The Bailey FamilyRevisited

National OfficeFilm Board national du filmof Canada du Canada

COURAGE TO CHANGE

COURAGE TO CHANGE

This film explores some of the long-term andimmediate causes and effects of poverty bylooking at a Canadian family in Montreal. Theeffects are readily apparent from several per-spectives — social, psychological, cultural, andmedical. The causes, however, are far moredifficult to pinpoint. Is poverty itself a symptomof a deeper malaise? Indeed, how does onedefine poverty?

Answers to the above questions cannot befound in dry analyses or by poring over statis-tics. The issue of poverty appears to be a verycomplex one that calls for some direct ex-perience of the phenomenon before we canreach for understanding.

Through its documentation of the current andformer circumstances of Kenneth and GertrudeBailey and their eleven children, and of theirtrials and tribulations, Courage to Change helpsgive audiences a personal experience of whatit is like to live in poverty. Its purpose is to ena-ble audiences to better understand the issue.

The film documents the daily life of the Baileysas the filmmaker found it in 1984, when, eight-een years after an initial film on their lives, theyagain agreed to be filmed. The originaldocumentary, The Things I Cannot Change, in-troduced Kenneth and Gertrude Bailey as acouple in their thirties who were struggling toraise a large family on a small income. Now,the Baileys are older and most of theirchildren have left home. What has changed inthe intervening years? Courage to Changereveals the fate of the Baileys, individually andcollectively, since the days of The Things ICannot Change.

As depicted in the 1966 black-and-white hour-long documentary, the Baileys had all theclassic characteristics of a "poor family,"living as they did below the poverty line in aworking-class district of Montreal. Tagged bysocial workers as a "multi-problem" family,the Baileys exhibited the problems associatedwith poverty in North American society.Kenneth, the father, was unemployed, his wifeGertrude was pregnant with their tenth child,and the family had to rely on charity for foodand clothing.

The film raised numerous questions. Kennethwas clearly a talented cook, so why couldn'the find a decent job? And why, if the familywas in such dire straits, were they havinganother baby? And where did the money comefrom to pay for the cigarettes both parents end-lessly smoked? It was clear the Baileys'problems were not just economic; there wereother causes as well. The problem of poverty,as revealed in this film, is complex and multi-faceted.

In The Things I Cannot Change, Kenneth andGertrude Bailey had nine children under the ageof thirteen and were expecting a tenth. Thecamera was there to capture the birth of thistenth child. So hopeless did their situationseem back then, that at the end of the filmone had to wonder, "How will this familymanage to survive until all these children reachmaturity?"

Courage to Change, the follow-up documenton the Baileys, shows the family did indeed sur-vive. The film explores the lives of nine of thethirteen members of the family. A final child,John, was born after the making of The ThingsI Cannot Change. This second film focusseson the parents, Kenneth and Gertrude, and onseven of their eleven children.

Heather Bailey, the baby born before our eyesin the first film, is now eighteen. She is stillliving at home, as are two of her brothers, Peterand John. Of the older children now out ontheir own, we meet Susan, the eldest girl,Debbie, who was badly injured in a car acci-dent, and two of the brothers, Kenneth Jr. andTom. Four of the Bailey children, Richard,Kathy, Theresa and Michael, do not appear inthe film.

At first sight, the present circumstances of thefamily seem greatly improved. But as the filmreveals more about the Baileys, we begin tosuspect that the earlier deprivation impingeson their current lives. Little formal educationand a background of insecurity and anxietyhave not helped the older children find workin today's tight job market. The father nowearns a respectable living as a cook, but onecan still glimpse the effects of previous hardtimes. Patterns of behavior that were evidentin the original film appear to have becomemore entrenched.

Yet despite these obvious difficulties, eachmember of the family demonstrates charac-teristic good humor, wit and charm. Their ob-vious love for each other, their compassion andacceptance, remind us that despite adversity,the Baileys are remarkable survivors.

COURAGE TO CHANGE

Background to the FilmsIn 1966, the issue of poverty in the midst ofplenty was at the forefront of public attention.In keeping with the mandate of the NationalFilm Board, a decision was made, in conjunc-tion with the Privy Council of the Canadiangovernment, to research and produce a filmabout the living conditions of Canada's poor.

