free to be you and me

I was hanging out with Jona the other day talking about a video project and trying to express an idea when the wonderful film “Free To Be You And Me” came to mind. Released in 1974 and conceived by television actress Marlo Thomas, Free to Be… was originally a record album of songs for children that expressed the importance self confidence, tolerance, and equality. The record proved to be a hit, so a couple years later Thomas teamed up with several other artists and celebrities, including Alan Alda, Mel Brooks, Harry Belafonte, Roberta Flack, and a young Michael Jackson, to re-create the album as a film. The cinematic version of Free To Be You And Me was about 48 minutes long and aired on television. Both the film and record feature a series of vignettes, many of them songs, all revolving around the theme of growing up and accepting yourself for who you are while accepting those around you as well. Classic segments include the “William wants a doll” animation that tells the story of a five year old boy who more than anything wants a doll for his birthday, and professional football strong-man Rosey Grier singing a tear-jerking rendition of “It’s All Right To Cry” (while displaying an amazing guitar playing style!)

I was too young to have any understanding of television in 1974, but I remember seeing Free To Be… in grade school several times while growing up in the suburbs just outside of Denver. I remember seeing it at least once a year, and imagine that the school district I attended must have owned a film print that was kept in constant circulation (quick side note: I think that I was probably of the last generation of students that watched classroom movies on 16mm film, but that is for another blog…). I recall us students having a bit of a love-hate relationship with the film. We had all seen it so many times that we knew many of the songs and sequences by heart, and the film’s “feel good about yourself” theme was admittedly a little dorky, so there was always a certain amount of a rolling of the eyes when we’d find out we were going to have to sit through its 45 epic minutes once again. “Why do we have to watch that movie AGAIN???” But once we all got past the initial “I’m too cool for this movie” posturing, I think everyone would really get into it. The catchy songs, fun animations, the resonating themes, and the ever so funky “Sisters and Brothers” segment would always reel our attention in and keep up attentively sitting on the floor Indian style for the duration of the screening. (another side note: do grade school kids still sit on the floor ‘Indian style’? is that politically correct? was/is that term widely used?)
Free To Be You and Me was re-released last year on DVD, and upon watching it for the first time since I was in grade school, I found myself holding back the tears as memories that had been dormant in the back of my head for over twenty years re-surfaced. While it was definitely un-cool to admit that you liked Free To Be You and Me back in grade school, watching it as an adult made me realize how much I loved it. I found that I remembered the words to most the songs, and as each new segment started up I’d catch myself saying “oh, I remember this, this one is my favorite!” But of coarse it brought up bad memories as well, as the various messages in the film were easily turned into ammunition by the playground bullies. I recall once in fifth or sixth grade getting a little too upset during recess and bursting into tears, at which point the bully-of-the-moment came up to me, put his hand on my shoulder, and started singing “it’s all right to cry” with a perfect, irony laced pitch (as mean as it was, in hind-sight I must admit his timing was beautifully malicious).
Several clips from Free To Be You and Me can be found on YouTube, but the film is available on DVD in it’s full length and I strongly suggest tracking it down. It’s the sort of wonderful children’s movie that you wish adults around the world would watch and learn from, and it serves as a perfect example of how watered down and pointless much of today’s children’s programs are compared to what was coming out in the 70s (Sesame St, The Muppets, etc). 35 years later, the film’s message is still timely and important; the issues may be a little different, but watching this film as an adult leads you to wonder how many of the problems we face as a world today could be solved with just a little compassion and understanding.