Viewing Guide: The Healing Powers of Dude
As a part of our response to the Covid 19 outbreak and schools moving to remote learning, we suggested to our participating teachers that they share The Healing Powers of Dude with their students. We created a viewing guide to help students process the messages embedded into each episode. Everyone will love this show from beginning to end. While it definitely targets a younger audience, say ages 10 -16 or so, it’s appropriate for the whole family. And because of that, we've put together a handy discussion guide that will help you turn this viewing experience into an opportunity to reflect on the themes of friendship, empathy, and ableism that are so deftly represented for a young audience.
About the Show
The Healing Powers of Dude debuted on Netflix in January this year, and it immediately caught my attention, along with that of the other TNP staffers. The show follows a group of three tween misfits as they navigate their first year of middle school, but focuses primarily on Noah and his struggle to return to a typical school setting after being home schooled.
Why We Love It
There’s a lot to love about this lighthearted show. It teaches solid lessons about friendship, about making mistakes and dealing with the consequences, about being honest and sharing your story so that people can help you when you need it. But it’s also significant in the way that it draws attention to disability and difference. Noah has social anxiety disorder, an invisible disability, which makes middle school - a near impossibly challenging social environment to begin with - feel insurmountable, at times. Noah’s parents get him an emotional support dog, Dude, to help him adjust to school, which draws both positive and negative attention.
On his first days back at school, Noah happens upon two kids with whom he’ll quickly form a tight bond. Simon, a goofy, unaware extrovert who dubs himself “Turbo,” and Amara, an intelligent, precocious character who is also a wheelchair user. What’s remarkable about Amara’s character, besides her quick wit and ability to read people, is that her character is portrayed by Sophie Kim, who has Muscular Dystrophy. It’s been noted recently that representation of characters with disabilities is sorely lacking in film and tv, and even more discouraging is that often the actors that portray people with disabilities are not disabled themselves. Sophie shares more about the importance of representation in The Healing Powers of Dude in this clip.
Real Impact
As a part of our response to the Covid 19 outbreak and schools moving to remote learning, we suggested to our participating teachers that they share The Healing Powers of Dude with their students. We created a viewing guide to help students process the messages embedded into each episode. One of our schools, JPPS-Bialik in Montreal, Canada, completed this activity with their students in Grade 5 and shared about it on social media. In response, the creators of the show, Erica Spates and Sam Littenberg-Weisberg, offered to join the class for a Zoom call to answer students’ questions and share more about the show. To the students’ surprise and delight, Sam and Erica invited two of the cast members from the show - Sophie Kim and Mauricio Lara - to pop in and say hello to the students! After the meeting, the students reflected on the experience of watching the show together and speaking with the cast and creators. Check out what they had to say:
I think most of the schools that are doing the Nora Project should watch the Healing Power Of Dude because it teaches kids that your soul is stronger than your look. In other words you may look different on the outside,but you are even more courageous on the inside. Also if you look similar on the outside you may be scared on the inside. -Bezalel
I think that from watching this show I now understand that even though someone may look like they don't have a disability they may have a very serious one that affects them alot. -Liana
All schools that are a part of the Nora Project should watch this because it's a really good show, it teaches you to be kind and empathetic. Also teaches you to be a good friend to everyone. -Amanda
I was touched that Sam produced the show for his brother and through the audience watching the show, they can get a snapshot of what social anxiety is or feels like daily. -Alyssa
When the people from the healing powers of dude came into our classroom I was beyond shocked. I was so nervous I would embarrass myself. I got used to them and was soon comfortable, I was brave enough to ask a couple of questions like when I asked Sophie, ”can you sing for us?'' -Nessa