The Responsibility Project^®. Exploring what it means to do the right thing

52 Comments

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• April 9, 2008 by Lisa Renee Ballard

  I loved the movie. Not many words but a lot was conveyed. The background music was perfect for the movie.

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• April 9, 2008 by Beth

  According to Girl Scout regs, no girl younger than Cadette (11-12) should be out with cookie sales with no adult. A Brownie young enough to still need training wheels really should have a responsible adult with her. Given that, I realize it's just a film, and it is a well-done, good message. Thank you for sharing it.

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  • April 30, 2008 by Shula

    The movie carefully avoided making the girl any kind of official, existing scout. No need to quibble with Girl Scout regs, therefore.

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• April 15, 2008 by Judy Shores

  If only more people in the world had the integrity and courage the little boy in the movie had, the world would definitely be a better place to live. I definitely think this should be shown in every school, public and private to all children. It could leave a lasting impression for good and encourage children to want to do the right thing.

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  • June 28, 2008 by Beth Prenot

    Judy, we can show that film in every classroom in the world and some would get it. Those who would get would be the ones who saw courage and integrity modeled by someone they knew. Those who only saw distrust and dishonesty modeled would chalk the film up as a cute cartoon. If you and I want to see integrity and courage increase in this world then we have to live it. Albert Schweitzer was correct when he said "Example is the only way to teach." Its up to each of us to become the models we want the next generation to follow.

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  • April 30, 2010 by Andrew

    He's not courageous though, he probably says about five words in this video, and it covers at least a day if not more. He's a shy kid. If he weren't, he could have just yelled louder at the girl while she was riding away. Plus, how many courageous kids hang out beside gas stations? Not many.

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  • August 22, 2010 by Chaz

    Just Classic, both this film and you the viewer have totally discounted the RESPONSIBILITY held by parents in any society to pass along and yes Beth, to teach through their example social / moral responsibility. One of the greatest contributors to our society's failure in science, math and even history education is that more and more classroom time is diverted away from real teaching to social / ethical efforts that have abjectly failed to yield any gains.

    Showing this film in the classroom would do two things. It would give those who lack the moral background a good laugh at the totally unrealistic setup of this story. Do you honestly think the two bully characters would have let him get away with those cookies in the first place? Some would claim that this film would bolster kids in the classroom to do the right thing by showing them the way. The only kids who could even relate to the right thing would not need bolstering, because they would simply be seeing their own values played before them and soon to be opened up to ridicule by those who don't have the same value set upbringing.

    Yes, I am a 20 year veteran teacher; and I've seen how futile are the efforts to do a parent's work inside the classroom. Get social reform out of the classroom and let teachers teach. I represent the third generation of a four-generation teaching family, and I can tell you what my grandmother discovered about this effort to proselytize students in the classroom.

    "Teachers are not preachers, and preachers are not teachers."

    Education comes from the Latin base that means "to guide"; even the word "teach" comes from a Latin root meaning "to show." "Preach" simply means to say or proclaim. I'll bet that most people would rather be shown how to disarm a bomb than simply told how to do so.

    It is the home that carries the responsibility to educate kids about moral behavior. That venue is where those values can truly be shown and exemplified.

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    • November 7, 2010 by camila

      how old r yall peoples yall talk like teachers an grownups man

• April 20, 2008 by Bob Perks

  In that special place I call "Disneyland in my mind," this really would happen. The dreamer in me believes that it does in fact happen. Thanks for taking me there. I love to visit and wish I could live there. (smile) "I Wish You Enough!" Bob Perks

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• May 3, 2008 by Marlo

  Sadly, I think the 2 little girls in pink, yelling "Thief!" are the most realistic characters in the movie. Worse yet, I think that in the "real world," the little boy would have taken the cookies home & asked his mother what to do, whereupon she would have told him that if he didn't know the little girl, they'd probably never find her anyway, so just go ahead and eat them. Que sera, sera & all that, she'd probably say. The old lady on the scooter is probably pretty realistic, too. She's from a different time, when people helped each other & tried to do the right thing just because it was the right thing to do & for no other reason. And we wonder what's wrong with the children of today. (sigh.) So, I'm jaded & cynical. Oh, well. . .

