Bitchin' Blog Posts
Movies that Get Passed Down
by SB Sarah | by SB Sarah | January 17, 2013 | Thursday at 2:36 am | 97 Comments
So many of us remember our first romance novel, and many more of us received (or stole) that novel from a relative. Passing down a much-loved book, romance or no, is something pretty common.
Last weekend, I shared The Princess Bride with my kids for the first time. It's 25 years old (gosh, I'm ancient) and it's still 90 minutes of movie awesome. I think my husband and I could quote most if not all of it, but afterward, my kids were doing it, too.
I got the idea from Stephen Thompson, part of the PCHH podcast, after he shared The Princess Bride with his children. I think there's a whole episode of 'pop culture you should hand down to your kid' in their archives.
Then a Twitter conversation with Jo Bourne, Kristen Callihan and Tien Tien after I tweeted about the movie night made me think. Bourne tweeted, "Never thought 2 pass it along. Then one day The Kid says "Mom, there's this great movie …" Later: "Re movies we can share with our kids. In the old days it was passing along a favorite book …."
I Storified the entire Twitter conversation if you're curious to read it.
I have several books I'm holding on to so that I can share them with my children in a few years. But only recently have I looked at the DVDs I own that I've kept and not culled after many moves and a de-cluttering bonanza, and questioned WHY I'm holding onto them. Many are seasons of older tv shows like SportsNight or Northern Exposure, which someday I'll share and definitely re-watch on my own. But they're not quite ready for either (or interested, I should think). Aside from all the DVDs that are theirs, there are few films I own that are ready to share with them, except The Princess Bride.
One of the reasons The Princess Bride worked so well is that my older son, known here as Freebird, said afterward, "I know you liked the romantic kissing parts, Mommy," which, yeah, I totally did, and Fred Savage can hush up about them already. They understood what parts were the parts I liked - and I knew which parts they liked (swordfights! Giant! Actual giant!). Having books in common is much like having a favorite film in common with someone. At the least it gives you plenty to talk about. Plus, there is no shortage of reboots from my childhood for my children to watch. I'm still amazed that some things, like Care Bears, My Little Pony, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and even Scooby Doo never really went away. There are new versions every few years, a super-familiar form of recycling.
A lot of the time, I'm encountering new versions of my own childhood programs on television or in theatres. Whether I like it or not, things I watched as a child are being re-presented to all of us, and it's kind of fun to explain the differences when I notice them. It makes me wonder if there are other films from years ago that they'd enjoy (I've been haunting IMDB a LOT lately) and if other folks have noticed all the reboots. What other movies would you want to pass down or share with your kids? What shows or films from your childhood are reappearing in your life?
Filed: General Bitching, Random Musings
Tagged: the princess bride, romance, movies, awesomesauce
Molly Bauckham said on 01.17.13 at 02:56 AM • [link]
Labyrinth. Unlikely I’ll have kids, but if I did I would look forward to watching it with them. (And I got to show my brother The Princess Bride for the first time a few years ago…it was awesome. :))
Maree said on 01.17.13 at 05:05 AM • [link]
Oh, Labyrinth and The Princess Bride…. classics! Can’t go wrong with either of those :)
There was a John Hughes-fest on TV the other day. Who would have though that DD (16) AND DS (14) would both get a kick out of The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles? DH and I both love them, so it was a huge nostalgia trip for us, but we thought our teens wouldn’t “get” them at all. Turns out aside from the clothes and the hair (!!!), these two movies are still very relevant to teens of today. Definitely gonna need to buy those two on DVD to add to our collection *g*.
Lisa said on 01.17.13 at 05:07 AM • [link]
Depends on the age of the kids. I know I will enjoy watching classic musicals (Singin’ in the Rain especially) and teenagers pretty much have to see Casablanca. Both of those are ones passed down by my mother to me.
Virginia E said on 01.17.13 at 05:54 AM • [link]
The Great Race. It has an excellent cast, romance, melodrama, comedy, and a collection of great lines and scenes. Tony Curtis staying spotless white through the entire movie, even after swimming the moat and the midst of the biggest movie pie fight is priceless. Even little kids too young to catch the inside jokes can enjoy the slapstick comedy.
