Library Video of the Week, April 29, 2013.



Canvas starring Marcia Gay Harden, Devon Gearhart and Joe Pantoliano. Directed by Joseph Greco.  Library Call Number: PN1995.9.M463C36 2007.

        A realistic look at the troubles and turmoil a family faces when a member is diagnosed with mental illness, Canvas is one of those movies that leaves a lasting impression. 
          Living in Hollywood, Florida, John (Emmy winner Pantoliano) is barely making ends meet after his wife, Mary (Harden) is diagnosed with schizophrenia.  On and off her medications, she grows increasingly erratic and eventually is forcibly institutionalized by the police, leaving her husband and son to cope with her absence.  John’s health insurance refuses to cover a mental illness, Mary takes one step forward and one back, but it is the effect on the son, Christopher that takes center stage.  Taunted and embarrassed at school by kids who call his mom a nut case, angry that his mom is gone and his father is withdrawing into a backyard boat-building project, the pressure seems unbearable.  Only the strong ties of the family can keep them all from spinning off the edge of the world. 
          This is a thoughtful look at how families deal with terrible events, an ultimately triumphant movie of the resilient human spirit, without the hackneyed Hollywood ending.

Library Video of the Week, April 22, 2013.

Finding the Words,  a documentary  about children recovering from autism, by Horn Productions.  Distributed by the Video Project.
Library Call Number:  RJ506.A9F56 2010.
          From the website:  FINDING THE WORDS is the story of eight "perfect babies", each given a grim diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as toddlers, whose grieving families fight prejudice, misinformation, and despair to get their children well again.
          Filmed in thirteen locations across the United States, this hour-long documentary is an ensemble piece, presenting elements of each family's long, emotional journey through home videos, photographs and medical reports; as well as interviews with the families, the childrens' doctors, therapists and friends. Commentary on these remarkable stories is provided by a courageous group of doctors all working to rewrite the future for ASD afflicted children by accepting a surprisingly controversial premise: autistic children can recover.
          The film also captures the unfolding drama of scientific discovery as doctors, pushed along by relentless parents, search for answers. The synergy we see between these determined families and the doctors who have been called to lead this struggle to uncover better therapies for ASD is fascinating. We see a paradigm shift in the doctor/patient model, and a great example of how treatments can be discovered in the presence of urgent need.