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  • May 7, 2008 by Nicole Baumgartner

    I honestly think that this wouldn't happen in real life, the little boy going to such lengths to return the cookies. I wish I had that kind of integrity. I'd probably do what you said, Marlo, take them home and if I didn't know the girl and couldn't find her, I'd keep them. I probably sound evil or something, but how much can you really do if you couldn't locate the person? An ad in the paper could maybe help, but even that can only do so much and ads are expensive. People would probably vandalize paper signs like Mandy and Lester made, tear them down or something.

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  • May 16, 2008 by Mike McKee

    Marlo, there are many, many people in the world who would go to such great lengths. I am one of them, and my 5 year old son is another. I'm no saint, but I do try and have gone to great lengths to return items, and generally help those in need. I do not have enough savings to purchase a house, and yet I give money to charities which help those most in need. I spend time talking to my neighbors who are elderly and lonely, and even some "off" types who are good people but who maybe don't adhere to social norms because they're a little skewed in the head. I daily sacrifice career choices to spend time with my kids - learn who they are and listen to their worries and dreams. I am always open to criticism and always ask the question can I be a better human being in the world. Generally speaking, movies, books, stories of one kind or another, are allegories meant to encourage us to look within and ask what would WE do, not whether or not "that would happen." I do agree most people in this country suck - materialism, greed and avarice abound so much that this little film is touching - it should be boring because that sort of behavior is commonplace. But I have to say, the saying is true that the world is what you make of it. The more kindness and thoughtfulness and SELF SACRIFICE I put out there the more comes back to me. Those nasty, tight-faced Gucci-greedy women with their stern looks and bodies racked with tension who are so horridly rude to retail personnel - they bother me less and less - I see them as isolating themselves from life, running from death with such fervor and terror - you can see the terror in their eyes - that they're missing each day of their own life. I see the tragedy in their eyes, the estranged children, the eroded esophagus from binging and purging. They're lost and all their airs of superiority only serve to further isolate them from the life the so desperately want to hold on to forever. Their angry husbands bullying their way through life - massive coronary at 45 - I don't even SEE these guys any more - they're like invisible to me. If I encounter one in my work, I won't give them my business nor take theirs, either. Life is about making connections, positive connections with others, not superiority over them, nor the attainment of more cookies, not the voracious and conspicuous consumption. I come from wealth, but have none of my own and likely will not inherit any. I have attended elite schools and lived among the very rich, old money and new, and I can tell you that money does not a happy person make. Possession is empty - it gives a false sense of security which must be perpetually refreshed. I have seen so much alcoholism, drug abuse, suicide and low self-esteem in those communities it's just STUNNING. Wealth, possession - they are empty pursuits. Sure - take care of yourself and your family - you don't have to live in a hut with a dirt floor. But... Ask yourself, - would the film have been so compelling, so fulfilling, if we had watched the boy sit down and eat the cookies while he watched "The Suite Life of Zach and Cody" on the Disney Channel? Nope. THAT's what this film is about. Choices. Ultimately, YOUR DAILY choices. So take this film, this simple, predictable, adorable little story, and ask yourself how you can be more the person you admire in the film. The world can change, one person at a time, and if you work to bring all the good in yourself out into the world, if you really sacrifice your time and money to help others, the rewards are, well, beyond any monetary value. If you want to be cynical, then ask yourself why Liberty Mutual is running this campaign. Would Liberty Mutual hunt you down if they found YOUR cookies???????????? But, whatever. It's a great campaign and maybe it'll make a few people take a look at their lives.

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    • May 24, 2008 by Carrie

      Everything in life is a choice. If you don't like the choices you have made… make another one. I also go out of my way to see others happy and successful. I’m not bragging. I say this humbly and hope that the world can take a lesson from the humility conveyed. Well done.