These were still early days in the documentarystyle. To try to capture everyday experience "aslived" (cinema verite) was a relatively new ap-proach, but one that was enticing both film-makers and audiences. Tanya Tree, than anaspiring filmmaker, suggested such an ap-proach be applied to the topic of poverty inCanada and was granted funds for research.After several weeks of exploring the issue andpossible subjects for the film, she met theBailey family. In her view, they were excellentcandidates to illustrate the complexity ofpoverty, and they agreed to participate in theproject. The Things I Cannot Change was soonunderway.

Upon completion, this candid documentarywas broadcast on public television, where itreceived considerable attention. It was bothpraised for its sensitivity and realism, and con-demned as an exploitative invasion of privacy.Similarly, the Baileys were perceived alternatelyas the valiant victims of social injustice or astypical of the lazy poor.

For the filmmaker, such polarized reactions at-tested to the subjectivity of individual percep-tion and confirmed the complexity of poverty.Eighteen years after this first film, Ms. Treefound the Baileys again, and they agreed toanother documentary. Tanya Tree's hope wasthat this second film would shed further lighton poverty and answer some of her ownquestions.

About the FilmmakerFor Tanya Tree, the Bailey's situation reflectsthe paradoxes one finds in most aspects of life.Their lifestyle and circumstances seem not toyield to rational analysis. In her view, the twofilms about the Baileys provide neither thewhole story on this family in particular nor onpoverty in general. Each film offers only onetiny slice of life, one fragment of the wholepicture.

Like any other effort to capture and commu-nicate something about "truth," cinema veritehas its limitations. It is still the perspective ofone individual — a perspective bound as much

by camera angles and editing selections as bythe choices of what to shoot and when. Aswell, there still remains the problem of how thesubject, agreeable as he or she might be, isaffected by being a film subject. Behind boththese considerations is the deeper, more am-biguous question of exactly how filmmaker andsubject influence each other in their relation-ship to the camera.

At best, one might say, each film can provideonly limited evidence on which to base con-clusions about poverty. As such, each filmchallenges viewers to discover their own defi-nitions of poverty and their own relationshipto the materially poor.

For the filmmaker personally, meeting theBaileys and making The Things I CannotChange had a marked effect. As an only childfrom a comfortable, fairly affluent background,Tree was surprised and perplexed by the waythe Baileys managed to survive in what were,for her, profoundly insecure circumstances.Their cheerful stoicism and apparent confi-dence in the future could not readily find a slotin her beliefs about life. The encounter withthe Baileys challenged her habitual perceptionsand initiated deeper self-questioning.

As Courage to Change, the second film on theBaileys, winds its route through productionprocesses and is prepared for audience use,twenty years have gone by for the filmmakeras well as for the film subjects. In these years,her initial cultural shock of working with theBaileys has had time to settle into a differentunderstanding of the forces that shape humanlife. She has had to re-examine the relation-ship of the individual to society, and the in-dividual's capability as well as responsibilityfor shaping the future.

These are not simple questions. They call uponways of knowing that appear to be beyond thescientific paradigm that continues to informperceptions and modes of being in western so-cieties. For the filmmaker in 1987, the ques-tion of the things she can or cannot changeremains central.

She is uncertain where the quest for answerswill lead her. Her main hope about her filmsis that reflection about the fate of the Baileyfamily, as glimpsed through the cinema veritedocumentaries, may help others to have awider, more inclusive and more compassionateview of those seemingly chained to poverty.In her view, perhaps some adequate answerof how to help the poor can come only whenthose who sincerely wish to be helpers recog-nize and accept their own processes of "be-ing," and through such experience, attain thewisdom that can make the difference.

Audiences1. EDUCATIONHigh School (grades 10-13), CEGEP, University.Subject Areas: Social Studies; Science/SocialWork; Values Education; Health Studies; FilmStudies; Professional and Teacher Training;Community-based Adult Education.

2. HEALTH AND SOCIAL WORKPROFESSIONALS

This film is a powerful catalyst for discussionamong professionals. As well, it is an effec-tive tool for use with various clients; for ex-ample, drug-abusers and their families; juvenileand adult delinquents; and clients with othersocial/emotional disorders. Many clients canidentify with the social setting and thechallenges faced by the Bailey family and thusgain insights and more perspective on theirown problems.

3. COMMUNITY GROUPSThese films serve as excellent discussion-starters on diverse topics: family planning; al-coholism and drug addiction; education; theeffectiveness of social agencies; social and in-dividual responsibility for change; parenting;the effect of environment on individuals; theissue of poverty; ways to help the poor, espe-cially children of some poor; the notion ofequal opportunity, etc. Because the films touchon such subjects in an integrated fashion, theyare ideal for stimulating individual and groupanalyses of pressing social issues.

