1997

VHS Video

32 minutes

Making life choices

Spike Lee's much-heralded drama, Summer of Sam, underscores the need for this timely documentary. Millions of students have been influenced by Lee's re-creation of the murders. However, The Choice is Yours reveals the rest of the story.
    The "Son of Sam" held New York City in the throes of terror. For months during the mid-1970s, citizens of the United States' largest city lived with the terror of a serial killer on the prowl. At last, police arrested David Berkowitz and charged him with the murders. Berkowitz, who pleaded guilty to the killings, today is serving six consecutive life sentences. What drove him to take the path he chose when he became the "Son of Sam"? Why did he murder? Did Berkowitz wake up one morning and decide to become a serial killer? Or did he make a series of smaller choices that led him to these unbelievable crimes? Intercut with interviews of teens from all walks of life, Berkowitz recounts the series of poor choices he made as a young man. By exploring the kinds of feelings teens have and the sorts of decisions they make every day, this video will help your students understand the importance of making positive decisions about drugs, violence, the occult and peer pressure.

Outline:
Concept of choice; David Berkowitz's crimes introduced.
Concept of how small decisions affect later life; healthy and non-healthy rebellion.
Sexual activity, its physical and emotional effects applied to choices.
Choices: drugs, peer pressure, violence.
Berkowitz discusses personal responsibility and regret for choices he made.
Introduction of why bad choices are made.
Occult and its failure, Berkowitz's attempted suicide.
His only hope came from a personal faith and relations to right choices.

Teachers tell us:
"Excellent resource for counseling teens." - Student Assistance Counselor, New Jersey
"Good cultural mix of interviewees. Everyone in my class lives with or knows someone who looks like the young people in the video." - Teacher, New York

Student reactions:
"Made me think about similar situations and feelings I've had."