Family Flicks: The Best Old Movies for Families
"Quite possibly a marriage-saver"? That's what one a reviewer had to say about Ty Burr's The Best Old Movies for Families: A Guide to Watching Together.
Unlike current films, which tend to be aimed at narrow "niche" audiences, older movies played for general appeal to all ages and thus included elements to which even young children respond. Burr's assertion is that modern culture over stresses what's current, "in" with the style makers of the society, and that watching great old movies from earlier eras gives children a broader understanding of what is universal.
Burr divides his recommendations into three groups: ages 3-6, 7-12, and 13 and up. He includes adventure stories, musicals, romantic comedies, historical movies--the works--and has tested his picks with his own daughters.
Finding great movies without questionable content for kids is hard among the many thousands available, so Burr's "best" old movies list is, as reviewers declare, "a winner." For the price of a few flick rentals, this book is a great addition to summer recreation plans.
Labels: Family Movies
posted by GTC at
8:00 PM
9 Comments:
TO: GTC, et al.
RE: 'Old' Movies
What's 'old'? 70s? 60s? 50s? 40s? 30s?
RE: My Recommendations
Bringing Up Baby
Union Pacific
Gunga Din
Captain Blood
The Adventures of Robin Hood
Destry Rides Again
The Thing from Another World
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
The Quiet Man
The Taming of the Shrew
I'd like to know if these are in this book.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
[Watership Down: You've read the book. You've watched the movie. Now, eat the stew!]
By
Chuck Pelto, at 12:18 PM
Seven Brides For Seven Brothers!
By
Mr. Bingley, at 1:52 PM
Others in the musical category:
My Fair Lady
The King and I
The Music Man
Wizard of Oz
Sound of Music
State Fair
Other action films:
The Sea Hawk
Stagecoach
Arabian Nights
By
Anonymous, at 2:42 PM
I don't have any movie recommendations, but this narrowcasting is devisive of families.
I am the only male, three females, wife, two daughters control the remote.
How many episodes of
"Queer Eye"
"Bridezilla"
"My Super Sweet Sixteen"
"What Not to Wear"
"Project Runway"
"Top Chef"
etc, etc, etc... Can one person watch? A lot, let me tell you. I just watch baseball now, in the other room. I will always switch to a movie, even a chick flick, if one of them wants, and these old movies are great for that. They will all watch a classic Streisand movie for example, but this narrowcasting does just what programmers want, it separates the family into different rooms, looking at commercials for different products.
By
Anonymous, at 4:18 PM
How "old?" are Burr's "Best Old Movies?" For most of us, old is probably anything before we were, oh, about 18.
I don't know exactly how old he is, but Burr's recommendations include a lot of the "classic" movies of the '30's, '40's, and '50's, the decades before the movie audience began to differentiate into "chick flicks," "car chase flicks," "adult" movies, "kid" films, etc. In this period the majority of movies would have been rated "G."
By
GTC, at 6:41 PM
We are a classic movie family..
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
The Music Man
Maltese Falcon
Laura
(actually anything in this period is great)
The screwball comedies with Cary and Kate, Cary and Irene, Cary and Myrna
The Thin Man Series
Babylon 5 (don't laugh, it's great for families)
Gene Kelly dance movies
Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes series (and the Jeremy Brett ones from the 90's)
Gigi.
etc.. there are tons of good family movies out there for all ages, just have to start sharing it with them when they are young.. they will learn to discern good from dreck themselves. My daughters watch no current shows such as idol, runway, etc. They prefer stories that are well-written and well-acted.
Of course, we like the action films too (have to indulge hubby after all :-)
By
Anonymous, at 8:28 PM
How about the movie of OKLAHOMA! and CAROUSEL and BRIGADOON and even the very corny but fun DESERT SONG? And SOUTH PACIFIC ("Bloody Mary Is the Girl for Me" and "There Is Nothing Like a Dame, wahoo!) or ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, or PAJAMA GAME, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF or .... all those good musicals.
I also loved ROBIN HOOD, too! Thanks for all your suggestions. Who needs the book! "We got the list right here; it's not by Paul Revere!" (oh, yeah! GUYS AND DOLLS)
By
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