    • May 30, 2008 by Beth Prenot

      All people are inherently good, with their goodness only blocked by their inability to focus on the present. Are the angry husband and complaining elderly women less deserving of kindness because something in their mind blocks them from delivering it. Our brains are very interesting structures and our bodies create built in safety vests. A person can experience all sorts of painful messages. When the pain message is unbearable for the individual at the time it is experienced their body steps in to protect them by giving them an appropriate way of handling their terror appropriate to their level of understanding and hiding that terror from view. Though the person experiencing the terror no longer knows they experienced it, the body gives them invisible puppet strings so they will use some sort of protective action or strategy to help avoid experiencing that particular terror for the rest of their lives. Only recently through application of research on 4 major brain waves has medical science found ways to clip the puppet strings and allow people in a safe environment at an age when understanding is possible to take a look at what happened. Let me assure you that facing your terrors is not easy. Having gone this route I can assure you that the experience of each incident is relatively short, only a minute for some and only a few minutes for the most frightening. Perhaps another time I'll share more on this aspect. The inner joy and freedom felt once all of ones invisible puppet strings are clipped is indescribable as anyone who has been brave enough or desperate enough to try it has discovered. Please treat all people with love no matter what they dish out. The world of spirits needs us each. Yes, even that person who is belligerent, cruel, snappy, or just plain mean. Kindness heals. Yes the speed is turtle like in slowness, but so what. True love under which all life thrives is comprised of unending faith, hope and patience.

  • October 15, 2008 by denise dangelo

    The movie looked like it took place in the 70's- I don't think a lot of people would have gone through the trouble to find the owner of the cookies. People just aren't like that today. Children need better examples of being responsible and honest.

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  • May 4, 2010 by Alan

    Well, he clearly saw the girl ride away. If he were to go to his mom, then it would be that she or him would find out who the girl was. If it was a box of cookies lying on the street with nobody seeming responsible is a different story

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• May 9, 2008 by Aaron Morris

  Look beyond the box of cookies. It doesn’t matter if it is a box of cookies or a suitcase full of money, it's the same deal. Quit nit-picking at the reality of the film, it’s a cute metaphor to convey a meaning. Well done, I'll say. I enjoyed the film, an uplifting reminder to why we do the right thing. Tomorrow I will be thinking of my actions as how I can help the world around me, and it certainly could use a lot more of it. I'm glad I watched it, and hope that more people will feel the same.

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• May 9, 2008 by Francois Potvin Naud

  I really liked it. The little boy reminds me of myself... I work as a convenience store clerk and one day somebody lost $20 and I saw it. I took it and kept it for a later time when I would see the guy again, as I had seen him often before. One month later, I met him and gave him back the $20. He laughed at me and took it, calling me a stupid freak. It's really a sad time when acts of kindness get frowned upon ... but, well, I know I did the good thing. This little boy is really kind and cute. This could probably end as a very lasting friendship.

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  • May 25, 2008 by Mike McKee

    Too bad that dude had that reaction. I have learned that more often than not, these types of reactions are a transference of the shame, people like that feel, knowing they would NEVER do something thoughtful like that. I have also learned, those who are generally insensitive are HUGELY threatened by those who are sensitive - and thoughtfulness is just one sign of sensitivity. Historically the sensitive kids tend to be teased and bullied and ultimately shunned by the insensitive types because they are TERRIFIED by sensitive people. It's like we have a 6th sense - we can perceive things in ourselves and others that they can't. Kindness and sensitivity can be enormously threatening. The insensitive types - they really don't know any better, though I wish they would try, because you CAN learn to be more kind and sensitive in the world. Movies like this, I hope, will help inspire such retrospective exploration.

