Premise: A documentary about Judy Blum.
Sometimes I wonder what I did throughout my childhood. I know I had interests. I wasn't some niche interest kid. Yet every year or two, it seems like there's some documentary that comes out about beloved children's entertainment that I wasn't part of. I didn't watch Mr. Roger's Neighborhood or Sesame Street. I also don't recall reading much if any Judy Blum. The book titles certainly sound familiar, but they were definitely not my go-tos. I guess I was more of a Beverley Cleary kid?
Much like the recent Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood and Sesame Street docs, Judy Blum Forever meets its assignment. It covers the breadth of her life and career. It finds enough significant moments and highlights all the key accomplishments. It also does a great job showing the impact her books had on others. Even though I have little personal attachment to her work, I came away from the movie understanding why it was worth making a doc about her.
While the doc does understand the assignment, I wouldn't say it went for any extra credit. It's the exact doc I expected. There wasn't much to it that was inventive or unexpected. The depth of its impact will be directly proportional to how much you care about Judy Blum going in. That's hardly a bad thing though. Sometimes all you want is a documentary that is nice and straightforward.
Verdict: Weakly Recommend
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