An Extraordinary Journey ~~"Stevie"

Stevie

Lions Gate
Sales Rank: 17603

See details at Amazon.ca

 

 An Extraordinary Journey, 2003-09-23

This past weekend, I "discovered" Stevie, a documentary that was in theaters earlier this year. Crafted by Steve James -- the documentary filmmaker behind "Hoop Dreams" -- it relates what happens when he returns to southern Illinois to find Stevie Fielding, a troubled 11 year old to whom he had been a Big Brother while in college but had since lost touch with upon his relocation to Chicago.

While overly long (coming in at just under 2 1/2 hours) and sometimes biting off more than it can chew -- an examination of the virulent, and still prevalent, racism in this country's rural white enclaves is worthy of a film in itself -- it is, for the most part, an enthralling but ultimately heartbreaking account of a lost soul who -- despite the efforts of some very well-meaning people -- has been allowed to slip through the cracks. It's a film that that never tries to sweep away the sometimes devastating consequences of Stevie's behavior but, rather, seeks to understand how that anti-social behavior was created in the first place.

So, if you're in the mood for something different, give Stevie a try. But be prepared for what you're getting into. I -- for one -- am not ashamed to say that I wept openly at times both for the needless "loss" of a little boy and at the astounding compassion that -- as this documentary shows -- some human beings are capable of.

Reviewed By A1TL8MVP1PS1N7

This review was cited from Amazon.ca.

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