She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall

Not to be confused with She Said Yes: A Video Tribute to Cassie Bernall (reviewed on VL Online), this video's focus is neither the tragic murder of 17-year-old Cassie Bernall and others in the Columbine high school shooting, nor the Christian martyr aspect inherent in the title of Misty Bernall's book (even her husband Brad voices his reservations about the word "martyr"), but rather the problems the Bernalls faced as parents when their daughter "headed down a dark pathway." In 9th grade, Cassie's grades began to drop, she skipped school, and her mother discovered that her daughter was involved in drinking, contemplating suicide, self-mutilation, and writing notes about killing her parents. Seeking guidance from their pastor, the Bernalls embarked on a homegrown toughlove program, confining their daughter to the house, unless she was engaged in Christian youth group activities, which--as it turned out--became the key to turning her life around. Combining interviews with the Bernalls, youth pastor Dave McPherson, and school friends, She Said Yes seems to me rather overpriced for a program that basically cobbles together interviews and home video and news footage; especially since this is not a particularly insightful treatment of the subject of handling rebellious teens, but more a high-profile case study of one family's experience. Optional. [Note: the public performance rights included with this video does not include the closing music video "This Is Your Time" by Michael W. Smith, and that's no loss. I haven't seen other contemporary Christian music vids, but if this poster boy with the artfully tousled hair, tortured Christ-like writhing, and self-important pensive gazes is any indication, MTV has conquered more than just the secular world of music videos.] Aud: P. (R. Pitman)