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  • June 2, 2008 by Shula

    The guy you gave the money back to, who spoke to you so rudely, probably felt embarrassed. See...he may have felt that you made him "look bad" since he would never have done that. This is definitely *his* problem, and not yours. In fact, in order for him to not feel embarrassed in the future, he probably will be much more likely to return things in the future. You did good.

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  • February 6, 2010 by Sherry

    I liked the film but wished the girl would have know how sweet the boy was! After all, she got "credit" for returning his glasses... :) Had to comment to Francois's post. After feeling the warm fuzzies from viewing the film.. and then to see your story put things into perspective. But, REALLY! The guy laughed and called you a Stupid Freak for returning his money?? Too bad it was in his hands, or you could've politely said, OH, I thought you were someone else, my mistake. And donated the money to charity... [SIGH!]

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• August 26, 2008 by iorek

  It makes no sense to me that he doesn't knock on the door or ring the bell, or even say something when Mandy sells him the cookies at the end. How unsatisfying!

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  • September 30, 2008 by Ray

    Iorek -- That's part of the whole point: selflessness and responsibility. Doing the good deed merely for the act of doing it and requiring no acknowledgement or reward (whether monetary or not) - the purity of "doing the right thing". The act is the reward. It's not unsatisfying at all. It's merely a different mindset sadly missing from today's world. This thesis is part of the beauty of the film. Nice stuff: I found this quiet gem after being referred here from another article about the young boy of this film playing the young Jason Vorhees in the upcoming Friday the 13th prequel. One lingering tidbit does bother me: when he confronts the twins after they take the cookies, he leaves his backpack behind on the ground. What happened to the backpack? Clearly, it is time for an "Extended Edition" to be released!

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• October 11, 2008 by someone

  OK lol this time around from my other movie comments on this web site which has a wide range of films I thought funny, but I made references to the whole banking mess, well unfortunately not this time sooooo... here goes. Napoleon Dynamite and back to the future all mixed into 1. So Lester what are you gonna do today? (Lester says) "whatever i feel like GOSH".. anyway with the 2 bullies "hey McFly" "hey Biff" minus the I hate manure part cause granny swoops in on her high powered scooter from the future and saves the day. Whew there it is, anyway the past was saved, they grow up have children together, eat girl scout cookies often, and now Marty McFly is safe in the present...the end

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• April 14, 2009 by Robyn Smith

  It makes me sad to see so many comments about how people are just not this way today anymore, willing to go out of the way to do what is right. I know several people who would go out of their way to do good and they live a much fuller life for it. I think the purpose of this campaign is to show that there are people who do the good and responsible thing and regardless of the lack of praise for the good deed or even that the person who receives the deed knows who did the deed or even appreciates it, doing the deed is what counts. My daughter when she was 4 years old when coming upon a vagrant begging for change in the fast food parking lot, reached into her pocket and gave him all of the change she had (which I think was about 35 cents). As we walked away I explained to her that the man probably had more money than we did and you just can't trust people and that she should not give money to beggars who probably did not deserve it. She looked up at me with her big innocent eyes and said "But I still get the blessings". I stopped in the parking lot and realized that I was teaching her that we should only do good to those that deserve it when the true test of selflessness was to do good to those that don't deserve it. That lesson from my daughter changed my life. I started that day to try to do the right thing regardless of reward, or recognition, or whether someone deserved it. My life has been so much richer because of that lesson. Never underestimate the difference that one person can make. You may not see the result, but will be remarkable, nonetheless. I challenge you all to try it. You can't change anyone's actions but your own, but you can change yours and that will make all the difference in your life. Namaste.

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• June 6, 2009 by Sue Hatfield

  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

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  • May 8, 2010 by cca

    Is bypassing regulations more important than any girls safety? Does anyone think the GS reg. is a bad idea? Think of your own girl(s) - for example. Schula: may I recommend the film "Lawyer" on this same site. http://www.responsibilityproject.com/films/lawyers#fbid=izvSx6cgmgn

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• June 18, 2009 by Sunny Singh

  This is probably one of the best examples of karma. Excellent film.

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