The Bottom Line
Pros
- Nicely produced video
- An unsual focus -- a boy who is both deaf and autistic
- Some interesting scenes and content
Cons
- Essentially a movie about the filmmaker, not her son
- Far too many talking heads
- Vaguely inspirational
Description
- 52-minute documentary film
- Made and produced by Sandy Schacter
- Includes pieces of earlier TV shows
Guide Review - Video Review: Silent Journey
Sandy is a talented and attractive woman, who uses the documentary format to show off her real ability as a filmmaker and poet. Unfortunately, the outcome is a beautifully made documentary focused, not on Sandy's son David, but on Sandy herself.In the course of the video, we hear Sandy's voice and Sandy's poetry... we learn of her advocacy and willingness to fight every battle. We hear from professionals about how well she and her husband manage David's life. We meet various relatives, watch Sandy as she appears on television, and hear once again about the family's brave determination in supporting David.
David himself, however, appears only as a supporting cast member. We see his Bar Mitzvah, but get a much better sense of the rabbi and family members than we do of David's engagement in the experience. We see David, in slow motion, sorting laundry -- as mom reads her poetry as a voice-over commentary. We see mom hugging David, supporting David, and in various ways taking center stage.
The video offers interesting moments. For contemporary parents, it's almost painful to hear about an autism "expert" telling Sandy to go home and examine her marriage if she wants to understand the cause of her son's disability. It's also instructive to see how parents, back in the 70s, managed an autism diagnosis in a world that didn't yet "get" the idea of special needs.
Overall, I'd probably watch this video if it happened to be on the channel while I was watching TV. However, I'd be unlikely to purchase it.
