literally wears his faith on his sleeve. Many in this discussion seem to point out how little they have financially. I on the other hand can't help but see how much they do have.

Brian Geraghty
Saint Paul, MN

Dear FRONTLINE,

Watching this great documentary, I realized that all the places that I have been in my life, this story could happen in the streets of Camden, New Jersey; an Indian reservation; Oahu, Hawaii, New Orleans, or Paintsville, Kentucky. It shows that as a nation, we feel depressed and hopeless, but when the show ends, we say to ourselves, what can I do? But living in the Appalachian Region, the people of this great region ask for nothing,except that the Lord watches out for them. They are proud, decent people, with a burden of problems on their shoulders. The governments way of dealing with this problem is instead of teaching them, they rather give them SSI and keep them quiet. Its sickening and disgraceful, that this day and age we have poverty all over the U.S. and we keep giving the blind eye to it. Thank You PBS for showing this type of programming and making us look deeper into our lives and reliving the stories of Chris and Cody once again, because we all have a little of both in everyone of us.

Carl Camp
Ironton, Ohio

Dear FRONTLINE,

Thank you Frontline and Mr. Sutherland for the emotions I felt, the insight you gave me to my own attitute of a lack of appreciation for my own childhood and adult life. "Country Boys" is truly should receive all rewards for tv documentry television.!!

I am 57 years old and this film touched my heart, mind and soul.I will keep Cody, Chris and those who touch their lives in my prayers. Sue Chandler

sue chandler
Lexington , Ohio 44904

Dear FRONTLINE,

Some time ago I read Harry Caudill's "Night Comes to the Cumberlands" that movingly chronicled the intractable poverty and environmental depredation of his native Kentucky. Last year marked the 40th anniversary of its publishing, and as "Country Boys" makes painfully evident, little has changed for the people inhabitating what Mr. Caudill termed "America's spoil bank." You have offered America true reality television should we have the guts to face up to it and done so in a profoudly humane and respectful fashion. The hard road these boys have been put on through no fault of their own is a stain on our collective conscience as a nation. God bless you for telling their story and God bless Chris and Cody for their courage and dignity in the face of what no children should be subjected to in a civilized society.

Drew Dunn
Chicago , IL

FRONTLINE's editors respond:

See the Readings section of this web site for background on why poverty persists in Appalachia.

Dear FRONTLINE,

I think we've all know a "Chris" or "Cody" during our tumultous high-school years. They were the outsiders that one never gave much thought to, the ones left out of a "normal" teen's social stratosphere.

This gripping documentary brought home, in a very empathetic light, what their pain must have been like. Mr. Sutherland did a masterful job and letting these teen's open up and show us how the "other" half lives.

Engrossing, gripping, hearbreaking, and of course, uplifting are just a few adjectives I would use to describe this gem of a documentary. I sat, truly mesmerized, through the first episode, glued to the television, by these two teen's charisma and strength of character that shone throughout the two-hours.

Kudos goes out to these two young men, Mr. Sutherland, Frontline, and, of course, PBS.

Hector de la Cruz
Pharr, Tx

Dear FRONTLINE,

Thanks again, Frontline, for another riveting documentary. I can see so much of who I was as a teenager in both Cody and Chris, probably more so in Chris as he struggles with school. I just hope Chris hangs in there. I wasn't able to mainly because I could not get focused just like Chris.

I'm 44, from Southern California and had a similar dad situation. I dropped out of school, joined the service, and later came back to finish college and join the workforce with marketable skills. I just wish I could give these two some encouragement. They need it. They can do this.

Fred Banta
Los Angeles County, California

Dear FRONTLINE,

I am a 15-yr old girl , freshman in High school . The Community i live in is a rather up-scale community.In the surrounding towns, many people have a lot of money, Everyone wants to fit in with the latest trends, middle school and highschool girls want to have the designer clothes and want to live like celebrities. Compared to those people, my family is middle to lower class. Last night i watched Country Boys and it made me realize i take way too many things for granted. watching the show, i am now alot more thankful and grateful for what i have. THis show showed me lifestyles that i was unaware of, and i am so much more grateful for what i have.

Alexa Schuck
Northvale, NJ