Barak Goodman Movies
- 2009
This documentary takes an in-depth look at legendary president Abraham Lincoln, examining the story behind his historic presidency, with controversial issues of race, religion, and civil rights surrounding him from the moment he entered public life. Sometimes prone to depression, Lincoln ascended to the most powerful position in America through many complex avenues involving both egalitarianism and ambition, revealing that the man's mythic image in historic memory has often been left incomplete. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Louis Gates Jr.
- 2009
This in-depth documentary explores the death of Abraham Lincoln, the first American president to be assassinated. Gunned down in the second month of his triumphant and markedly peaceful second term, Lincoln's death had tremendous effects on the shocked American populace, making waves in everything from cultural identity to the economy. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Cooper
- 2008
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In this installment of American Experience, filmmakers take a closer look at one of the most controversial medical procedures in the history of medicine. Back in the early-20th Century, individuals suffering from mental illness had little hope of ever staging a full recovery: Psychiatric medications had not yet been discovered, and the afflicted were often herded into overcrowded state asylums. Despite the fact that Freudian psychoanalysis and "talk" therapy were slowly gaining in popularity, an enterprising young neurologist named Walter Freeman proposed a radical new form of brain surgery in order to lessen the severity of psychotic symptoms in his patients. Having hailed from a long line of medical professionals, Freeman was no stranger to the inner workings of the body, and after learning of a Portuguese neurologist who operated on the frontal lobes of the mentally ill by using a thin steel instrument, he set about perfecting the procedure and importing it for practice in the United States. The procedure, known as the lobotomy, may have only yielded mixed results in the early 1940s, yet doctors in nearly fifty state asylums began performing lobotomies on their patients and as a result Freeman was hailed a hero of modern medicine. A decade later, however, the same procedure that some claimed brought hope to the utterly hopeless was hailed as barbaric, and Freeman was labeled a moral monster. How is it that opinion could have changed so drastically in such a short amount of time? Now, as filmmakers speak with a series of medical historians, psychiatrists, colleagues of Dr. Freeman, and the families who sought him out as a last resort, viewers are offered a revealing glimpse into the origins of a medical procedure that ruined countless lives. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2006
The cutting edge of modern medicine gets a closer look in an American Experience docuemntary detailing the life of young David Vetter - also known by the masses as "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble." His short life confined to just twelve consolidated years, Vetter's brave battle sparks controversy when some claimed that it was the haste of doctors that condemned the handsome boy to a life they would argue wasn't truly worth living. As a terrified young couple struggles valiantly to save the life of their precious child, viewers will find themselves faced with some of the most difficult, and heart-rending ethical questions in modern science. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
This documentary about controversial sexologist Alfred Kinsey uses archival footage interspersed with interviews with those who knew the scientist to paint a picture that shows how Kinsey's own sexual predilections may have influenced the groundbreaking work he accomplished while working at the University of Indiana. Among those interviews are family members, co-workers, and a people who actually took Kinsey's revolutionary survey. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 2004
This documentary takes a look at the industries of "persuasion" such as advertising and public relations and how they have developed in response to a public with an ever growing awareness of when they are being pitched to. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Frontline examines the child welfare system in the state of Maine in Failure to Protect: Part 2 - The Caseworker Files, the second part of a two-part documentary. The Maine Department of Human Services refused to comment about the Logan Marr case, but they allowed Frontline to film this documentary about their child protective system. This installment follows three stories of actual caseworkers in Maine as they decide whether or not to remove children from their homes. The Maine DHS has moved toward a policy of fast-tracking adoption for the large number of children in foster care, which encourages the state to quickly end the rights of biological parents. This policy has caused major problems for families who need time to make the necessary adjustments in order to get their children back. Includes interviews with caseworkers Shaleigh Anthony, David Greeley, and Robin Whitney. Part two aired on PBS in February of 2003. