Seeking Mavis Beacon: An Interesting Look At Identity

In the late 1980s, Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing was released and changed the way people learned how to type efficiently. The way the learning process was gamified changed the way educational programming was designed for people of all ages. The woman who appeared on the cover however was never given her chance to receive recognition for the impact she had with her likeness being used on the software because she virtually vanished from the public eye after she appeared on the cover. The documentary Seeking Mavis Beacon seeks to find out what happened to this woman so she can be recognized for her impact.

Seeking Mavis Beacon follows investigators Jazmin Renée Jones and Olivia McKayla Ross as they attempt to find the original cover model who appeared on the box for the PC game Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. During their investigation, they dive into the cultural impact of having a woman of color in this authoritative role as well as what happened behind the scenes of the production that led to this decision.

In terms of the style, the documentary is more modern with the filmmakers taking an active role in the narrative. Considering the movie is ostensibly about the investigation into the life of the woman who was on the cover, it makes sense that the investigators would be the main objects of the documentary, however the way they dovetail the personal experiences of these two women does a lot to create a sense of perspective that proves intriguing. On top of this, it allows for the investigators to both develop as people and allow for the shifting landscape of current events to shift the lens of the investigation.

The documentary also has a lot to say about the preservation of media, considering that preservation goes beyond just making sure software exists in its original form. Video games and software are fundamentally made by people who make choices in much the same way that movies are filmed, books are written, and other art is made. As such, the documentary taking the time to peek behind the scenes at the process and the issues that came around after release does a lot to shed light on what happened to make this game become the cultural touchstone it is.

Seeking Mavis Beacon does everything that one would want from a documentary. It is engaging, heartfelt, and informative without feeling like it is overstaying its welcome or feeling like it is overloading the viewer with information. It will be interesting to see what this filmmaker will bring to the table in future films and how this film is received in its wide release.

Final Rating: 10/10

Seeking Mavis Beacon screened as part of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Information regarding a wide release is not available at this time, however Neon appears to be handling the release of this film.