Customer Reviews

Brother Future [VHS]

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Excellent video for teaching slavery and the Civil War. I've been using it for years but now it's time to update to DVD. For the most part, the video is appropriate for middle school-levels and above. It does have a few whippings and uses some racist language but students studying this period should be able to handle it. To my astonishment, the DVD company RUINED this movie by editing it down. I don't mean by a few minutues; it went from two hours to 72 minutes. What a joke; they must of been afraid of a few bad words and some tragic violence. The company is located in Utah; that explains it right there. If you want to use this, find the OLD VIDEO that's 120 minutes. The new DVD format BLOWS!

I teach South Carolina history to eighth graders and all of my students really enjoyed this film. It included all of our curriculum standards and really help to "make real" to my students what the life of a slave was like. It also emphasizes why it is important to study history. I don't often get requests from the students to own a video that we saw in class, but this really got their attention. I highly recommend it!

As a family, we loved this movie. It helped my daughters appreciate more the blessings of being free, getting an education and the joy of reading. The storyline was entertaining and although it didn't depict slavery in its "naturally brutal" state, it was a great way to introduce younger children to the horrors of our past in a mild way. It was awesome seeing the abolitionist, Denmark Vesey, portrayed. Very good acting as well. Highly recommended.

This movie touches the heart of many teenagers that fail to ascertain the importance of an education. I highly suggest that this movie become a part of every home's video collection, and every elementary school's and high school's library.

A must see.

I first watched this film in 5th grade. I have always been facinated by the Civil War and this movie stuck with me. Now my mom uses it in her 5th grade class room. It is an entertaining movie and it also teaches kids about that time in history.

As a teacher, it is often difficult to convey the hardships that people experienced in the past. But in the movie "Brother's Future," the students are given a glimpse into what life was like the antebellum South.

TJ is warped into the past, and learns the lessons of history the hard way. This movie is teacher friendly, and student approved!!

Enjoy.

The past and the present was well blended . This movie should be a requirement for all teenagers to see before entering middle school. The casting was excellent. Let's not forget the adults. Are there any opportunities you missed because of some classes that you did not take seriously? For all of us, knowing the past can help us deal with the future.

Nina Cassidy 1st
Brother Future Movie Review
Imagine being taken back in time against your will to 1822 where you are enslaved and have to find your way back home. This is what happens to TJ in Brother Future. When TJ gets hit by a car in Detroit, he is taken to Charleston, South Carolina in 1822. TJ is captured and enslaved by Master Cooper. He then finds out that to get back home he has to help someone and not get anything for himself in return, and he needs to think less about himself. In the end he helps Josiah and Caroline, two fellow slaves who are in love, get their freedom. He finally returns to Detroit in 1996, but he has learned a lot. I thought that this was an okay movie with both good and bad parts.
One reason I liked this movie was because of the good storyline and plot. I didn't like the parts where the slaves were whipped because you could hear their screams. I actually did think that the acting was pretty good, too.
I think many people would like this movie. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in the history of slavery and even people who aren't. I would suggest that sensitive people not watch the whipping scenes, though.

The older version is much better. Too much was cut out of the original. This kind of editing turned a great movie to a so-so movie.

When I saw this movie, I was in 5th grade (back in 1999). the film has a great storyline,I was able to learn about Denmark Vesey and who he was,and most of all: It has a powerful message. For those that want to see Brother Future, I strongly recommend this. I also recommend this for teachers (that want to show a great movie dealing with this situation mentioned in the movie and slavery) as well.