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| Free to Be You and Me | 
 enlarge | Directors: Bill Davis, Fred Wolf, Len Steckler
Actors: Marlo Thomas, Alan Alda, Harry Belafonte, Mel Brooks, Rita Coolidge
Studio: Henstooth Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $14.82
You Save: $5.13 (26%)
New (12) Used (6) from $14.82
Avg. Customer Rating:  51 reviews
Sales Rank: 2991
Format: Color, Compilation, Dvd-video, Live, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 48
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.5
MPN: HEND4079D
UPC: 759731407922
EAN: 0759731407922
ASIN: B00005OKQT
Theatrical Release Date: March 11, 1974
Release Date: November 20, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW, Factory Sealed items direct from the Studios. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Quick International Airmail!
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Product Description
Studio: Henstooth Video Release Date: 11/20/2001 Run time: 45 minutes Rating: Nr
Amazon.com
Like Schoolhouse Rock, Marlo Thomas's 1970s children's TV show, Free to Be… You and Me met with immediate success and became a treasured piece of entertainment over the years. Based on her award-winning album of songs, skits, and comedy, Free to Be explores the infinite possibilities of childhood. Fans know most of the skits in the 45-minute show verbatim, and it's easy to see why right from the beginning with an infectious title track followed by a puppet sketch featuring Thomas and Mel Brooks as newborns. Top talent appears on both sides of the camera, including Alan Alda who directs and performs a cartoon about a boy who wants a doll. However, the presentation does show its age at times: a teenage Michael Jackson singing (with Roberta Flack) on how he's not going to change when he grows up. For all ages. --Doug Thomas
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| Customer Reviews: Read 46 more reviews...
 Sentimental favorite May 14, 2005
34 out of 35 found this review helpful
When my daughter was born, a relative and I wound up reminiscing about this album and how much we both loved it growing up. Next thing I knew, a copy of the DVD arrived as a gift for my daughter and me. The first time I sat down and watched, it brought back all my memories of being a little girl in the 70's. I could even still sing along with the title song! Right now, my daughter is too young to do much except listen as I sing or play music for her, but I hope she grows up enjoying these songs as much as I did. Yes, the visuals are dated, but I believe the messages of these songs are as pertinent now as they were thirty years ago. Best of all, the songs get their messages across without being "preachy." I think this is a fabulous alternative to much of what's out there for kids today, and dated as some elements may be, "Free to Be You and Me" is still a long, long way from going out of style.
 Great for its time, but now too dated August 30, 2004
31 out of 48 found this review helpful
Very few kids who grew up in the seventies didn't have the pleasure of viewing this tape in school, the library, or on television. We loved and learned the lyrics, the characters, and the lessons. It was so cutting edge for its time ~ boys playing with dolls, girls growing up to be firefighters, etc. Nowadays, our kids are weaned on computers, GameBoy, motor scooters and cell phones. Though we pray for acceptance, it's not always easy to teach our kids today. Watching this video with a child today probably won't have the same positive effect it did 3 decades ago, but they might still enjoy the stories. The stars are filled with talent, i.e. Mel Brooks, Marlo Thomas, Alan Alda, and sickeningly enough, a young and innocent Michael Jackson before his transformation. I still remember the words to each song, especially Rosie Grier's gentle, "It's Alright to Cry" and of course the title song, "Free to Be You & Me." I think this still belongs in a classroom, just not sure it will make as great an impact today as when it was released.
Every child, adult, and in-between should see this video! August 27, 2001
24 out of 25 found this review helpful
I recently became obsessed with this movie. I'd seen it in pre-school and somehow remembered the songs, stories, and humorous skits up through college. And I'm not alone! Others like me are frantically searching for this piece of their childhood, perhaps the only video to REALLY say to kids, "Just be yourself." A football player tells boys it's okay to cry, a fairy-tale tells girls they don't have to get married, and Mel Brooks and Marlo Thomas approach subjects like gender roles and childcare in four skits that can have even grown-ups laughing out loud. Though the song featuring a young Michael Jackson singing "We don't have to change at all" is extremely ironic and more than a little sad, the video is a fun experience overall. The book and soundtrack are also both wonderful tools to have in raising open-minded children, but I must admit that as cheesy as it sounds, it's the movie that really helped shape my life.
Simply Wonderful September 4, 2001
19 out of 19 found this review helpful
I have been searching for the VHS version of this production for 3 years now. Needless to say, I am beyond excited that it is being re-released on DVD. I was very influenced by this program when I first saw it in the third grade back in 1987. I was just learning how to be a best friend and how to deal with children teasing me for my very long and extremely coarse 'nappy' hair, my 'white' grandmother (she's biracial), and my 'funny' proper accent. Watching this movie in Mrs. Hammond's 3rd grade class was eye-opening. It taught me that it was okay to cry about things and to talk about how I feel to family, friends, and bullies. I am definitely going to buy this DVD for my 15 month old son and his 1 month old twin sisters so they can enjoy it. Oh, and the scenes with the baby puppets (a boy and a girl who teach kids about the differences and similarities between girls and boys) are must see--believe me. The scenes are extremely funny--I laugh just thinking about them--and are great for little kids and for dispelling some common social conceptions and misconceptions about gender & gender equality. This program will re-enforce the lessons my husband and I are trying to teach our kids--epecially since we are a multi-racial family who speaks 3 languages at home and travels between our two homes. DO BUY THIS DVD when it becomes available.
 The album probably carries the message just as well September 6, 2004
18 out of 20 found this review helpful
I purchased this DVD for my almost-three-year-old through a sentimental haze; I suppose I hadn't seen this on television since 1977 or so. Back in the day, this show was broadcast annually, so I couldn't remember it too well - the puppets in the hospital nursery was about it.
But I certainly still had the songs in my head (my record was played daily) as well as the ideas, and these I wanted to share with my son. So, I bought the book and the CD and the DVD, all to make certain my son knows he is free to be, darn-tootin'.
The DVD, however, has turned out to be somewhat of a letdown. As another reviewer wrote, it is dated. I can't see this show, in 2004, as the most effective vehicle to transport the message to little Sam. As for Mommy, I prefer to sing along with the CD, allowing my son to listen to what he's hearing and not get lost in (or perhaps bored by) what he's seeing on screen.
Somewhere on Amazon I read that the show was developed in response to the success of the record. This reassures me that the content is well-carried without the visuals.
Feel free to profit from my over-enthusiasm - I watched the DVD once after it arrived and probably won't again. And in Sam's book, the Free to Be DVD probably earns 4 stars, but ranks rather at the bottom of his must-see-for-the-43rd-time list.
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