Released just in time for the 30th anniversary of the famous Roe v. Wade "abortion" decision, Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness is a somewhat unnervingly flip 1950s sex-ed-style satire combining vintage footage, animation, and even toy wooden figures to tell the story of a fictitious young couple who must face politicians, fundamentalists, and their own consciences, while trying to decide whether or not to have a child. After a tediously rambling introduction ("Here we are in San Francisco. San Francisco is a city on the west coast of the United States of America. The United States of America is a country on the planet earth with 250 million humans."), viewers are introduced to Mr. Lee, who owns a dry cleaning store, his wife, family, and all of his customers, all of whom--we are told--have the democratic right to bear as many children as they want, or don't want, unlike the strict policies of other governments (China, for instance) which limit reproductive rights. Written and directed by Tiffany Shlain, founder of the Webby Awards, this short film manages to take a very serious and highly charged political issue and break it down into easily understandable concepts--from the pro-choice camp, of course. Viewers are told that "conservative politicians believe in low taxes, small government, and creationism," and that these male politicians (who do not have mammary glands and who cannot bear children) are passing laws that undermine a woman's right to have legal, clean, and safe abortions (a humorous oversimplification), and that fundamentalists who attack doctors and harass pregnant women are no different than terrorists who try to force society to change (hitting the nail on the head). Ultimately, the film upholds a woman's natural right of choice as guaranteed--in the not-quite-cricket constitutional logic of the filmmaker--by the founding fathers who, despite not being able to bear children themselves, stated that we are all granted the right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness--and, consequently, the freedom of making our own health decisions without government interference. With its lighthearted axe-grinding, this is a decent summary of the philosophy behind the pro-choice movement that would sit well among other abortion-related materials. A strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (J. Asala)
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
(2003) 14 min. VHS: $24.95 (individuals), $79.95 (institutions). Tiffany Shlain (dist. by The Video Project, 800-475-2638; <a href="http://www.videoproject.net/">www.videoproject.net</a>). PPR. Color cover. ISBN: 0-9729149-0-0. June 30, 2003
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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