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CM . . . .
Volume VII Number 3 . . . . October 6, 2000
It begins in a corridor of the Parliament Buildings, Ottawa. A huge portrait of a man with a rose
in his lapel, on his face, a bemused and urbane half-smile. Pierre Elliott Trudeau was Canada's
Prime Minister from 1968-79, 1980-84, and he had a dream for the country's future: "The
future was bilingualism." Fluently and expressively bilingual, Trudeau aggressively pursued a
policy of redefining the relationship between Canada's two founding European nations. He
dreamed of uniting the country through federal promotion of bilingualism and biculturalism. The
eight Canadians profiled in this documentary grew up during the Trudeau era; some had parents
who placed them in immersion programs, some went to "summer institutes" in another part of
Canada to live and experience the other official language, and all have a strong sense of Canadian
identity, culture, and nationalism. Interestingly, with the exception of a Coast Salish Native
Canadian, all are either English or French Canadian background - no "ethnic" Canadians tell their
stories. All are seemingly middle-class, well educated, hip, attractive young professionals with
interesting jobs. We learn about their families, their schooling, their travels, their love lives, their
kids, and yes, their politics. At times, the title, Just Watch Me seems too appropriate: there's
more than bit of navel-gazing here. It's certainly not about Trudeau, but about these eight cool
thirty-something Canadians. However, things get serious during the discussion of the 1995
Referendum vote; for all Canadians, the event was a turning point and, for this group, a watershed
experience. This nail-biter of a vote led all of them to question their belief in the ideology of their
youth, and some to consider bilingualism "a failed social experiment." Just Watch Me has its
strengths: the cool, MTV-inspired cinematography accompanied by a 70's/80's pop music sound
track make the 77 minute-long video, easy viewing. The 1995 Referendum sequence reminds all
generations Canadians of just how close we came to losing the country as we know it. But, "a
love story that takes us into the heart of an era and the hearts of the people who will shape
Canada's future" - as was said in the '90's, "NOT!" Just Watch Me provides some useful
background material for Canadian history courses, and it might be interesting viewing for students
in French Immersion programs, if nothing else, to give them a sense of why they are learning the
other official language. Preview before deciding to add it to your high school collection.
Recommended with reservations.
Joanne Peters is the teacher-librarian at Kelvin High School in Winnipeg, MB.
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.
Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association.
Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice
is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without
permission.
Published by
TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - October 6, 2000.
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