The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia

James Redford's (son of Robert Redford) HBO-aired documentary examines dyslexia from the perspective of those with the condition and those who study it. The subjects here include average citizens and noted figures, such as Richard Branson, Gavin Newsom, David Boies, and Charles Schwab, who together underscore the fact that dyslexia is a learning disability. Dr. Sally Shaywitz, a developmental pediatrician at Yale University, says that 80-90% of her patients with learning problems have dyslexia, which she sees as a good news-bad news situation, since while dyslexics do have difficulties with reading, writing, dates, and numbers, they can also be creative thinkers and imaginative writers. Boies, who eschews notes in court because they're too hard to read, believes that "dyslexia is positively correlated with creativity." The director's college-age son, Dylan, recalls that he avoided his locker all through high school, because he found the combination lock too hard to navigate, while Tyler, an orthopedic surgeon, learned to speak slowly in order to avoid malapropisms (Tyler's daughter, Skye, also has dyslexia). Of all the speakers, Boies seems to see this genetically-linked disorder as more of a gift than impediment, since he also credits dyslexia for teaching him to think outside the box and see the “big picture.” Hand-drawn animated segments depicting the ways that dyslexics experience high-pressure scenarios add a welcome visual dimension to the talking-head interviews. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)