Free to Be… You and Me (1974)
Free to Be…You and Me, a project of the Ms. Foundation for Women, is a record album, and illustrated book first released in November 1972, featuring songs and stories from many current celebrities of the day (credited as "Marlo Thomas and Friends") such as Alan Alda, Rosey Grier, Cicely Tyson, Carol Channing, Michael Jackson, and Diana Ross, among others. An ABC Afterschool Special using poetry, songs, and sketches, followed two years later in March 1974. The basic concept is to encourage a post-60's gender neutrality, while saluting values such as individuality, tolerance, and happiness with one's identity. A major thematic message is that anyone, whether a boy or a girl, can achieve anything.
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I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.
Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.
Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.
The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
Can I be the ONLY person to see this? Haven't we learned yet that there is no such thing as a "value-free" education? This product of the post hippy-flower-child 60's crap-a-thon (that I lived through) is a perfect example of that impossible goal. It is simply the replacement of one set of values and judgements with another.Tradition, gender roles honored and functioning for thousands of years are now to be mocked and abandoned. We are not just to tolerate differences but to celebrate them, even the deviant and previously anti-social ones. "It's all cool!" we shouted. "You gotta do your own thang!" we cried. Until we found out that we were lonely, lost, and needed money. Then, suddenly we realized how wise previous generations were.Please spare your child this vapid tripe of political correctness. They'll learn more and better values by watching old Frank Capra films or any of the old Warner Cartoons.
I got this record when my children were young. They danced to the music and learned every word of every song. I recently went on line and bought the CD for my grandchildren. What do you know! They are dancing to the music and have learned every word of every song. The songs are as important to kids today as they were long ago. Thank you. My grandson, who is 8 especially likes the song "It's alright to cry." His Dad has taught him that boys don't cry (His Dad is from Texas). He is pretty sensitive so he is going to have his Dad listen to this CD. My granddaughter prefers "Ladies First" because of the irony. My own children love being able to share this with their children.
Although I myself did not get to experience the seventies, being born too late, I still got a little taste through this movie. My parents showed it to me first on laser disc (how many of you remember that phase?) and I must have watched it dozens of times. It's really a fantastic film for children to watch to get the message that it's okay to be different, to not do what everyone else is doing. I always loved the "William Wants a Doll" vignette, and of course who could forget Marlo Thomas and Harry Belafonte singing "Parents are People"? I have a copy of this on DVD, because I fully intend for it to be a part of my children's lives. Really, it's very sad that there aren't as many children's movies like this anymore. Let's all have a moment of silence to commemorate the death of the seventies.
Wow-Talk about going back,I have not seen this movie in over 20 years.I would love to get my hands on a copy of it.The theme song rings the strongest in my memory.Thinking about it brings me back to growing up as a kid in the 70s-seemed like a different time.You would never see anything like this nowadays.