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For grades 7-12

9 DVDs with Teaching Guides

Episode Descriptions

• Maple Ave: JENNY'S REASONS (dvd)

  Bridging the gap between education and entertainment, "Jenny's Reasons" provides a haunting look at teen depression and the often unwitting family dynamics that surround it.  The powerful, award-winning short finds its main character, Jenny, in the throes of clinical depression, unable to understand the reasons she "feels so bad all the time".  Deeply confused and desperately overwhelmed, Jenny makes plans to end her life - plans that are ultimately thwarted when her best friend, Tanya, confronts her and shares a dark secret of her own.

  Run Time: 20 minutes

• Maple Ave: GHOSTS IN THE HALL (dvd)

  The second episode in the award-winning "Maple Ave" series focuses on teen bullying and the tragedies inherent when parents as well as their teens unfairly label one another.

  Jim has reached the edge of violence after being the victim of incessant bullying.  Unfortunately, Jim's family doesn't help him cope with his problems and things get progressively worse.  In contrast, Jenny's family engages in healthy confrontations as they cope with their concerns following Jenny's period of depression, from the episode "Jenny's Reasons".

  Run Time: 23 minutes

• Maple Ave: THE HURTING (dvd)

  In this award-winning episode, series character, Ashley resorts to "cutting" to cope with an abusive father, who's regularly victimized her family as far back as she can remember.  Like a growing number of teens nationwide, Ashley regularly cuts her arms and legs, substituting her overwhelming inner pain and rage with an external pain that she is seemingly better able to manage. This last illusion is finally dispelled in a heart-wrenching finale that finds a desperate Ashley reaching out to a sympathetic teacher, Ms. Tanner, for help.

  Run Time: 21 minutes

• Maple Ave: P.S. I MISS YOU (dvd)

  This award-winning episode focuses on series regular, Tanya and the toll her family situation has taken on her in the year and a half following her older brother's suicide.  During this time, Tanya has been coping by helping others, but gradually this proves not to be enough, and she turns to drinking to ease her pain, in between haunting dreams about her dead brother. Ultimately, things get out of control and her best friend, Jenny intervenes to get her friend some much-needed help.

  Run Time: 21 minutes

• Maple Ave: HATING TAMI (dvd)

  Angela and her friends take every opportunity to make Tami's life miserable, even going so far as to pose as a boy interested in Tami on a social networking site. During the film, we are also introduced to Tami and Angela's respective parents, ultimately providing clues to their behavior and various life stressors. While Tami's hyper-competitve parents continually pressure their "A" student daughter to be the best at everything, Angela's single Mom appears more interested in being her daughter's best friend than her parents.  All the while, sympathetic teacher Ms. Hutchinson has been attempting to reach out to Tami but finds her reluctant to open up.  In a dramatic turn of events, Angela's cruel prank is uncovered - but is it too late?

   

  Run Time: 26 minutes

• Maple Ave: MORE THAN THIS (dvd)

  Living in the shadow of his older brother's past athletic glories, Donnie turns to steroid abuse to help him "measure up" on the basketball court. Not long after, he finds his life slowly spinning out of control as his girlfriend, Angela tries in vain to help him kick his addiction.

  In the meantime, Angela is also struggling to convince her friends, Dara and Lucy, that contrary to what they've read on the internet, anorexia and bulimia are not "lifestyle choices" but, instead, serious medical disorders. Angela should know; she too once struggled with bulimia but now finds herself reluctant to share this potentially helpful fact with her two misguided friends.

  Donnie's coach, Jack, is also struggling with intervening in what he suspects may be Donnie's steroid problem. However, once Jack's sister, Joy, reminds him of her son's tragic loss to drugs, he is forced to reconsider his position. Focusing on body image issues via steroid abuse and eating disorders, "More Than This" also strongly emphasizes the importance of doing right by others - even when it's personally difficult.

  Run Time: 27 minutes

• Maple Ave: PROMISE ME (dvd)

  Ann is forced to face the grim reality that her parents' addictions of alcoholism and problem gambling are slowly destroying her family. While her older brother Mike's quiet stoicism is sorely tested by their alcoholic mother's denial of reality, Ann's own initial reluctance is also an issue.  However, after Ann's father gambles away her college fund, she can no longer avoid the truth - and soon grows deeply depressed. Though her brother and best friend, Tami sense something's wrong, will they be in time to avert a potential tragedy?

