Reach Out

This is an interesting approach to the subject of teenage alcohol abuse. Opening with a shot of a young man standing in a cemetery, the film segues into a series of short scenes which recount how the young man had just sold a song he'd written, that his wife was pregnant and near delivery, and how their car was hit by a van full of drunk teenagers. Following the dramatic vignettes, the song is played while present scenes of the young man with his daughter are intercut with scenes from the past with his former wife. The film ends with an abrupt series of "telex"-type facts: Young people (16-24) are involved in 44% of the alcohol-related crashes, but as an age group only comprise 14% of the total driving population; a life is lost every 23 minutes due to an alcohol- related crash; 250,000 people have been killed in alcohol-related accidents in the past 10 years, etc. The question here is not whether a "music video" is the appropriate way to treat this type of subject, but whether it might be effective for the audience at which it's aimed. We think it is. An audiocassette, featuring the title song, and an instructional booklet are included. Recommended. Available from: World Research Inc., 11722 Sorrento Valley Road, San Diego, CA 92121-1078.