44 PAGES (South By Southwest Film Festival (SXSW), Austin, Texas USA 2017)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.0|5.0 Starsìììì

44 Pages—good documentary about Highlights magazine—deserves a watch mostly for nostalgic reasons for an adult raised with this children’s magazine. The documentary seems a bit stifled and needs fluffing and airing out to fully realize the joyousness that should surround the 70-year anniversary of the magazine. It may have been better to have more history, more details of trials and tribulations, a little excitement about the difficulty of successfully producing a children’s magazine for this length of time.

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images

Storyline

Highlights for Children magazine tells its quiet story.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Tony Shaff for directing effort. Thank you to Executive Producers Robert A. Compton, Jessie Creel, Kerri Elder, Frank Gibson, Anderson M. Hinsch, Maida Lynn, and Kristin Mann for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Himself (Kevin Bayne), Himself (Andy Boyles), Herself (Patty Courtright), Herself (Christine French Cully), Himself (Patrick Greenish Jr.), Herself (Deidra Herring), Himself (Dave Justice), Herself (Allison Kane), and Himself (Neil Numberman).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. Easy on the mind trip down memory lane as one revisits The Timbertoes, Goofus and Gallant, and other childhood favorites from the magazine’s unchanging focus.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers