A new Highlights documentary asks, “Are you more of a Goofus or a Gallant?”
Highlights magazine is a juvenile right of passage. Everyone flipped through it when they were kids, whether at home or in a doctor’s office, pondering whether they were more of a Goofus or a Gallant. Now, Highlights has inspired a documentary, 44 Pages: Creating Highlights Magazine, which just premiered at SXSW. The film, which was directed by Tony Shaff and produced by Rebecca Green and Laura Smith, follows the creation of the 70th anniversary edition of Highlights, with all its hidden picture puzzles and little life lessons. A.V. Club readers can check out an exclusive clip from the film above, featuring Highlights shout-outs from shows like Parks And Recreation, Arrested Development, and Black-ish. It’s a good reminder that, as the most popular children’s magazine in the world, Highlights helped shape a good portion of us modern day pop-culture nerds, whether we’re all that aware of it or not.