Classical Baby (I'm Grown Up Now): The Poetry Show (DVD)

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As you have probably guessed by now, the content in this episode is far from the poetry of Shel Silverstein. Whereas his "Where the Sidewalk Ends" and other work is more humorous in nature, Robert Frost´s "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening" is contemplative, while Woody Guthrie´s "Grassy Grass Grass" remains deceptively simple, repeating the same word or action three times in a row with different endings. The final selection is perhaps the best known, being Elizabeth Barrett Browning´s "How Do I Love Thee?"

As read by Paltrow, it comes off as being melancholy, maybe even a bit of a dower to end on. From a production standpoint, book ending the program with A-list stars (Sarandon and Paltrow) makes perfect sense. However, from an emotional standpoint, it´s the equivalent of Barney refraining from jumping, dancing and singing to end his show. But it´s a very minor issue, maybe even one most people will overlook.

VIDEO:
The packaging claims the program is presented in a full screen aspect ratio. Upon putting the disc in the player, though, we are greeted with a widescreen program. The end result appears free of most defects, aside from an odd distortion around some objects in motion only in certain segments. By and large, there isn´t anything to complain about here. The varied colors, especially in the final chapter, burst on the screen. And the dark colors come across equally impressively.

AUDIO:
The only option here is a regular English 2.0 track, about on par with what we could reasonably expect coming into the disc. Clear and free of any problems, even in the quiet segments, there´s nothing to sit up and take notice of…but nothing to draw attention to itself either. One of the particular highlights in Segment 10, "April Rain Song." It centers, unsurprisingly, on rain, which sounds as crisp as it would right outside the window. The only downside to the audio specs is the lack of subtitles.

EXTRAS:
Nothing, though it should be pointed out each poem gets its own chapter (for a total of 14 chapters), allowing quick access to your favorite.

PARTING THOUGHTS:
Inoffensive, engaging and filled with intriguing animation, this installment in the "Classical Baby" series is perfect for family viewing. How many discs out there can boast an appeal to every age group without any qualifications?