Ruby Bridges [VHS]

This critically acclaimed film from "The Wonderful World Of Disney" features an all-star cast and is highlighted by a special introduction by President Clinton and Disney CEO Michael Eisner. The year is 1960. The place, New Orleans, Louisiana. When six-year-old Ruby (Chaz Monet) scores well on her local scholastic tests, she is chosen to be the first African-American student to integrate the local elementary school. Escorted to school by federal marshals, she is exposed to the ugliness of racism for the first time. Guided by the love of her family, the support of a white teacher (Penelope Ann Miller, CARLITO'S WAY), and a psychologist (Kevin Pollak, A FEW GOOD MEN), Ruby ultimately becomes an inspiration to all whose lives she touches. Also starring Lela Rochon (WAITING TO EXHALE) and Michael Beach (SOUL FOOD), RUBY BRIDGES is a film the entire family should watch together.

This well-conceived made-for-television Disney movie brings the pain and difficulty of desegregation to life for a generation of kids to whom the 1960s is ancient history. Young Chaz Monet plays Ruby, who in real life walked up those Southern school steps with armed guards barely shielding her from the hate-filled epithets white adults hurled at her as she single-handedly desegregated the institution. Penelope Ann Miller plays her Yankee teacher--actually a tutor, since no white kids will share her classroom. Kevin Pollak plays the psychiatrist who donates his time to help her deal with the trauma, but won't eat her mother's food. This 89-minute film offers surprisingly complex portraits of many of the adult characters and an admirably frank look at the less-than-positive reaction from her own community. Even her father (Michael Beach) waivers in resolution, especially when his white boss fires him. Superior acting, writing, and production mark this look at one of the uglier periods in American social history and the little girl who helped the country take a giant step in the right direction. Somewhat scary situations and use of racial slurs make parental guidance advisable for young children. (Ages 7 and older) --Kimberly Heinrichs