View Single Post
  #20  
Old June 9th 04, 09:27 PM
Beth Gallagher
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Recommendations of good non-animated "family" films for two parents and a 3-year-old?


"Rosalie B." wrote in message
...
"Beth Gallagher" wrote:

"Louise" wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 7 Jun 2004 22:12:13 EDT, "Beth Gallagher" wrote:

I cannot imagine fast-forwarding through any part of Wizard of Oz, by

the
way. Isn't having nightmares about the witch an essential part of

growing
up?! (only half tongue-in-cheek). My general feeling is that if a kid

can't

I had nightmares for about a week after I read "Gone With the WInd"
when I was about 15 years old. There are a whole bunch of things
(including some that my grandchildren watch quite happily and
unscared) which I can't stand to watch.

handle essential parts of a movie, such as the Dorothy-kidnapped scene

in
Wizard of Oz, he should wait and see the movie when he's ready.
Fast-forwarding through parts of a great movie like Wizard of Oz is

like
reading the "Illustrated Classics" version of Jungle Book. What's the

rush?
If you can just hold off for another year or two, he'll be able to see

the
unadulterated thing the first time around, and that experience cannot

be
beat.


That's not necessarily so. Some of us just don't like that kind of
stuff.


So don't watch it! Most children will come to an age when they can handle
all of a movie like the Wizard of Oz or the real version of most children's
classics. Why water their experience down by editing it on first read or
viewing?

To some extent I see this as a matter of parental patience and self-control.
There are all kinds of great books and movies I can't wait to share with my
kids, but I simply need to wait until they're really ready.

I still hide my eyes and/or plug my ears in parts of movies, and I
flip through overly gross or violent parts of books. By your
reasoning, I shouldn't see/read them at all because I can't tolerate
the violent or suspenseful parts.


Is the violence or suspense "an essential part" (as I said above) of the
book or movie? If so, then, yeh, by my reasoning, you might as well not

even
do that book/movie.

Why? I loved all the Oz books - I could/can read them over and over.


What does this have to do with my point? The books worked for you; great. If
the movie does, great; if not, don't watch it. Plus, I'm talking about how
we as parents manage our kids' exposures to works of art and entertainment.
If an adult wants to water something down for him/herself, that's their
choice.

I have on
occasion let her be present while he and my DH and I watched slightly
inappropriate movies that required us to cover her eyes during essential

or
large parts of the movie (Pirates of the Caribbean comes to mind). But I
think that's a dumb thing to do! ; ) And I wouldn;'t do it for an oldest
child, because it's just not necessary. They can wait.

Suppose they have to wait forever?


Then it's clearly not a good viewing choice for them. I, e.g., will never
see the movie Seven. I've heard about it and know it would be "bad for me."

yes. And generally I find that if you do need to edit out more than a few
seconds of a movie, it really isn't the right movie for the audience.

Beth

Suppose that the parent doesn't like it and the child does?


Perhaps get the other parent to watch it, if one can tolerate it? Or let the
child watch it alone? Besides, I have very different feelings about these
things when it comes to adults than children. How scared or traumatized can
an adult really be by something a child can stand to watch? I know there are
some scenes that upset me that don't upset my kids as much, like the scene
in Pinocchio where the one boy is turned into a donkey and starts crying for
his mom. I *hate* that scene, whereas my kids are only mildly affected by
it. But I'm a big girl now; I can sit through it!!

Anyway, I'm not suggesting making any of this law; it's just my personal
philosophy on kids' entertainment experiences. Beth