Black-Eyed Susan

Aimed at K-6 graders, the Canadian production Black-Eyed Susan is a 45-minute dramatization of wife beating from a child's perspective. 7-year-old Jonathan picks fights with other students, disrupts class activities, and at other times seems withdrawn. Haunted by the sight of his mother Susan being hit, Jonathan breaks down one day in class when he is given a flower--a black-eyed Susan. When Jonathan's mother is summoned to school, counselors convince her to enter a women's shelter with her children. At the same time, Jonathan's father Harry undergoes therapy, and the family is eventually reunited. Well-acted and nicely shot, Black-Eyed Susan is a simple story about spousal abuse, one that a child can easily understand. The last part of the film is a 15-minute "behind-the-scenes" look at the making of the film which, since it consists of unconnected and uncommented on clips taken during the filming, seems particularly pointless. An extensive resource guide listing relevant books and phone numbers is also included (since the production is Canadian, the organizations listed are in Canada). Since the program is packaged for classroom use, it is recommended for grade schools, particularly in Canada. (R. Pitman)