Lisa J said on 01.17.13 at 06:04 AM • [link]
My love of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers knows no bounds. My sister’s kids would come over and we would watch the old musicals, especially SBfSB. They loved them!!
Mirandaflynn said on 01.17.13 at 06:38 AM • [link]
We don’t have kids, but if we did, we would have to show them Star Wars (the ‘real’ versions of the movies ;)
Tracy Faul said on 01.17.13 at 06:52 AM • [link]
My daughter is 12; my boys are 9 & 7. I’ve watched Princess Bride and Labyrinth with them, but also the Muppet Movie, The Parent Trap (Hayley Mills version please!), The Trouble with Angels, Troop Beverly Hills, and a ton of classics (Arsenic and Old Lace, Bringing up Baby, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Music Man, etc.) with one or more of them. Of course, it’s difficult because the 9YO, while adventurous in his reading material, is less so with movies (he’s perfectly happy to read the Percy Jackson books, but classifies the Harry Potter movies as “horror”).
Stacey Freedman said on 01.17.13 at 07:04 AM • [link]
My daughter and I watched the Muppet Movie before the new Muppets came out. I also made her watch the original Parent Trap to balance out the Lindsay Lohan….I need to try the Princess Bride with her again and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, too! I think she is also old enough to give Ferris Beuller a try. :)
Jaelwye said on 01.17.13 at 07:19 AM • [link]
My 10 year old loooooves Ghostbusters.
Cate said on 01.17.13 at 07:32 AM • [link]
For my lot, it’s Some Like it Hot - genius,sheer genius . Jack Lemmon in a dress with maracas - it just doesn’t get any better than that
Shawny Jean said on 01.17.13 at 07:42 AM • [link]
I don’t have kids yet, but my 28 year old cousin and I have been working to introduce our younger cousins to movies their parents have neglected to show them. We sat down to Pride and Prejudice last week and are now planning an entire education in English period dramas - Jane Eyre, North and South et al.
My family also watched A Christmas Story with my 7-year old nephew over the holidays. I don’t remember liking it as a kid, but he thought it was hilarious and was still quoting it the next morning. “Daddy’s going to kill Ralphie.”
PamG said on 01.17.13 at 08:17 AM • [link]
My eldest daughter was the real cinemaphile when she was a kid. Her dad introduced her to Roy Rogers, The Bowery Boys, and Fred & Ginger; the first movie in color that she didn’t scorn was the The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend with Betty Grable.
I suspect that the movies my girls would share (and I would totally share with grandchildren if I had any) would include Princess Bride, Labyrinth (my younger daughter & I always thought the latter would be an awesome marching band show—sans codpieces), Dirty Dancing, Oscar (Sylvester Stallone’s campy 1920s gangster comedy), Flash Gordon (the originals but mostly the 80s movie with the soundtrack by Queen), and Strictly Ballroom.
Oh, and at Christmas? For us it will always be We’re No Angels with Humphrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov, Aldo Rey, Leo G. Carroll & Basil Rathbone.
There isn’t one of these movies that we can’t quote extensively. Complete strangers goggle at me whenever I say “[That’s] an ox and a moron!” (Oscar). We always called these our family’s cult classics. Sharing—or discovering—favorite movies with kids has probably been around since old movies have been available to watch at home. This whole subject fills me with fond nostalgia. There may be other movies we loved as a family, but I’m going to stop now.
Ann said on 01.17.13 at 08:19 AM • [link]
Goonies, Flight of the Navigator, That Darn Cat (original), PeeWee’s Big Adventure, The Karate Kid, The Love Bug, West Side Story…
K Angel2 said on 01.17.13 at 08:21 AM • [link]
I, too, have shared Princess Bride with the kids. As well as the Goonies, Footloose(Keving Bacon) and ET. They thought they were watching something new. And, of course, Indigo Montoya was the best.
mctclover said on 01.17.13 at 08:31 AM • [link]
Princess Bride was the first we shared also. We’ve watched Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the original Star Wars. And Space Balls, which your kids are likely too young for still.
