"All the winning videos were deemed by our four judges to combine strong educational and entertainment value. Criteria included creativity of presentation, clarity and suitability of language, as well as appropriate and effective use of illustrations, animation, graphics, and music."
The following review is one of 7 tapes in the age 9 and up category including releases from Warner, Columbia TriStar, Universal, and Sony Classics.
This ambitious, contemporary version of the eternally compelling account of a teenage Jewish girl hiding from the Nazis is not without flaws. The beginning, during which an American neo-Nazi is on a school tour of a holocaust museum, may confuse younger viewers. It's not long before he's magically transported to a library whose supervisor has the gift of time travel. But the story remains important and benefits here from realistic settings and haunting music. Parents should watch this with their children to answer the questions that are sure to arise.
Daily Variety
Hollywood, CA
Army Archerd
Good morning: The story of Anne Frank returns in an even more powerful and personal presentation. "Forget Me Not: The Anne Frank Story," with a special introduction from Miep Gies, is the latest of Greg Vaughn's "In Search of Heroes" series; he preems the video package, with Mrs. Gies on hand, Oct. 21 at the TV Acad.
The video package contains a Teacher/Student Handbook, whereby viewers get the facts behind the Anne Frank story, as well as "Forget-Me-Not Internet Cards"--with photos of young victims and survivors of the Holocaust whose stories can be called up on the Internet, with numbers supplied on each identifying card.
The unique Anne Frank presentation shows one of today's skinhead bigots being whisked through history when visiting the Wiesenthal Center's Museum of Tolerance; he becomes part of the (re-created) Anne Frank story. The purpose is "to teach young people (and others?) the destructiveness of racial and ethnic intolerance," Vaughn says.
You recall "Anne Frank Remembered" won the 1995 Oscar for docu feature. Gies, 87, a non-Jew and the last survivor of those who hid the Frank family, has told Vaughn this will be her last U.S. trip before she retires from public speaking. "Schindler's List" producer Gerald Molen will host and introduce Gies at the preem. Molen arranged for Universal to contribute use of its backlot for some of the fictionalized recreation of the historical settings. Vaughn is in confabs with nets/cables to air the show before video package distribution to the public, schools and libraries, where his "In Search of Heroes" series has passed the 5 million-viewer mark.
Never out of print, Anne Frank's diary has been translated into 55 languages and sold in more than 25 million copies. This new computer-age "Forget Me Not: Anne Frank Story" will help keep the horror of the Holocaust alive for newer generations. "She was an oasis of innocence in a time of evil, a voice of reason in an age of insanity," Vaughn says.
USA Today/ Family Channel
Seal of Quality & Pick of the Week
Dramatic educational programming at its best. Anne Frank and her diary continue to inspire children and parents alike. This version makes it real to kids today by transporting a contemporary skinhead, neo-Nazi student to WWII, where he meets Anne in her hiding place. He learns about the Holocaust, understanding, tolerance and respect.
Booklist Magazine
Sue-Ellen Beauregard
Using a time-travel format similar to those in the outstanding Quest for Freedom: The Harriet Tubman Story and Tragedy to Triumph: An Adventure with Helen Keller, this riveting dramatization tells the story of courageous Anne Frank. Miep Gies, who sheltered the Frank family in her Amsterdam warehouse during World War II, introduces the drama, which begins in modern times with belligerent teenager Mat (who sports a swastika tattoo) defacing exhibits at the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
Suddenly, the surly teen finds himself confronted by an eccentric librarian who uses magic to transport Mat to war-torn Amsterdam. In Europe, the teen's period clothing identifies him as a Jewish Resistance fighter. Fleeing from the Nazis, Mat is rescued by kindly Anne Frank and her family, who offer him shelter in their makeshift quarters. Defiant Mat begrudgingly befriends Anne, but rather than "get shot and hang around with a bunch of scared Jews," he escapes and in a cowardly act to save his own skin, he informs the Nazis about the secret hiding place.
At drama's end, the newly contrite teen consoles the dying Anne Frank. Although the plot may sound implausible and maudlin, it is, instead refreshingly clever and heartwarming. Skilled acting, realistic settings, and a touching script propel this program to stellar heights.