As some subjects point out, our hyper-reactionary present doesn’t exactly seem a million miles away from that.īut Blume’s work serves a greater public importance than merely attuning youngsters to honest dialogues about sex they’ve also taught kids to think about other tricky subjects like existence, God, bullying, and mortality, and on a broader level expand their horizons while fostering their ability to question everything.
Libraries went on to ban her books, and as Reagan took power in the ’80s, things only got worse, with Blume fielding rampant death threats and a genuine fear of extremist reprisals. Naturally it wasn’t long before Conservative America bit back, pigeonholing Blume as a “children’s writer” who should stay in her lane and risked “corrupting” the youth with her “filthy” writing. But in turn, her success normalised discussions about subjects such as sexuality and menstruation to both girls and boys.īlume’s novels provided answers to generations of children which they were denied in schools and textbooks, her frank and healthy portrayal of sex to such a young audience basically feeling like a work of activism in its own right. Blume, who came of age in post-war New Jersey, had a mother who fostered her love of reading but wouldn’t answer questions about life, and as she herself settled into the roles of wife and mother, sought to write novels as a creative outlet. The film opens with Blume reading a passage about masturbation from her famed 1973 novel Deenie, serving as a primer for its wider consideration of Blume as a trailblazing champion of sexual curiosity in young readers. Judy Blume Forever seamlessly segues between exploring Blume’s personal life and inestimable career, combining contemporary interviews with Blume with extensive archive footage, animated asides, and talking heads discussions with her friends, family, and famous fans, such as Molly Ringwald, Lena Dunham, and Samantha Bee.
Now 84 years of age, Blume sits down with filmmakers Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok to reflect broadly on her life’s work, in turn ensuring a spirited, informative, and thoroughly charming docu-profile. You won’t find many pop-culture figures more deserving of their own deep-dive documentary than legendary author Judy Blume, whose curious works of fiction have stoked the imaginations of children and adults alike for more than half a century. It will examine her impact on pop culture and the occasional controversies over her frankness about puberty and sex. Judy Blume and the generations of readers who have sparked to her work. Directed by Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok.
0 kommentar(er)