And just a couple nights ago, my youngest & I came across The A Team movie, which we’d seen separately but never together. It was 90 minutes of recycled dumb mindless fun to spend together.
Elizabeth Houston said on 01.17.13 at 08:40 AM • [link]
Any kid that can appreciate the Princess Bride would love Robin Hood Men in Tights. (“We’re men, we’re manly men…”). Mel Brooks taught me about circumcision lol.
Abbott and Costello are also key. How can you appreciate the Yankees if you don’t know who’s on first?
Liz Talley said on 01.17.13 at 08:44 AM • [link]
My husband and I share a lot of 80s pop culture with our kiddos. My 10 year old’s favorite singer is Billy Idol. Thought it was hilarious he put that on his music poster for school (He also did his project on Better Than Ezra…the music teacher had never heard of them! Really???) But one of our favorite TV shows came out of the late 90s - Freaks and Geeks - and our early teen kid LOVES it. Such a shame it was only on 1 season. It’s brilliant TV (Judd Apatow’s early work).
My kids also loved flippin’ Saved By the Bell. Sigh. I can barely stand to watch it now, but I loved that Slater.
Oh, and for movies, our favs are Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Dutch, Goonies, Sixteen Candles, and, oddly enough On Golden Pond (my kids love to say “suck face”.) We watched Princess Bride over the holiday :)
Fun topic!
Flo_over said on 01.17.13 at 08:54 AM • [link]
All of those plus Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail. Bring me a SHRUBBERY!
That and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Faaavorite musical. Howard Keel…. *swoons*
Anna Richland said on 01.17.13 at 08:59 AM • [link]
Sound of Music and Oz. Now they finally understand when I say “Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my” when they’re overreacting and with a litany of complaints. They sing Favorite Things in school choir, and it was nice to put the song in its context for them.
Marc said on 01.17.13 at 09:13 AM • [link]
A really good movie never goes out of style. We watch White Christmas every year and we have also passed down the animated Grinch Who Stole Christmas. Footloose, Say Anything and the Princess Bride were also big hits. I am also planning to introduce them to The Lost Boys.
Teri Stanley said on 01.17.13 at 09:14 AM • [link]
My oldest (19)went to a ComicCon recently as the Dread Pirate Roberts, so I get it!
The kids also love Spaceballs (“may the Schwartz be with you” is a favorite line, especially since they had a rather nasty teacher by that name).
A couple of years ago we had a Spinal Tap viewing, so they know what I mean when I tell them to “turn it up to 11”!
I think I need to drag out the Muppet Movie again soon, but the Rainbow Connection song always makes me cry, so maybe I’ll watch that one alone.
cayenne said on 01.17.13 at 09:39 AM • [link]
My friends’ younger kids are all addicted to Star Wars and the Muppet Movie. Some also love Wizard of Oz, Robin Hood (Errol Flynn version) and Grease. The older ones are getting into the satirical stuff like Airplane and Robin Hood Men in Tights; they don’t necessarily get the context, but everyone can laugh at “Don’t call me Shirley”.
hapax said on 01.17.13 at 09:47 AM • [link]
Oh, my. SO many movies and TV shows we share with our kids. I think they could quote all of Monty Python, Star Trek, Buffy, Star Trek, Star Wars, The Princess Bride etc. before they ever saw them. A favorite that hasn’t been mentioned yet: Bringing Up Baby. My kids still say (when I’m nagging them to do something) “I’ll be with you in a minute, Mr. Peabody!”
But special credit has to be given to the Godzilla films, and the rest of Toho studios ouevre (you know, Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah, etc.) My son and I used to snuggle up and watch one of those every Saturday afternoon. He collected them ALL on videotape, then DVD, and is now working on a Blu-Ray collection; he taught himself stop-motion animation and other film techniques so he could make his own.
