In 1993, Brandon Lee enrolled as a student in Bearsden Academy, a secondary school within an affluent Glasgow suburb. He was, to all intents and purposes, a bright young pupil with straight As and a starring role in the school musical. There was just one problem. Lee had already graduated 13 years ago from that same school.
My Old School, available now on BBC iPlayer, tells the story of how 32-year-old Brian MacKinnon convinced his teachers and peers that he was a 17-year-old teen – and how his world came crashing down when the truth was discovered. The documentary, which debuted at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, is directed by Jono McLeod; one of MacKinnon’s schoolmates from when he posed as Lee. It also stars Alan Cumming. MacKinnon agreed to be interviewed for the documentary but did not want to appear on camera; Cumming lip-syncs his speech. My Old School tells a tale of shocking deception, and yet it is one that ends without any ramifications for MacKinnon. Technically, he did not break any laws, nor do any harm to his fellow students.
