sharing classic films with children

i have to admit it, as a kid, and even as a teenager, i really did not like classic movies. i dreaded the annual december viewing of 'it's a wonderful life' and 'white christmas'. color was my friend, black and white- not so much. funny how being a parent beckons you to see things from different lenses. we are now drawn to classic movies with their simple themes and slower pace.

if you are interested in sharing classic movies with your children, but not sure where to start, here is a list of our favorite classic films. save them for family movie night and enjoy them with your children!

1. the circus

this charlie chaplin film is the best! yes, it is silent, but the slap-stick keeps the kids cracking up through the whole thing. and it's lots of fun to create dialogue as you go! definitely one worth seeing. sidenote: you also feel pretty cool when your kids are talking about that 'charlie chaplin film' to strangers at the store. reason enough! : )

2. rebecca of sunnybrook farm

is there anything cuter than shirley temple? i mean really, this girl was a marvel! this is our favorite shirley temple film of late. we have seen others that have fallen flat, but the kids really enjoy this one. and you can choose color or black and white. last week we watched it in color, this week they want it in black and white. the music is great and the dancing is so fun! i can just see the wheels in moonpie's head turning...wondering when it will be her turn to be a star!

3. the absent minded professor

i think, overall, this is my kid's all time favorite movie. we kept this thing from netflix for 2 months, watching it every week for movie night! that is some fred mcmurray love! it inspired my daughter to try to attach springs from pens to her shoes and try to jump to the ceiling. see this film. it is hilarious!

4. son of flubber

yes- this is the sequel to the absent minded professor. and i must say, it is not nearly as good as the first, but my kids would disagree. they love this movie!

5. singin' in the rain

this is our 'sick' movie of choice. the dancing is fantastic and the music is catchy. there are some scenes some may find 'racey', but very easy to skip onto the next scene. warning: this may inspire your preschooler to hunt down a pair of tap shoes at the nearest thrift store and scuff up your wooden floors. but by all means, let them...

and for some classic television, we have been loving the andy griffith show here lately. it is so funny to hear the kids ask to watch 'barney' and realize they are talking about this show and not the big purple dinosaur. yeah, we um, bought the whole series. geesh.

thumbs down for 'up'

amidst all of the glowing reviews for pixar's 'up' movie, i thought i'd share our experience. you know, just to give two sides to the whole thing!

i should begin by saying that we are really conservative when it comes to media for our children. that's our 'thing', if you will. we don't watch television, but we do have a family movie night once a week (or a 'it's way too hot outside emergency sing-along video' occasionally!). our moonpie has a sensitive heart, so the movies we choose are always gentle, and usually made in the 50's or 60's.

fast forward to yesterday, the day we threw all caution to the wind and saw a movie in the theater WITHOUT being previewed or even researched a tiny bit. or the fact that i've boycotted all movies rated PG for the kids. it is rated PG- that's right, they tried to warn me with the rating!

here are the positives about 'up'. it has a great message. the theme is that personal relationships are the greatest adventure anyone can have. i agree with that- of course i do! also, there is no objectionable behavior, coarse language or weird sexual innuendos. i hate that about modern kid movies. moving on... i should also mention the animation. it is spectacular! the skin on the people looks real. better than real. like, just got back from a facial real!

so what didn't i like? the peril. my oh my, is there peril! i can't exactly say how long the chase scene between the dogs and the characters lasted, added on by the murderous old man, but it was loooooooooong. and just when you thought it was over (a dog would yell 'squirrel' and point in another direction, funny!) it picked up again. my poor little moonpie was a wreck. she is very intuitive and had already picked up on the more adult themes of an inability to conceive ('why can't she have a baby, momma?'), the death of a beloved spouse, and a dead beat dad. add to this a glorious bird being bitten ('momma, does he still have 2 legs?') by a vicious dog and an old man trying to kill the main characters- and she was a ball of nerves. but determined to stay in that theater. i think she needed to see it all resolve. she needed the happy ending. buddy on the other hand told me he wanted to leave. NOW! i handed moonpie over to her daddy and took buddy to the lobby. he is more of the out of sight out of mind persuasion. but his big sissy had to be carried to the car and asked to just 'rest on the couch' when we got home.

last night before going to bed she said, 'momma, when you asked if i wanted to see that movie i should have said no'. and while i appreciated her sense of responsibility, i felt horrible. no my sweet girl, i should have said no. i'm the mommy.

in true moonpie fashion she is working it out her own way. she has already made a dog costume and is playing the role of the vicious 'alpha'. and this seems to help. a little play therapy, if you will.

i think, for us, we better stick to the gentle adventures of pooh, or the silly antics of charlie chaplin.

and if a parent of a preschooler asks me for a recommendation, i'll have to say '2 thumbs down'.