Suggestions for UseThe following discussion topics are divided intotwo broad categories: Attitudes/Belief Systemsand Factual Subject Areas. Teachers/animatorsmay wish to show the film(s) immediately, thenselect pertinent foci for discussion. Or, theymay prefer to initiate some discussion beforescreening the film(s). Asking participants toshare their views on poverty, then introducinga few of the attitudinal statements for their con-sideration is one effective way to deepen in-volvement with the issue and with the films.More of the attitudinal statements and someof the factual topics can then be discussed af-ter the screening. As well, the factual sugges-tions provide core areas for researching andwriting essays or oral presentations.

1. ATTITUDES/BELIEF SYSTEMSMany people have both conscious and uncon-scious attitudes towards poverty that may be

challenged or influenced by the films. The fol-lowing statements express typical attitudes.They can serve as effective catalysts for dis-cussion both before and after seeing the films.• The poor are victims of an unjust social

system.• People get what they deserve, and deserve

what they get.• The children of low-income families have as

much chance as anyone to be successful.• Children of low-income families may as well

not try, because they can never be success-ful at anything.

• The sins of the parents are visited on thechildren.

• People on low incomes should have smallfamilies.

• People live in poverty because they are toolazy to work.

• If people are poor, it's their own fault.

2. FACTUAL SUBJECT AREASStemming from issues touched upon in thefilms, these topics lend themselves to research,writing and oral presentations, as well as todiscussion.• A comparison of low-cost Canadian housing

for the poor in the sixties and in the eighties.• The effectiveness of social agencies in meet-

ing the needs of the poor, including someconsideration of how social agencies mightbe more effective.

• What are we not understanding about thepoor and about how they might best be ap-proached and helped?

• What is the "culture of poverty"? Provideexamples: spending habits; work and studyhabits; goals and expectations; degree ofawareness of opportunities, etc.

• Does a lack of material wealth and goodsnecessarily signify "poverty"? How ispoverty usually defined? What other defini-tions of the word are there?

• The role of alcohol in "poverty cultures," andin society in general.

• The role played by domestic violence: itscauses, its effects.

• The question of mental health and its rela-tionship to poverty issues.

• The role of education in the "culture ofpoverty."

• What have you learned, from seeing thefilms: i) about "the poor"; ii) about your-self and your perceptions?

• The problem of "objectivity" in research(myth of the "objective observer"; the rela-tionship of observer to research subject,etc.).

BibliographyArmitage, Andrew, Social Welfare in Canada.Adams et al., The Real Poverty Report (M. G.Hurtig Lid.); The Poverty Wall (McClelland &Stewart), 1970.Batchelder, A.B., The Economics of Poverty(Wiley).Berton, Pierre, The Smug Minority.Brookings, Reissman, et al., Mental Health ofthe Poor.Croll, David, Poverty in Canada (Report of theSpecial Senate Committee on Poverty).Czeny, Michael and Swift, Jamie, Getting Startedon Social Analysis (Toronto: On the Bias), 1985.Harp, J. and Hofley, J., Poverty in Canada.Krinshy, F. and Boskin, J., The Welfare State:Who Is My Brother's Keeper?Laxer, Robert M., Canada Ltd. The PoliticalEconomy of Dependency (McClelland & Stewart).Mann, W.E., Poverty and Social Policy in Canada(Copp-Clark).Puxley, E., Poverty in Montreal (Dawson CollegePress).Ross, David, The Canadian Fact Book onPoverty.

Written and Directed byTanya (Ballantyne Mackay) TreePhotographyKent NasonEdited byHedy DabSound EditorTanya TreeRe-recordingAdrian CrollProduced byMichael RubboandTanya TreeExecutive ProducerBarrie Howells

Courage to ChangeProduced and distributed by theNational Film Board of CanadaColorScreening time: 54 minutes 17 seconds16 mm: 106C 0186 0513/4": 1160 0186 051VHS: 113C 0186 051Beta: 114C 0186 051

The Things I Cannot ChangeProduced and distributed by theNational Film Board of CanadaB& WScreening time: 58 minutes 6 seconds16 mm: 106B 0166 0713/4": 116B 0166 071VHS: 113B 0166 071Beta: 114B 0166 071

© National Film Board of Canada 1987P.O. Box 6100, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3H5

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