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Frontline examines the child welfare system in the state of Maine with Failure to Protect: Part 1 - The Taking of Logan Marr, the first part of a two-part documentary. In 2000, Christy Marr's two daughters, Logan and Bailey, were taken from her by the Maine Department of Human Services. Marr tried to follow the strict instructions regarding her jobs, boyfriends, and contact with family members. Logan had developed serious behavioral problems during her time in several different foster homes. In 2001, five-year-old Logan was found dead in the home of her foster parent Sally Schofield. A former Maine DHS caseworker, Schofield was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Frontline interviews both Marr and Schofield. Part one aired on PBS in January of 2003. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Following up his 2000 Academy Award-nominated Scottsboro: An American Tragedy, documentary filmmaker Barak Goodman helmed this film, exploring boxing's heavyweight championship match of June 22, 1938. The match, between African-American Joe Louis and Nazi Germany's Max Schmeling, gained world-wide attention and garnered the largest radio audience in history, as the fighters became unwitting representatives for each of their respective homelands and races. Narrated by actor Courtney B. Vance, Goodman's film uses archival footage of the fight and the events leading up to it to examine the men and the weighty meaning attached to their face-off. The Fight screened in competition at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Rollover covers the turbulent history of the Sports Utility Vehicle. During the late '80s, American car manufacturers began laying off thousands of workers and continued sinking further in the red. Gas mileage restrictions made building small cars expensive. But Jeep and Ford discovered that SUVs, like trucks, had more lenient mileage requirements. Better yet, the profit margins for the Broncos and Blazers were higher. While SUVs helped save Detroit, their safety record soon landed them in court. The SUV had been designed with higher clearance for off-road conditions. This led to vehicles overturning at speeds as low as 20 m.p.h. and made the SUVs difficult to handle in emergency situations. Lobbyists stymied federal attempts to regulate SUVs, however, and most of the lawsuits in the '80s and '90s were settled out of court, keeping potential controversies quiet. Media coverage became headline news in 2000, though, when Firestone tires began to unravel on Ford Explorers. Many would maintain that the tires had made the vehicles unsafe, while others insisted that the Explorers had been unsafe all along. Rollover includes interviews with specialists, lawyers, and federal regulators. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Movie Guide
- 2001
Teenagers are one of the hottest targets of the ad industry. This {@PBS) program looks at some of the companies that are most aggressively trying to sell their products to them. It's been estimated that the teen market is worth about $300 billion a year to those selling a wide variety of products, so competition is fierce when it comes to capturing the attention of young people on TV, the radio, and the Internet. Questions are posed regarding the role that advertisers may actually play in creating demand for products that teens might otherwise ignore. Teen marketing executives, a professor in communications, and other experts offer their views on how teens are spending their money. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Documentary filmmaker Barak Goodman explores the famed Scottsboro case of 1931. That year, nine black males, aged 13 to 19, were tried, convicted, and almost executed for raping two white women of dubious reliability. The case soon became an international cause célèbre and proved to be a catalyst for the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andre Braugher
- 1997
Pulitzer Prize-winning author and child psychiatrist Dr. Robert Coles created this PBS program to help caregivers learn how to present and teach the type of strong moral values that children need to develop if they are to successfully survive life's many challenges. He looks at such values as the sincere concern for others that parents need to both talk about and demonstrate in their own lives. Coles also talks to parents about actively listening to their children on a daily basis, always trying to keep the lines of communication open so they can offer help whenever it's needed. He encourages parents, teachers, and other caregivers to help children learn to love and respect themselves so they'll be able to treat others with equal dignity. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
- 1995
This program offers an in-depth portrait of a controversial figure in American history, the former mayor of Chicago Richard Daley. The political machine built by Daley transformed the face of American politics, but his inability to deal equitably with racial and ethnic tension led to his undoing. From his alleged involvement in John Kennedy's presidential bid to his fateful decision to build the country's first urban housing projects, no major event in the life of this man is missed. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
- 1991
This documentary takes the viewer inside the classroom of Dr. Robert Conrad at Harvard University. The class, entitled "Literature of Social Reflection", is one of the school's most popular offerings. Dr. Conrad, a psychiatrist, spent many years studying the psychology of children in crisis, and wrote the Pulitzer Prize winning series Children of Crisis. His work left him with the concern that society would do well to re-examine its values, leaving room for the mysterious and the sacred. Conrad's course objective is that "We should look inward and think about the meaning of our life and its purposes...". ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
