James Redford, son of the iconic American actor, Robert Redford, has made a documentary about having dyslexia, titled Rethinking Dyslexia. The film will be shown Monday, October 29th on HBO.
One might say there is a risk in always portraying the unusually bright dyslexics who succeed despite their school experiences. The risk is in potentially misleading the public or kids with dyslexia themselves, that there’s always a shiny ending. However from what I read about this show, there’s enough realism that doesn’t gloss over the challenges and struggle with self-esteem, which suggests it’s worth the price of admission.
Concerning the kids shown in the film, …
They talk about their bouts of self-hatred and disdain for school
There are of course plenty of reasons for optimism shown, and tales of success are meant to inspire and show that having dyslexia doesn’t mean the struggles in early school years need to keep one from happiness and success.
One young girl said a school designed to teach dyslexics helped her “crack the code.†Others found outlets through music, sports or art. Dylan went on to get on the honor roll at Middlebury College; another to double major in history and philosophy at the University of Chicago; another to become a lawyer; another, who is also the father of a dyslexic daughter, to became an orthopedic surgeon.