Product Details

• Actors: Rene Caudillo, Yvonne Caudillo, Shelby Knox, Amanda Noble, Ricky Waite
• Directors: Marion Lipschutz, Rose Rosenblatt
• Producers: Marion Lipschutz, Rose Rosenblatt, Jeremy Stulberg, Amy Kohn, Cara Mertes
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Docurama
• DVD Release Date: September 26, 2006
• Run Time: 76 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000GG4XYC
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,895 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  #2 in	Movies & TV > Documentary > Series & Studios > Docurama > Religion
  #6 in	Movies & TV > Documentary > Series & Studios > Docurama > Politics

• For more information about "The Education of Shelby Knox" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Shelby Knox--a wide-eyed, precocious activist--is the star of THE EDUCATION OF SHELBY KNOX, a riveting tale of one girl’s mission to bring sex education to schools in her ultra-conservative hometown of Lubbock, Texas. Bursting with original characters, including an intolerant preacher crusading for abstinence, Shelby’s skeptical but loving Republican parents, and Lubbock’s tiny-but-vocal gay youth movement, the film richly captures an unusual coming of age story. In a town filled with religious fervor, sexual ferment, abstinence-only agitators and teenage pregnancy, Shelby struggles with her conflicting values and comes to terms with her own sexuality. In the process, she becomes an endearing and honest guide to the national moral morass. Unafraid to tackle pressing, complex questions, the film is supercharged with religion, politics, sex and the cultural warriors and ordinary people who battle over these hot-button issues. Skillfully crafted by award-winning directors Marion Lipschutz and Rose Rosenblatt, THE EDUCATION OF SHELBY KNOX is "a pungent civics lesson on what can and cannot be accomplished by one plucky, idealistic girl." (The New York Times) DVD Features: Bonus Featurette; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thought-provoking and inspiring documentary about the making of a politically-savvy modern citizen, June 18, 2007

By	Jessica Lux (Rosamond, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"Life in Lubbock, TX has taught me two things: one is that God loves you and you're going to burn in hell, the other is that sex is the most awful, filthy thing on Earth and you should save it for someone you love." -- Attributed to Butch Hancock, The Flatlanders.



Shelby Knox made a purity pledge at age 16, just like any good Southern Baptist in Texas. Her fantasy boyfriend would be a fellow Broadways actor in Phantom of the Opera. She's never seen a condom or a penis (she guessed condoms might be black in color). She respects the pastor to whom she made her True Love Waits pledge, but she firmly believes that the church shouldn't be dictating the school's abstinence-only sex education platform.



The documentary is the story of Shelby's crusade to change sex education in her hometown of Lubbock, TX, which suffers astronomically high rates of teen pregnancy and STD transmission. Throughout the course of the movie, we watch Shelby mature from an outspoken and passionate high school sophomore to a confident, eloquent, convicted junior who is unafraid of even the most entrenched opponents. When a values coalition leader threatens to use his power to fire any city official who works with Shelby, and then tells Shelby not to undermine her own religious morality, she puts him in his place and firmly tells him not to question her personal relationship with God.



Shelby comes from a dedicated Republican father and compassionate Christian mother. Their order of priorities is God, Family, Country. Shelby does much soul searching during her campaign, talking with her pastor about her religion and its place in her school, as well as quizzing him on the church's stance on gays. By the end of the film, Shelby emerges as a fierce Democrat who has convinced her Republican parents of the importance of sex education but can't get them to budge on gay rights. This is as much the story of religion's hold on Lubbock as it is the making of a political activist. Shelby Knox reminds us all to act with passion about the issues close to our hearts.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Creation of an Activist, September 21, 2007

By	Bryan A. Pfleeger (Metairie, Louisiana United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Education of Shelby Knox is a rare film about a person who tries to make a difference in her world. The film focuses on three years in the life of Shelby Knox a Lubbuck, Texas teen as she fights for sex education in her school district.

Shelby Knox knew that the abstinence only policy of her school district was not working. Lubbuck has one of the highest teen pregnancy and teen STD rates in the country. As the newly elected member of the Lubbuck Youth Commission she tries to tackle sex education head on. We see her struggles with her peers, her community, her pastor, her parents and herself as she tries to reconcile her strict Southern Baptist beliefs with the world she lives in.

This is the rare documentary that gives an honest portrait of someone who is trying to make a difference. The struggles may not always provide the results that are hoped for but they do help to build a better world. Knox through her convictions grows as a person and as a citizen.

This is the type of film that if seen by more people would really make a difference. You may not share all of her beliefs but you cannot help but be proud of this young woman who stands up for what she believes in.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring, November 13, 2006

By	J. Rude (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

'The Education of Shelby Knox' documents the political awakening of a Texan teenager over the course of three years. The young activist Shelby Knox is inspiring, in her courage to ask difficult questions and in her unflagging drive to make her town and school a better place. In the process of telling Shelby's story, the filmmakers reveal the difficulties of individuals trying to enact policy changes in the face of officially sanctioned intolerance and hypocrisy, and they show a local government afraid to come to grips with the realities of human sexuality. I believe this film's relevance goes far beyond Lubbock, Texas -- in essence, it is a look into the heart and soul of America. Every parent and every teen should see this film.