  Run Time: 18 minutes

• Maple Ave: LOVES ME NOT (dvd)

  'Loves Me Not' focuses on dating/domestic violence from the POV of a 17 year old deceased victim named Cari. Cari was relentlessly beaten by her boyfriend, Marcos, and so viciously bullied by his friends after leaving him that she, ultimately, took her own life. Now Cari finds herself helplessly watching the same thing happen all over again to another girl, Sharon (Marcos' new girlfriend). Between her manipulative and violent boyfriend and her self-absorbed parents, Sharon would appear to have the deck stacked against her - but her best friend, Tina refuses to give up on her. Even as Sharon pushes her away, Tina desperately searches for a way to save her friend from meeting the same fate as Cari.

• Maple Ave: AFTER I'M GONE (dvd)

   

  The 9th and final MAPLE AVE episode, ‘After I'm Gone' takes a revealing and insightful look at teen suicide from the perspective of Cari (see ‘Loves Me Not'); a young girl who appears to have taken her life due to relentless abuse from her parents and peers. As Cari observes life from the other side, she meets Christine, an older more rebellious spirit, who reluctantly acts as her guide and confidante. Together they observe Michael, an artist friend of Cari's, who has also been the victim of bullying and abusive parents. As a desperate Michael begins to contemplate suicide, a helpless Cari is suddenly forced to revisit her own nightmares,...and  find a way home.  

   

  Run Time: 23 minutes

Pricing & Ordering

Awards & Reviews

Awards

Accolade Award - (2010)

Aegis Award - (Drama Finalist) (2010)

Platinum Remi Award - (43rd WorldFest-Houston Int'l Film Festival) (2010)

Special Jury Award - Remi - (42nd WorldFest-Houston Int'l Film Festival) (2009)

Silver Remi Award - (41st WorldFest-Houston Int'l Film Festival) (2008)

Omni Award (2007)

IFC Media Lab Award (2007)

Special Jury Award - Remi (40th WorldFest-Houston Int'l Film Festival) (2007)

Honorable Mention Award (Columbus International Film Festival) (2006)

Gold Remi Award (39th WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival) (2006)

Telly Award (2006)

Mid-Atlantic Emmy Nomination ('Outstanding Youth Programming') (2005)

National Health Information Award (2004)

Mid-Atlantic Emmy Nomination ('Outstanding Youth Programming') (2004)

Gold Telly Award (2004)

Gold Remi Award - WorldFest at Houston International Film Festival (2011)

Reviews

"I just watched 'Jenny's Reasons' and was very moved by it. These are such complex times - hard for adults to navigate so it must be especially difficult for teens. This video provides a wonderful opportunity to have dialog with teens about depression and the emotions they are feeling. I liked the fact that the depression Jenny was feeling was hard for her to understand and that it illustrated the guilt that she felt over feeling depressed when 'so many others in the world face much worse.' This video and the others in the 'Maple Ave' collection offer us unique opportunities to address real issues that teenagers face in today's complex world. These can serve as teaching tools that harness the power of television and address a real issue that is often not understood. I know that various community agencies that work with teenagers would find these resources invaluable. Thanks again for sending them.'

- Kim Kelling Engstrom, Education and Outreach Manager, WFSU, Tallahassee, FL

'MAPLE AVE really opened my eyes to the many issues that teens face today. It's been a few years - well, more like several years - since I was a teenager, and their issues are really a lot more complex today than when I was their age! MAPLE AVE's shows are very informative for anyone wanting to understand today's youth, and especially for someone working with teens like I currently do.'

- Wendy Winks, Regional Director Southern California, Paul Green School of Rock Music

'I grew up surrounded by the many issues your videos face, especially depression and self injury, I just wanted to say the videos are really good, they hit really close to home (made me cry) This is tough stuff..... Things DO get better, which is the reason WHY I like your videos, they provide Hope, and THAT's what more youth need to witness...'

- Ashley R., 'Maple Ave' DVD viewer

Story Summaries

System Requirements

Video Clips

PDF Samples

Teaching Guides

• Discussion Questions

• Writing Assignments

• Learning Activities

• Create Lesson Plans

Click on the title below for a printer friendly PDF file of the Teaching Guide.

• Volume 1: Maple Ave: JENNY'S REASONS (dvd) -English
• Volume 2: Maple Ave: GHOSTS IN THE HALL (dvd) -English
• Volume 3: Maple Ave: THE HURTING (dvd) -English
• Volume 4: Maple Ave: P.S. I MISS YOU (dvd) -English
• Volume 5: Maple Ave: HATING TAMI (dvd) -English
• Volume 6: Maple Ave: MORE THAN THIS (dvd) -English
• Volume 7: Maple Ave: PROMISE ME (dvd) -English
• Volume 8: Maple Ave: LOVES ME NOT (dvd) -English
• Volume 9: Maple Ave: AFTER I'M GONE (dvd) -English