Since no one helped me find films for kids (I guess y'all never were nor have had or been around children!!), I will post these lists I ran across on my children's lit listserv. It seems my email limit has been exceeded so I'm rushedly trying to read through my two listserv folders, deleting as I go.
If you spot a "must see" below, I'd love to hear why. The last list is of those "questionable" (i.e. crappy films) made for kids. I'd add Disney's Brother Bear to that list. I couldn't sit through it. Also, I've added a few bolded comments on the movies below.
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An American in Paris
Babe loved this movie but enjoyed the sequel, Babe: Pig in the city, even more
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
The Black Stallion
CATS
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Dreamer
Dr. Doolittle (original version)
Duma Great film loosely based off a children's picture book
Fly Away Home
The Hobbit
Howl’s Moving Castle
The Incredibles
The Iron Giant
James and the Giant Peach
Kiki’s Delivery Service
Laputa: Castle in the Sky kids have seen at least 20 times
Legend
Lost in the Woods
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy(YA)
Matilda
Milo and Otis
The Music Man
My Neighbor Totoro
Narnia (2005 version)Just now starting The lion, witch... with 5-year old--I don't think he'd listen if he hadn't seen the movie. Who said movies and tv couldn't encourage reading!
National Velvet
The Neverending Story
Old Yeller
The Parent Trap
Peter Pan (most recent version)
The Railway Children (both BBC versions)
The Red Balloon
The Sand Fairy (based on Nesbit’s Five Children and It)
Singing in the Rain
The Sandy Bottom Orchestra
Sarah, Plain and Tall (Hallmark Hall of Fame Production)
The Secret of Roan Inish
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Shirley Temple Movies I can't imagine sitting through one of these even though I have a clear memory of watching them on Sundays as a kid, my mother trying to get me to shut it off and up to Sunday dinner
Spirited Away Children's lit class is going to read the first graphic novel and watch the film
Star Wars (IV, V, VI)
Stranger in the Woods
The Trouble with Angels
Whale Rider
Where the Red Fern Grows (2003)
Whistle Down the Wind
The Witches
The Wizard of Oz
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List of Top Ten Movies Every Child Should See Before Age Fourteen Survey of Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC) Listeners (2006)
1. My Neighbor Totoro
2. Fantasia Have never watched all the way through but can't figure out what all the fuss is about
3. The Princess Bride
4. Willow I'm going to add it to my already long Queue list on Netflix
5. The Dark Crystal
6. Peter Pan
7. The Adventures of Robin Hood
8. To Kill a Mockingbird
9. Cinema Paradiso
10. The Miracle Worker
Child_Lit List of Questionable Children’s Movies (with relevant listmember comments):
The Black Cauldron (good book though!)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (both versions—too corny)
Daddy Long Legs (book was utterly betrayed by movie)
Ella Enchanted (movie doesn’t compare to book)
I Heard the Owl Call My Name (boring, reductive)
James and the Giant Peach (too weird)
Pollyanna (execrable, but friend’s 9yo daughter likes it)
The Witches (freaked child out)
Wizard of Earth Sea (worst-kid-movies-ever list)
8 comments:
This I can do--react to someone else's list! I loved The Iron Giant, Matilda, Big Fat Liar (not on your list, but I'm adding it--it was the only one that occurred to me on your previous post, but I felt guilty being able only to think of a commercial, not foreign, not independent film--but I loved it, so there!), Music Man, The Secret of Roan Inish (but even more than that one, Into the West, one of my favorite kids movies of all time), Whale Rider, and The Witches. It's been awhile since my kids were as small as yours, and I'm having a hard time remembering what we watched back then--we've probably watched Raising Arizona and What About Bob? about a zillion times. Also Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
Have y'all tried Ivanhoe (the Anthony Edwards version) or Pride and Prejudice (A&E version NOT the Keira Knightly version--which I would not allow my children to watch). When my oldest was young, she had asthma and the drugs she would take would make her jittery and unable to sleep. We would watch P&P all night long. Now all 3 of my kids like it. The other movie my kids love is a documentary on Dinosaurs called "When Dinosaurs Roamed America". Its great!
Oh yeh, I'm sure everyone has seen this, but my favorite Disney movie is Mulan! My kids are kind of sick of it...but I love it!
Kiki's Delivery Service and My Neighbor Tortoro-- enthusiastic yes. Who doesn't love a cat bus?
Also, the OLD parent trap. I'm sorry, but Hayley Mills is just the best. End of story.
While we're at it, why not the old Freaky Friday too? I mean, I like the new one, but the old one. Jodie Foster. Say no more.
I used to love Bedknobs and Broomsticks, but one time a guy asked me my favorite movie (this was in high school) and I said "Casablanca." (it was true)
He said, "I figured you as more of a bedknobs and broomsticks type." Hmmpf.
Also, I loved James and the Giant Peach. Too weird? Have those people _read_ the book? Hello.
Son's favorite feature film right now is Madagascar. I just keep hoping they make a movie with the penguins. "Cute and cuddly, boys. Cute and cuddly."
Obviously the best movie on the list is the Wizard of Oz. You don't really need any other movies.
The Iron Giant is fabulous--a must see I'd say.
The Neverending Story is a terrible, terrible movie, but a rather delightful book.
The Red Balloon? No. "Balloo! Balloo!" We had to watch in elem. school and spent several years making fun of it.
Series of Unfortunate Events is actually a pretty good adaptation. Jim Carey, who ususally annoys the hell out of me, seemed just right for Count Olaf (although there were one or two cringe-inducing moments).
Cinema Paradiso?? One of my top five movies, but not sure how kid-friendly it is.
Great! Now I have a number of films to add to the queue--a long queue I must have (that's for MB).
I'm with you lis on Cinema Paradiso. I loved it but not sure it's a great film for kids; maybe my oldest.
Speaking of my oldest, I can't get him to watch Unfortunate events. For some reason he decided it would ruin the books or something.
We did though just finish The Day After Tomorrow (globle warming freeze over the world movie). What a visual feast even though had to bite tongue several times to avoid cynical impersonations of Dennis Quaid father character: "I will find my son!" Film should have stuck to what it was doing well: great storms and visuals.
Good list. I'll definitely be coming back to it. I agree on Tortoro.
I too quite liked A Series of Unfortunate Events, and thought Jim Carrey was kind of perfect for Count Olaf. Perhaps you may need to watch it on the sly, counterintuitive.
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