I still treasure the Valentine he made for me in pre-school: “I love my Mommy because: she wears black, she hits me with swords, and she watches monsters with me!” (Although I do have to wonder what his teachers thought of that…)
Jenny Dolton said on 01.17.13 at 09:47 AM • [link]
Baby #1 is currently incubating, so we’ve got a while yet. But s/he is going to eventually get a crash course in classic musicals, Jane Austen, Star Wars, and all things Muppet.
Heidi Cullinan said on 01.17.13 at 09:48 AM • [link]
My 11yo daughter has been a fan of TPB for years, and we started reading the book last week aloud for something different and fun. When she got the flu this week, I offered to read it to her while she was stuck at home—we did a little of that, but more important to her was to drag out the DVD and watch it together.
Meanwhile, for Christmas she got Lego LOTR on Wii, and after playing through most of it with her dad, now they’re watching the movies. It’s hard to say which cultural torch-passing is more fun.
Barb Lie said on 01.17.13 at 09:50 AM • [link]
LOL Lisa, still watch Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. My husband loves the old musicals and this is one of his favorites.
SB Sarah said on 01.17.13 at 10:06 AM • [link]
Oh, gosh. I think if we show Freebird Ghostbusters, he’d never leave the couch. It would be on permanent repeat! AWESOME.
Vandy Jones said on 01.17.13 at 10:12 AM • [link]
We just introduced our boys, 9 & 4 to The Love Bug. There are some classis Musicals that they have seen too—The Court Jester, Donovon’s Reef, The Princess Bride, Ghostbusters, Paint Your Wagon, Cat Ballou, Hello Dolly, The Thin Man, Topper, Topper Returns, so many other oldies that are oh, so good.
Julia Broadbooks said on 01.17.13 at 10:12 AM • [link]
What a great topic. We’ve shown the kids most of the movies listed here. Although we haven’t done Seven Brides yet!
A small local playhouse has a summer movie festival and shows classics and older kids movies so the kids got to see Goonies and Some Like it Hot on a big screen. That’s been very fun. I was gratified how much they loved movies like Casablanca that I adore. And my husband is around to make sure they get to see all the Bond and Monty Python a kid could want.
Grace Lillevig Heffernan said on 01.17.13 at 10:14 AM • [link]
My son is only 3 so we’re just starting to watch movies. Right now I’m enjoying introducing him to Pixar movies - not really from my childhood, but it’s still fun to watch together. I’m looking forward to watching things like The Breakfast Club, Top Gun, musicals, and many more Disney movies with him.
Rossi said on 01.17.13 at 10:16 AM • [link]
No love for The Dark Crystal? That’s one I plan to share with my nieces when they’re older.
Cathy said on 01.17.13 at 10:32 AM • [link]
My husband is the pop-culture passer on in our house. For our daughter, he started off with the classic Warner Brothers cartoons. He also made sure she saw The Princess Bride; the entire Star Wars saga in theaters; and The Rocketeer.
MarieC said on 01.17.13 at 10:40 AM • [link]
So many great films! I wanted to throw in Raiders of the Lost Ark (“Snakes…Why did it have to be snakes…?”) and Star Wars (“The Force is strong in this one”). I watched the films with my cousins when they were younger and it’s become a ‘thing to do’ when we all get together.
JudyJ said on 01.17.13 at 10:48 AM • [link]
When my youngest son was an angsty-type in his mid-teens, I introduced him to Steve McQueen movies—starting with The Great Escape, moving on to Bullitt, The Magnificent Seven, etc. Told him I saw a lot of Steve McQueen in him. It opened up quite a dialog for us at a time when we were having little in common as he was hip and I was really not. He is now 26 and has since introduced some of his clueless friends to the movies.
PamG said on 01.17.13 at 11:06 AM • [link]
Ooooh, Topper and The Thin Man. Us too!
Kara Keenan said on 01.17.13 at 11:15 AM • [link]
My oldest is 9, youngest is 5. We’ve already shared Indiana Jones, Princess Bride, Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Spaceballs, ET, Ferris Bueller, and Back to the Future. The Back to the Future trilogy are some of my favorite movies, and I like that my kids “get” most of the movies now. My youngest really likes Indiana Jones- but she’s a little bit blood thirsty to begin with. The humor in Spaceballs is dated, and mostly over their heads, but they like Warf. Oh! And Real Genius- that’s such a classic movie, and the kids like it a lot.
