Glasses 2001
Distributed by National Film Board of Canada, 1123 Broadway, Suite 307, New York, NY 10010; 800-542-2164
Produced by Marcy Page
Directed by Brian Duchscherer
VHS, color, 23 min.
K-6
Animation, Children's Literature
Date Entered: 11/09/2018
Reviewed by Donald Trainor, University at Buffalo, State University of New YorkGlasses is the story about a young boy named Milo who is having a difficult time keeping track of his lunch box, seeing the flash cards his 1st Grade teacher is holding up, or scoring on the right goal during recess. A trip with his mother to the optometrist and a new pair of glasses seems to put Milo back on track until he breaks his glasses while playing during recess.
Overall, the video is very entertaining. The puppet animation is very well done, the characters are amusing and quirky, and the storyline moves along well.
This video is about more than the problems and pains of a young boy getting his first pair of glasses. It also covers issues of isolation, acceptance, teasing and bullying, peer pressure, and friendship. And that is the problem with this video. It attempts to cover too many issues and is often unclear what point is trying to be made or whether something is a positive or negative development. The video does come with a list discussion questions and recommended readings.