Children of the Revolution; Learn & Live

Seeing Gorbachev on TV, Aussie Soviet sympathizer Joan Fraser (Judy Davis) wails: "They'll be eating Big Macs in Red Square by May Day." A chilling thought for any Red-blooded party member, to be sure, but especially so for Mrs. Fraser, who is not your average Joan. In writer/director Peter Duncan's satirical mockumentary Children of the Revolution, Mrs. Fraser, bangs the Red drum loudly in Australia during the 1930s and 1940s, attracting the attention of none other than Uncle Joe himself. Traveling to Mother Russia, Joan spends a snockered evening in the arms of Stalin and returns to Australia with her political ideals fortified (not to mention carrying the dictator's love child). Although Joan does her comradely best to feed young "Joe" the party line, the adult Joe (Richard Roxburgh), turns out to be a rather wimpy child of the revolution--he'd really rather watch the telly than attend a protest march. But a love affair with a policewoman and a fruitful education during a jail sentence change Joe's mind and he eventually rises to become the leading light in labor, attaining Hoffa-like power and displaying more than a little of his Daddy's cold-hearted ways. Combining fake interviews, cleverly doctored historical footage, and broad satire, Children of the Revolution is--like Marx's contribution to the world--an uneven effort. Judy Davis is a bit over the top, but Geoffrey Rush (Shine) is wonderful as her lovelorn husband of convenience, and though the tone lurches indecisively between slapstick and drama, armchair politicos will enjoy many of the jokes, and T. Rex fans will be humming the title song for weeks afterwards. A strong optional purchase.Children of a very different revolution are profiled in Learn & Live, an ambitious examination of educational choices in the wake of technological change. Presented by the George Lucas Educational Foundation and hosted by Robin Williams, the documentary combines interviews with key thinkers from the world of education and business--Howard Gardner, Colin Powell, Bill Gates, Kristina Woolsey--and a handful of illustrative reports from the field, all the while posing serious, provocative questions and offering controversial suggestions.Watching elementary school students engage in a live online session with scientists operating an electron microscope, a middle-schooler in mediation with her music teacher, or a high school student working as an EKG assistant in a hospital for school credit, viewers see the three-pronged approach of the documentary: 1) make students project-directed, rather than passive recipients, as well as shapers of their own curriculum, 2) connect education to real life applications, and 3) put the power of the force (technological) into the hands of today's students.Obviously, there are a few problems here: In the course of a solid hour I heard nary a breath about the humanities (and as Earl Shorris convincingly argues in the September 1997 issue of Harpers, becoming a political being requires more than simply a "practical" education). Also, I wasn't entirely convinced that letting students create grading grids and design curriculum is an altogether wise choice for the future (I can predict the results: "I think I'll award myself an "A" for successfully trouncing Donkey Kong 3."). Still, let's not throw out the honor student with the bath water here; Learn & Live does provide a framework for discussion while advancing some very worthwhile ideas, many of which fall outside the traditional realm of education, including the increased need for social services in schools, the importance of partnering with area businesses, and the notion of creating a culture of learning within the community embracing all ages--not just K-12. The nominal price of $20 (which, incidentally, includes a 288-page book filled with further discussion, examples, and tons of resources) will be money well spent for any parent, educator or librarian interested in the future of public education. Strongly recommended. Aud: E, I, J, H, C, P. (R. Pitman)