Darlene Marshall said on 01.17.13 at 11:23 AM • [link]
I encouraged my boys to watch Stagecoach with me, because it’s the iconic Western and I wanted them to see the first use of the tropes that show up in so many later films.
Our family is much bigger on passing along books than movies. The boys read The Princess Bride, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Lord of the Rings, Narnia Chronicles, Tarzan and more with our encouragement.
Mochabean1 said on 01.17.13 at 11:27 AM • [link]
This is the most fun thread! So for kids 10 (girl) and 7 (boy), I’ve had great success with Singing in the Rain (which they now both quote, although 7 yo says ‘not enough explosions’), The Princess Bride, Little Women (Winona/Batman version)(Jo’s decision to marry Prof. Bahr caused much confusion); Pride and Prejudice (Knightly version. I know. But daughter loved her in Pirates movies and I figured BBC version too long for her a year ago—but I’ll haul that one out soon, I promise.) We tried Bill Bixby Incredible Hulk series but it was too slow and too seventies. Giant room sized computer subject of much hooting). Last weekend it was Back to the Future, which they enjoyed. For 12 yo (boy) who usually does not enjoy movies, Monty Python and the Holy Grail was a HUGE hit, on a special weekend when younger sibs not around. I have tried to get them all to watch War Games, but so far no takers…
Julian Griffith said on 01.17.13 at 11:36 AM • [link]
Oh, my goodness, SO MANY movies. My kid is 17 now, and I’ve shared so many. The Princess Bride, of course. And Labyrinth, and the Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies, and Yellow Submarine, and the version of Zorro with Antonio Banderas, and the 1993 version of The Three Musketeers... yeah, we kind of go for swashbuckling adventure in my house. And all of the Muppet movies, of course.
And the filmed version of Cats, and the Les Miserables 10th Anniversary Concert, from a very young age. Said child is now planning to major in theater. I suppose that’s my fault.
sddalg said on 01.17.13 at 11:47 AM • [link]
I have 2 girls, 15 & 12, and a boy, 8. We’ve introduced them to a bunch of the classics, as well as the “maybe not a classic, but still so awesome’s”. Star Wars, Ghostbusters, Jurassic Park, and going a little later, Men In Black was fun, too.
My girls LOVED A League of Their Own, and also enjoyed It Could Happen to You (Rom-Com with Nicolas Cage about the cop who instead of a tip for a waitress promises half his lottery ticket—such a feel-good movie). Thelma & Louise is next on our list.
Other fun ones include Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (another big favorite), Big, The Naked Gun and Airplane!
It’s fun to bring out these oldies - I hadn’t watched most of them in years, myself.
Momtojuju said on 01.17.13 at 12:07 PM • [link]
I guess I am starting early. My oldest is five and already has deep love for Monty Python and Star Wars. We have also shared The Princess Bride and The Black Crystal. Also I have the entire series Fraggle rock on DVD and that is our rainy day treat :)
CarrieS said on 01.17.13 at 12:12 PM • [link]
Muppets. Singing in the Rain. Sound of Music. 101 Dalmations. LOTS more. But only the introduction of the Star Wars trilogy, when we both had the flu one year, merited it’s own photo op:
CarrieS said on 01.17.13 at 12:13 PM • [link]
Cute picture, bad punctuation - “its” own photo op, not “it’s” own!
Black Dragon Mama said on 01.17.13 at 12:23 PM • [link]
My dad bought us the complete collection of Rocky and Bullwinkle videos when we were kids. We played them on repeat for years. Also, Anne of Green Gables, Pillow Talk, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Gidget (so bad but so good. Moondoggy!) Pride and Prejudice, Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, and the Wizard of Oz. And my favorite, The Sound of Music. A few years ago, one of my piano students told me that she had recently checked out a movie from the library and that it was “the best movie she had ever seen. Ever!” It was The Sound of Music. Totally made me melt. :)
JoanneF said on 01.17.13 at 12:30 PM • [link]
My girls are in their 20’s now. Movies I converted them to when they were younger were The Sound of Music and Raiders of the lost Ark. In their teens they fell in love with Young Frankenstein and Ghostbusters. In the past year, my older daughter has become obsessed with The X-Files.
