NEWS: What Movies Should Children Watch?

CULTURE: What Movies Should Children Watch?

The debate about sex and violence in movies often concentrates on the films that children should not watch. The British Film Institute has released a list of 10 films that children should watch.

Is this list a good idea, and do you agree with the films they've included?

They forgot Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend and La Blue Girl!

"the general" ... i don't think kids have the patience to sit through a B&W movie. silent movie.. come on now. kids will get bored.

"Kirikou et la Sorcière" I see most kids being scared from this one.

"The Princess Bride" yes

"e.t" yes


"Where is My Friend's House?, "

ive seen this one. kirostami's philosophy on film is that he doesn't want to tantilize you. He wants to put you to sleep. so i fell asleep.

[Edited on Jul 03, 2005 by 1damon]

What? 400 Blows didn't make it?

I'm not sure how I feel about Spirited Away being on the list. It's a great film, but for kids? I don't know if they'd bother to watch it or if they'd understand it. I'd have preferred to have seen Kiki's Delivery Service (or whatever the hell it's called) because that's more accessable to children.

But then, this list seems to imply that people would be talking about the films too, so maybe Spirited Away is the right choice.

As an advocate of the homosexual agenda, I propose SpongeBob Squarepants: The Movie.

I prefer the recommendations on this site.

I can't believe The Piano Teacher didn't make the cut...it musta been #11.

Any kind except for life affirming ones that make them want to choke.

Wow. Out of 10 films, only one has a girl as the main character (and she's animated). Although some of the films mentioned are great and much loved, it's not exactly teaching young girls that they can accomplish great things too.

I think a Buster Keaton film is a great idea. They're fast paced, slapsticky, and really, really funny.

I would add The Secret of NIMH, myself. Along with Watership Down, Return to OZ, and Pee-Wee's Big Adventure.

Jinkies.

I've only seen one of those (The Princess Bride), and I was eighteen when I saw it.

Which films would you have put up?

Oh god....please, please be kidding. I read some of the scores, and decided to see what our wakcy Christian friends could find offensive about the movie 'Chicken Run'.

One of the points of note for offensive content?

"Suggestive eye movement".

By a CHICKEN.

Gads.

Glad to see I'm not alone

They'd just be bored.

And I saw My Life as a Dog when I was a kid. It made me really uncomfortable. That's the only one I disagreed with, although I didn't know all of them. Other than that, pretty much every Hayao Miyazaki movie should've been on there. In particular, I really think kids will dig My Neighbor Totoro perhaps more than Spirited Away. The scene in Totoro where they're waiting for the bus only to have the Totoro show up is honestly one of my favorite sequences in movies. And I watch a lot of movies.

Princess Bride does. Besides, honestly, Miyazaki movies are possibly the best movies young girls could watch. Almost all of them are young girls finding their place in the world and even the ones that aren't that make a point to show strong women. So I would count Spirited Away as a pretty notable exception.

Other than that, though, one of the main characters in My Life as a Dog is a girl tomboy who can beat up all the boys. I remember that about it. Other than that, though, this is reflective of the fact that women don't make as many movies, I think. It's harder to think of movies that take female points of view than male, and harder still when you're talking about movies kids should see.

ET freaked me the fuck out when I was a little kid. When he gets all grey and moldy... still makes me want to puke.

I say, show em:

Transformers the Movie
One Crazy Summer
Star Wars
Secret of NIMH
Explorers
Goonies
Indiana Jones
Big Trouble in Little China
The Neverending Story
Ferris Buehller's Day Off

Billy Elliot? Of all the films in existance?

Sounds like a nice introduction to Freud.

[Edited on Jul 03, 2005 by Jeff_Fries]

Yeah, I forgot about Billy Elliott. That movie sucked ass and the kid sucked at dancing.

What about Mary Poppins!?!?

A spoon full of sugar.....

I can't believe that they left out the classics like Barely Legal 25 and Ass Blasters Vol. 3. What the hell are they trying to do to these kids? Turn them into Baptists?

It's actually kind of sad that I can't think of any off the top of my head. Nothing with Hilary Duff in it, that's for sure.