Educational Media Reviews Online

The Timmy of the title is a Hispanic boy with a weight problem. He faces bullying at school, a self-image problem, and family issues. What makes this film remarkable is that it was written by Luis Hernandez, a 16-year-old junior in high school as part of the Scenarios USA program. Professional directors, producers, and designers work with teens in this program through their schools, as they encourage health, leadership, and advocacy in their communities.

Timmy’s life is enriched by a friend who is a girl and his widowed mother. But he has a fantasy: that an unattainable girl at school will be his girlfriend. Although he comes to a moment of self-realization, the ending is by no means neatly tied up. There is much to discuss here for teachers and teens.

Besides the film itself, the disk features a number of extras: versions with subtitles, both English and Spanish; text about the film; a copy of the script; a lesson plan, including Common Core State Standards, learning objectives, nine activities and extension activities, and a list of resources on weight issues; and a behind-the-scenes film which includes interviews with the writer, the director, actors, spokespeople for various agencies, and a professor.

Bonus features that appear on all the Scenarios USA films explain much about the Scenarios USA program; its REAL DEAL teacher workshops; an interview with Maura Minsky, executive director and cofounder of Scenarios USA; and a list of REAL DEAL films and more, with links to information on the films and previews.

This program, active in Cleveland, New York City, and Rio Grande Valley, Texas, is a fine example of creativity and giving voice to issues that pertain to high school students. This film would be a good fit for high school health classes, for counselors, or for the high school library. It would also enhance public library film collections.