ECSpurlock said on 01.17.13 at 12:33 PM • [link]
I just introduced my kids to The Princess Bride; couldn’t believe they had never seen it! They’re a deal older than yours but still loved it. Also recommend The Little Vampire and if you can find it, the fantastic miniseries The Tenth Kingdom. You will never be able to listen to the Bee Gees with a straight face again.
I’m a big vintage movie buff but have never been able to get my boys to sit still for a musical. However they love old monster movies like Godzilla etc. and WWII movies like The Great Escape. One thing I recommend highly are silent films; depending on age you may have to read the occasional title card out loud but for the most part they are pretty understandable without. My personal favorites are Buster Keaton (College, 7 Chances - the reboot of which was AWFUL - and The General), Charlie Chaplin (Modern Times, The Gold Rush) and anything with Douglas Fairbanks Sr, the ORIGINAL swashbuckler (Thief of Baghdad has some fantastic special effects for 1921!)
MKthor said on 01.17.13 at 12:35 PM • [link]
I absolutely love Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. In fact, my whole family does, and it’s probably one of the few old movie musicals that they will watch with me. The music, the dancing, the story line, the 7 brothers, the comedy!!! What’s not to love?
Beth Ann Peyton-Bretter said on 01.17.13 at 12:41 PM • [link]
We recently shared Monty Python and the Holy Grail and the Indiana Jones series with our daughter. She loves the former and is almost obsessed with the later, to the point that one of the Halloween costumes she put together last year was Short Round, who she considers to be the star of the second movie.
susan said on 01.17.13 at 01:19 PM • [link]
we introduced our son to the Marx Brothers a few years ago. He loves the “why a duck” routine. We also showed him some TV classics, like Batman (Wham! Pow!), Fat Albert, and Underdog.
Elizabeth Gunther said on 01.17.13 at 01:29 PM • [link]
I don’t have any kids, but last year I introduced my much younger cousin (he’s 8) to The Lion King, which I LOVED as a kid. I’ve already tried to get him into Doctor Who, but aside from the “ooh, robots” that the sight of the cybermen engendered, he wasn’t really interested. I can’t wait to show him Hocus Pocus next Halloween—we were a little busy this year (scratch that—last year) to put it on for him. I also want to get him into Harry Potter, but I think he’s still a little too young for that series. (I have read some of the first book to him and he’s seemed a bit interested, but that might have just been about not going to sleep.)
My mom got me into a lot of the movies that I watch now, especially The Sound of Music and Singin’ in the Rain (am I the only one who finds Gene Kelly yummy?) which are two of my favorite movies.
Elizabeth Gunther said on 01.17.13 at 01:32 PM • [link]
My mom had me watch The Breakfast Club before starting high school because she figured it was a good way to prepare me for what that would be like—not really, but the movie is so good that it didn’t really matter.
Jimthered said on 01.17.13 at 01:40 PM • [link]
Depends on the ages of the kids (I love A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, but not until at least high school), but here are a few classics:
MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL: I’d have to explain many of the Arthurian references (“See, there actually were knights who waited around bridges to fight would-be passers-by”) but it’s a real classic of comedy.
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: So they could see “Luke, I am your father” before it’s spoiled in a parody or casual mention.
THE IRON GIANT: An underrated classic that brings tears to my eyes at the end.
THE SEVEN SAMURAI: Because so much of what followed in action and drama comes from this (and that not everything needs explosions, or even color, to be great)
Jimthered said on 01.17.13 at 01:42 PM • [link]
Oh, also the version of CYRANO DE BERGERAC starring Gerard Depardieu (sic?) and translated by Anthony Burgess. It’s one of the most romantic and beautiful stories I’ve ever seen.
