Don’t Forget ‘Journey’

How quickly they forget. It’s been less than a month since the phony and over-hyped “millennium” celebrations included a new short film directed by Steven Spielberg, “The Unfinished Journey,” which premiered at Washington’s Lincoln Memorial on the Dec. 31 live CBS-TV special “America’s Millennium.” This short about America in the 20th century, while uneven, showcases such characteristic Spielberg concerns as race relations, World War II, aviation and pop culture. Some of the visual passages are lyrical and deeply affecting, particularly those dealing with the civil rights movement.

But Richard Natale’s article on Spielberg’s current directing plans (“ ‘Sorcerer’s Stone’ May Get Spielberg’s Magic Touch,” Jan. 24) omitted any mention of his latest work as a director, with the article listing “Saving Private Ryan” as his most recent directing stint and the photo caption claiming that “Spielberg hasn’t directed in two years.”

JOSEPH McBRIDE

Los Angeles