Film Club: ‘Pony Boys’ - The New York Times

Two brothers traveled alone from the suburbs of Boston to the 1967 World’s Fair in Montreal by pony cart! Do today’s children need more parent-free adventures?

“Pony Boys” is a 20-minute Op-Doc film that touches on themes of childhood, freedom and adventure. It chronicles the improbable journey of two boys from the suburbs of Boston to the 1967 World’s Fair in Montreal by pony cart! Now grown men, Tony and Jeff Whittemore recall a life-changing adventure made possible by a free-spirited mother who believed they could do it.

The film raises many fascinating and provocative questions: Did their parents do something dangerous, or was it a brilliant parenting move that taught lifelong lessons?

Would you want to go on an unsupervised trip like one the Whittemore brothers made in the film? Would you let your children do so? What is the value of parent-free adventures? Do kids today need more?

Students

1. Watch the short film above. While you watch, you might take notes using our Film Club Double-Entry Journal (PDF) to help you remember specific moments.

2. After watching, think about these questions:

What moments in this film stood out for you? Why?

Were there any surprises? Anything that challenged what you know — or thought you knew?

What messages, emotions or ideas will you take away from this film? Why?

What questions do you still have?
What connections can you make between this film and your own life or experience? Why? Does this film remind you of anything else you’ve read or seen? If so, how and why?

3. An additional challenge | Respond to the essential question at the top of this post: Do today’s children need more parent-free adventures?

4. Next, join the conversation by clicking on the comment button and posting in the box that opens on the right. (Students 13 and older are invited to comment, although teachers of younger students are welcome to post what their students have to say.)

5. After you have posted, try reading back to see what others have said, then respond to someone else by posting another comment. Use the “Reply” button or the @ symbol to address that student directly.

6. To learn more, read “Two Kids. One Pony. Hundreds of Miles to Montreal’s Expo 67.” Eric Stange, the filmmaker, writes:

Years ago, a neighbor told me an improbable story: When he was 9 years old, he and his 11-year-old brother drove a pony cart on their own for several hundred miles to attend the World’s Fair in Montreal.

It was the summer of 1967, and their journey from the suburbs of Boston to Expo 67 generated an outsize amount of press. Newspaper editors seemed eager to follow the hopeful story of the boys amid the troubling stories that dominated the front pages: civil unrest and escalating casualties in Vietnam. Over the course of their nearly monthlong trip, reporters detailed the progress of the brothers as they clip-clopped north at five miles per hour with King, their Shetland pony.

The national attention generated a flood of mail into the family home; some supportive, but much of it highly critical — accusing the parents of child neglect. Letter writers also expressed concern for the pony, King. A veterinarian was even called in, who deemed the pony healthy enough to continue the journey.

In the short documentary above, the “pony boys,” Tony and Jeff Whittemore, recount that as youngsters they were unaware of the controversial questions the trip raises. What constitutes responsible parenting? Did their parents do something dangerous, or was it a brilliant parenting move that taught lifelong lessons? What Jeff and Tony recall is a life-changing adventure made possible by a free-spirited mother who believed they could do it.

Want more student-friendly videos? Visit our Film Club column.

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

Adblock test (Why?)