Product: NOVA: The Family That Walks on All Fours (2002)
Rating: 1.0
Sensationalist & Insulting.
I am teaching an introductory course on Biological Anthropology and decided to preview this DVD in hopes it might be suitable for student showing. It is not. It is one of the worst "evolution" and/or gene-focused documentaries I have ever seen.The movie starts out suggesting this family, in which several siblings walk on all fours, somehow marks a case of "devolution." This is both insulting and ridiculous. 1) this family is unique, but a single generation of abnormality does not evolution make (and it is insulting to suggest this to/of an already stigmatized family) 2) evolution is not a directional process, in any case!The approach of this movie is generally hodge-podge and dumbed-down (and incorrect in some places). But, what is truly unfortunate, is that there are many well-respected scientists featured in this program, and that what they have to say is often insightful-- their contributions are simply placed on even footing with the aspects of this movie that are not insightful or even reasonable.Documentaries like this are why many people misunderstand evolution as a process.