Grown-Up Flicks For Kids (Too)
As someone who's been languishing in kid-flick hell for the last 4 years, I was psyched to see this article from my favorite New York Times movie reviewer, A.O. Scott.
A.O. lists a whole bunch of movies playing at a theater near you that gradeschoolers and even preschoolers can enjoy even though the pix aren't specifically aimed at them. A.O. says these movies even offer a different kind of pleasure for kids -- the pleasure of bewilderment, and struggling to make sense of something just above your head.
I've witnessed this phenom myself, with my 4-year-old daughter, who loves "The Office," although she can't possibly know what's going on.
So, A.O. says that
while I am happy (or at least willing) to take my children to the latest animated or tweener-star-driven "family" movies -- with their singing chipmunks and chirpy Loch Ness Monsters -- we gravitate more and more toward age-inappropriate fare, exploring the grown-up realms of PG-13 and even, sometimes, R.
A.O. suggests movies like "Persepolis" (which is subtitled, so your kid will need to know how to read), "Charlie Wilson's War," "Into the Wild," and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly."
Of course, you need to use common sense in making your selections. For instance, I suggest steering clear of any film with the words "Blood," "Gangster" or "David Lynch" attached to it.
And Jerry Seinfeld says there's no such thing as fun for the whole family.
Take The Kids, And Don't Feel Guilty [New York Times]
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