• the Movie Mom
• Screen it!

Natasha (7/99)

Summer's here, and so are the summer blockbusters. Should you take your 4 year old to see Tarzan? Should your 8 year old see Austin Powers, Wild Wild West, or Star Wars? Or you're planning a family video night, trying to find something that's not too scary for your 5 year old, but interesting enough for your 9 year old. Friends who know of my knee-jerk anti-Disney attitude are often challenging me to come up with good movies for their kids, and "Movie Mom" Nell Minow has come to my rescue with her book and website. She helps parents evaluate the appropriateness of movies for children of various ages, and writes thoughtfully about the movies' themes, including suggestions for topics that parents may want to discuss with their children before or after the movie. Here's part of a review of her book: "Written in a wise, warm, and witty voice, the book is brimming with suggestions on how to engage kids attention, what to do if they get scared, how to respond if they say "everyone else in the 4th grade gets to watch R movies" or "black and white movies are boring," and which movies are best to watch if you're sick in bed..."

In an ideal world, we'd all preview the movies and videos we allow our children to see. Whether or not you're able to do so, you'll really appreciate "Movie Mom's" insights and her age guidelines. I have sometimes made the mistake of letting my three and a half year old watch a movie that was just fine for her six year old sister, only to find that a mildly scary scene was terrifying for the younger one. (I do think that when one is pushing the age envelope, which is tempting to do since there are so few good movies for very young kids, it's best to take the time to sit and watch with the younger child so you can monitor his or her reactions.)

Here are some examples, first from her discussion of "Ever After", a video retelling of the Cinderella story, which my 9 year old niece adores:

Sumptuously filmed at medieval castles and chateaux, with gorgeous costumes, this is is a pleasure for the eye as well as the spirit. Danielle is a very modern heroine, smart, brave, honest, and able to save her prince as well as herself, if necessary. The script is clever (though wildly anachronistic in places), and while the accents come and go (and why do French characters speak with English accents, anyway?), the performances are excellent, with particularly engaging turns by Melanie Lynskey as the sympathetic younger step-sister and Judy Parfitt as the queen...There is some action violence, and a sad onscreen death. The plot may be a challenge to younger children, especially those expecting the story they know (Cinderella), so it is a good idea to prepare them, which can lead to a good discussion of different versions and points of view. (Rated 5 stars, for ages 6 and up)

And here's part of her review of "October Sky":

Parents can use this movie to talk to kids about how Homer, not a great student and not especially strong in math, became so inspired by an idea that he begins to think in new ways...They could also talk about...whether Homer made the right choice in going to work in the mine...how kids at school treat the "nerds" and why...how people are evaluated differently in school than they are once they get out, and how life in 1999 is different from the world of 1957. Parents should know that a drunken stepfather beats up one of Homer's friends in one scene (and is stopped by John) and that there are some very mild sexual references. Kids who enjoy this movie might also enjoy "The Corn is Green," another true story about a boy from the coal mines who is transformed by education." (rated 5 stars, and recommended for ages 8 and up)

Movie Mom's Guide to Family Movies by Nell Minow, is at Cody's Books...

I did a web search and found 6 sites that offer reviews of movies for parents. All except Screen It! had limited listings and only brief explanations of why a movie was or wasn't recommendaed for kids. Some listed only those movies the authors thought were appropriate for kids - not so useful, especially for older kids.

Screen it! has very detailed info about every conceivable movie & video. 15 different measures such as blood/gore - alcohol use - profanity - imitative behavior - scenes that make you jump - scary music - bad attitude - etc. Even includes actual count of f-words, etc! Gives a plot synopsis, info about the actors, a general review - the authors like movies, and give their own opinions about artistic content, while also providing useful info for parents.

This site stresses that these reviews are available so that parents can decide for themselves what their kids watch, rather than relying on some other organization to make this decision.