Please contact us
with corrections
or breaking news
Overlooked & Underrated Docs & Features
(click on broll or dschwartz for all his posts)
The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia
Premiering this fall on HBO, James Redford's "The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia" conveys to a wider audience the growing realization that rather than being a disease or dysfunction, dyslexia is a gift – one deserving of our support instead of misunderstanding, negligence and derision. Redford uses the most powerful documentary tool available in getting a vital message across – his film is dominated by people with dyslexia and their families telling their own stories of trial, tribulation, and triumph. Educators and researchers support these stories, and help make this film an urgent call for continuing improvements in public policy, at all levels of government, towards individuals and families dealing with dyslexia.
I have a special admiration for the bravery of documentary filmmakers who include themselves in their work. Redford's son, Dylan, has dyslexia, and like the other stories in his film, we learn of Dylan's struggles in school, his aspiration to go to the college of his choice, his admittance, and his dramatic academic achievements there.
I was fascinated by one statement made by Dr. Tyler Lucas whose daughter, Skye, struggled mightily with dyslexia. She was eventually diagnosed and referred to a school for dyslexlics where she blossomed. Lucas, too, has dyslexia. His story is one of the several stories – Charles Schwab, David Boies, Richard Branson, and Gavin Newsom – of extremely high-achieving people with dyslexia. "I try to speak slowly," Lucas states, "because sometimes for me to get a word out is difficult, and I make a lot of malapropisms. I try to keep that to a minimum for this video." Tyler Lucas is a highly accomplished, deeply respected orthopedic surgeon.
My hope is that all who read this review will find a way to see "The Big Picture". Its stories are heart-rending, its message is crucial – as is our support for educational reform in the light of what we've finally learned about dyslexia.
"The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia" premiers on HBO, on October 29th.
Note for IMDB users: This film is listed in IMDB.com under the title "The D Word: Understanding Dyslexia".