When the Light's Red

Although Keith Wilson's When the Light's Red starts off on an annoying note with the Austin, TX filmmaker's dueling stereophonic stream-of-consciousness inner thoughts regarding panhandlers at stoplights, before long the viewer is forced to admit that Wilson's comments—ranging from “should I give him money?” to “don't make eye contact”—are uncomfortably familiar. Struggling with a situation that many are confronted with on a daily basis, Wilson decides to do a little research: he makes a cardboard sign that reads “what do you think of panhandlers?”, stakes out a corner, and talks to motorists and fellow solicitors (among other things, Wilson discovers that panhandlers refer to themselves as “flyers” after the signs they hold). Many four-wheel-interviewees believe that panhandlers are a) nuisances and b) should get jobs (no small feat in recession-stricken America), while the two-legged flyers say they're just trying to get by day to day. Kenny, a man with a busted elbow who suffers from chronic pain, says that “pain will make you do things that you don't want to do,” and then promptly takes Wilson's proffered five dollars to the nearest liquor store—a walking stereotype. But then Wilson meets Terry, a woman with “wild hair” who keeps a stash of dollar bills in her car to hand out to people who she feels are trying to make a connection. Wilson ends up still feeling uncertain about how to deal with panhandlers, but he decides that he will “try to at least acknowledge that person,” maybe not always with a buck, but at least with a nod, a wave, a nice word, or an apple. Not many 11-minute videos change the way you think: When the Light's Red is a thought-provoking short on a troubling social issue. Including both the original and a bleeped version for classroom use, this is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Pitman)