Press Reviews

• Library School Journal | show/hide snippet

  What Dads Say about: Boys. DVD. 17 min. Vizmo Films. 2007. $39.95.

  Gr 6 Up—A number of fathers of teenage daughters from diverse backgrounds in a variety of settings offer girls practical advice about relationships, dating, and more. Among those providing tips are a clergyman interviewed in his church, a police officer interviewed in his car, a businessman interviewed in the office, and a Dad who speaks from atop a lawnmower. What they have in common is a desire to reach their daughters with advice about boys. The common thread that weaves through all the snippets is that girls should not rush into relationships or get too serious (sexual) too soon. Not only are there affirming messages about potential, self-worth, and being your own unique person as opposed to wanting to be the athlete's girlfriend or part of a popular group, but also these self-confessed "former boys" are candid about how sex can obscure feelings, especially those of boys. "Boys are knuckleheads," states one Dad, and worse, they are more likely to engage in sex with partners whom they don't really care about. Some of this wisdom might be more hard-hitting if it was given anecdotally by teens, but the advice is insightful and delivered in a respectful manner. The film ends with a repetition of perhaps the sagest advice: a person is a gift and should be treated as such by a partner. While this film might not dramatically alter the life of teenage girls, it will be a great springboard for class discussions about relationships and maybe even about Dads.—Constance Dickerson, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Beachwood, OH

• Say It Aloud | show/hide snippet

  Dan T. Hall, independent filmmaker and father to a 16-year-old girl, says in his educational documentary What Dads Say About Boys that the key “when you enter into any relationship is that you keep your power. You don’t let anyone step into that realm of who you are or make you make choices that you don’t want to make.”

• Library Journal | show/hide snippet

  What Dads Say About: Boys speaks about boys and all the things every loving father wants to say to his teenage daughter but doesn't quite know how. For better or worse, the film is unencumbered with statistics and experts—just real dads (with a Christian minister thrown in for good measure) offering solid advice, talking about the most important things they believe a young girl should know about relationships, dating, and boys. Hats off to Hall for making this film with single focus and a decided lack of distracting bells and whistles. The audio and video quality are reasonably sound despite the made-at-home feel. Recommended for dads and potential dads.—Brian Burns, Hampden-Sydney Coll. Lib., VA