NewEnglandFilm.com

Most of us know the story of Bill Cosby’s son Ennis’ death, but many may not know that Ennis was dyslexic. Indeed, Ennis struggled through school until he gained an understanding of the way his mind processed information and learned to accommodate it. At the time of his death, Ennis was a teacher, helping kids cope with learning differences like his own. But Ennis Cosby was hardly the only celebrity with learning differences. Others include well-known actors: Danny Glover, Henry Winkler, Lindsay Wagner, and James Earl Jones. You can also include artist Robert Rauschenberg, Wall Street guru Charles Schwab, and Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner.

For his new documentary, "Ennis’ Gift: A Film About Learning Differences," Joshua Seftel has interviewed the celebrities above, plus a handful of children with learning differences, all of whom recount a similar tale of being frustrated in school, of being treated as if they were stupid, and, in the case of the grown-ups (who grew up before learning differences were approached as they are now), of eventually turning to other pursuits to prove themselves.

Narrated by Ed Bradley, the film moves between a variety of accounts, until it eventually settles on a handful of less celebrated subjects: CEO Don Winkler, who rises at 3:00 AM every day to "warm up" his visual memory skills; university dean Troy Brown, once known as "the dumbest kid in town"; Ann Bancroft, the only woman to have traveled over ice to both poles (and one-time cover girl for "National Geographic"); and science teacher extraordinnaire Vonneke Miller. The stories of their struggles are moving and encouraging. Again and again we hear that a learning difference, once understood and accepted, can be an asset to be used creatively to see the world with a different perspective. Thus, Rauschenberg didn’t have to liberate himself from the chains of the accepted parameters of art simply because he never felt them and Miller used her struggles in school (plus a healthy dose of stubbornness) to motivate herself to learn.

"Ennis’ Gift" is both informative and inspirational, making those without learning differences more aware of the difficulties faced by those who do have them. The film also lets those with learning differences know that there is hope, that their difference may actually be a strength not a weakness. Some viewers might leave wanting a more specific understanding of exactly how a different learner might perceive the world; indeed, the film shies from a more scientific analysis of the various learning differences, opting for an approach that is emotional and cultural, more social psychology than cognitive. It is clear, however, that this is truer to its purpose. The primary (and most appropriate) audiences for "Ennis Gift" are both those with learning differences and those who have responsibility for them. This film is certainly required viewing for kids, parents, teachers, and anyone else with compassion for his or her fellow beings.