The Big Picture

Seeking Mavis Beacon celebrates representation and Black joy in technology. The documentary uncovers scandals in Mavis Beacon’s history and examines her impact. While engaging, the film lacks focus, with cluttered editing choices and a failure to fully engage with its many interesting questions.

Full disclosure: Mavis Beacon unfortunately did not teach me how to type. Instead, I was taught by a time-traveling wizard in a game called Type to Learn 3. I guess there were two previous versions, but I don’t know. All I know is that, after watching this documentary, I’m bummed that I missed out on Mavis — both she and her original model, Renée L’Espérance, had a beautiful impact on the world.

Seeking Mavis Beacon Investigates the disappearance and reexamines the legacy of one of the most influential Black women in technology. Release Date January 20, 2024 Director Jazmin Jones Cast Jazmin Jones , Olivia McKayla Ross Runtime 102 minutes

What Is ‘Seeking Mavis Beacon’ About?

As its title suggests, Seeking Mavis Beacon centers on two young women — filmmaker Jazmin Jones and coder/self-proclaimed “cyber doula” Olivia McKayla Ross — attempting to locate L’Espérance. There hasn’t been a sighting of her in 26 years, and there are conflicting accounts of both where she is now and how she came to be the model of the technology created by software engineers Joe Abrams, Les Crane, and Walt Bilofsky in the first place. Some say she went back to Haiti, while others believe she’s still in the US. There are rumors that this was her first modeling job, while other accounts say she was an accomplished model in the Caribbean well before becoming the face of Mavis Beacon. Joe claims he scouted her from behind a perfume counter, but maybe it was Les’ girlfriend at the time, Sondra Blake, instead.

There is a lot of competing information to weed through, and it’s compelling to watch Jones and Ross put on their detective hats. Jones is a talented interviewer, particularly when it comes time to talk to the engineers, and Ross is an exceptional investigative reporter, digging up some truly shocking — and damning — evidence regarding lawsuits and settlements. Let’s just say, it’s safe to assume L’Espérance was probably not compensated fairly after the technology’s massive success. Surprising? No. Disappointing? Absolutely. Jones and Ross are fearless about asking questions, unafraid to do what it takes to “give L’Espérance her flowers” and preserve her rightful place in history.

Speaking of history, we get some illuminating information regarding the origins of Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. Not to spoil too much, but the mystery of where L’Espérance is begins to fall apart after a point, and looking at her legacy becomes the more captivating narrative thread. One woman describes L’Espérance as having a nearly ethereal aura about her, while Blake notes that “the way she walked, the way she behaved — it was like poetry in motion.” It’s interesting — though, again, sadly not altogether shocking — that orders for the typing software were cut in half after Les’ idea to put a Black model on the cover. And the fact that it went on to become the #1 educational tool despite that shouldn’t be shocking, either. Not if you talk to its passionate fanbase.

‘Seeking Mavis Beacon’ Makes It Personal
Image via Sundance

Thankfully, Seeking Mavis Beacon puts faces to the fans. The typing game was a powerful moment of representation for the Black community, and the documentary showcases several beautiful testimonials from those who grew up playing it and how it impacted them. Not only did the game inspire young kids to go after their dreams and be more trusting of technology, but it also helped an older demographic as they entered the workforce, allowing them to hold down jobs that required keyboard skills. One interviewee says Mavis Beacon encouraged them to reflect on the importance and euphoria of representation at a young age. “If she was white, I wouldn’t think about it, unfortunately,” they share. In addition, we also get clips (the first of many, many clips — some of which enhance the topics being discussed, some of which feel like clunky clutter) of Mavis Beacon being mentioned in pop culture, like on Abbott Elementary and by Oprah.

The documentarians themselves speak about their passion for Beacon, too, which shines through throughout the film. Ambitious, smart, and enthusiastic, Jones and Ross make for a dynamic duo, and it’s impossible not to root for them and get emotional. However, the way they decide to integrate more personal storylines about themselves only tangentially related to their mission is puzzling at best and confusing at worst. For instance, at one point, we are thrown into a scene where Jones is arguing with whoever manages her workspace about them having taken her decor down — something that feels like it comes out of left field since we haven’t established tension there before. The lack of context from previous footage or talking-head reflections makes it difficult to understand what we’re witnessing. Ross’s relationship with higher education and her road to college is slightly more straightforward but still too thin and sudden to contribute to the overall narrative they’re building.

‘Seeking Mavis Beacon’ Tries to Tackle Too Much
Image via Sundance

And that’s the biggest problem with Seeking Mavis Beacon: it tries to bite off way more than it can chew. I found myself appreciating the risks the filmmakers took and the experimental nature of the documentary, but unfortunately, I didn’t find myself liking most of the choices, nor did I find them especially effective. The documentary meanders quite a bit, with some interviews — like the one with Scottish writer Shola Von Reinhold — feeling random and haphazardly thrown in. There are so many instances I found myself going, “Wait, whose house is this again, and what are they doing there?” that could have been solved with a few words of clarifying on-screen text. Perhaps the lack of repeating key information and quick jumps from one subject to another is supposed to reflect the tangled web of their information, but it can be a frustrating experience and a chore to try and follow.

Every topic Seeking Mavis Beacon tackles is noble and worth talking about, but it skims over them all too quickly to have a meaningful dialogue. The idea that most robots in service roles are coded as female (think Siri and Alexa) is fascinating, as is the fact that most robots have light skin. But the gender and racial implications of this aren’t delved into. It’s mentioned, sure, but only briefly. The same goes for the complex ethical questions about AI, digital identity, and whether you can separate technology from its developers. Instead of one strong point of view, there are a lot of half-formed ideas floating throughout its 102-minute runtime, and that makes the film feel infinitely longer than it actually is.

There’s a lot to like about Seeking Mavis Beacon, and the documentary is at its best when it feels like a celebration and tribute to the technology and its elusive cover model. Overwhelming and chaotic editing choices, however, detract from its overall impact, and what makes the film authentic and special threatens to get drowned out. It’s far from a perfect documentary, but at the end of the day, you have to admire Jones and Ross for going after their dreams and being willing to take a multitude of risks to get this film made. The film may still be seeking some focus, but I know I’ll still be seeking out whatever they both do next.

Seeking Mavis Beacon REVIEWSeeking Mavis Beacon is a fascinating story and intriguing experiment in structure, but it bites off more than it can chew ProsThe documentary acts as a beautiful celebration of representation and Black joy. It effectively examines Mavis Beacon’s impact and uncovers illuminating scandals in its history. The documentary is unafraid to experiment and takes risks with its format. ConsThe documentary’s editing choices can feel cluttered and confusing. There is a lack of focus on the main narrative throughline. The documentary raises many interesting questions but fails to truly engage with most of them.

Seeking Mavis Beacon had its World Premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.