Charon said on 01.17.13 at 01:48 PM • [link]
For older kids (teens), I’d recommend Blackadder :)
So much that’s good about The Princess Bride that I’m sad I was introduced to it too young. Saw it in the theater when I was… 6, I think. Or rather, I saw it until the screaming eels, which freaked me the hell out, and I wanted to leave, so my mom took me out. Didn’t watch the whole thing until college, and I’ve never loved it…
Darlene Marshall said on 01.17.13 at 01:59 PM • [link]
An addendum to my earlier post: We introduced our boys to the joy of watching “Young Frankenstein” (The original, not the stage play) so they’d get all the jokes when we used them.
rudi_bee said on 01.17.13 at 02:01 PM • [link]
My mum introduced my brother and I to the film Bugsy Malone when we were kids and it was definitely a favourite.
Kirrha said on 01.17.13 at 02:11 PM • [link]
Legend—Tom Cruise, Tim Curry, a couple of bobbly-horned unicorns, and gallons of glitter tossed all over everything. The US theater version (Tangerine Dream soundtrack) is light enough for younger kids; save the director’s cut for tweens.
Also, The Last Unicorn, which makes me cry every time.
Michelle said on 01.17.13 at 02:59 PM • [link]
The Goonies, Batteries Not Included, ET, Flight of the Navigator, Willow, Princess Bride, Legend, all of the Brat Pack movies when they’re older…We watch a movie together as a family every Saturday night, with popcorn and hot chocolate or lemonade (depending on the season.) It is a lot of fun to watch them experience something that I loved!
Lynnd said on 01.17.13 at 03:22 PM • [link]
I love The Princess Bride. The comments have brought back many good movie memories.
I don’t think that they have been mentioned, but Ladyhawke and Willow were also great movies that I would pass along if I had kids.
Carrie Gwaltney said on 01.17.13 at 03:29 PM • [link]
Here’s what we’ve passed down to my kids (now all mostly grown):
Princess Bride
Labyrinth
The Great Race
Those Magnificent Men and Their Flying Machines
While You Were Sleeping
Singing in the Rain
On the Town
Court Jester
Father Goose
Charade
Some Like it Hot
In Search of Bobby Fisher
The Philadelphia Story (Katherine Hepburn is such a hoot in this)
Desk Set (my favorite Hepburn/Tracy movie)
Scrin said on 01.17.13 at 03:30 PM • [link]
My family is all about the movies. Some Scrin-clan favorites are:
-The Goonies
-The 1977 animated Hobbit
-Big Trouble in Little China
-These days, the Thief and the Cobbler.
Carrie Gwaltney said on 01.17.13 at 03:31 PM • [link]
I’m now reading through the comments and am remembering more! Like Marx brothers’ movies!
Donna_AZ said on 01.17.13 at 03:44 PM • [link]
Our kids absolutely love Forrest Gump… they quote from it ad nauseum… it’s really kind of cute to hear them! I like the fact that while they may not understand all the adult parts of the movie, they are taking in the parts that matter… kindness, loyalty, and living your life to the fullest!
Kristen Callihan said on 01.17.13 at 03:45 PM • [link]
Am pleased to report that after said twitter conversation, I felt compelled to show The Princess Bride to the kiddies again. This time, they got it and we shared the love. Yay! My kids also found The Neverending Story and Labyrinth on their own through Netflix. Not as thrilling for me, however, as my sister watched those movies like 500 times in a row, and killed them for me.
Sel said on 01.17.13 at 04:24 PM • [link]
My local cinema is showing a range of Disney movies from the 90s - Aladdin, Mulan, Pocahontas, and others - as well as some of the more recent ones - Rapunzel and Princess&Frog. I was thinking the 90s is probably a touch early for parents-with-children-of-viewing-age (unless they were like me and sat in movies like Beauty & the Beast with their similarly-geeky high school friends), but I suspect it may very well be a ‘family sharing’ thing.
I’m contemplating getting tickets myself. :)
Fran S. said on 01.17.13 at 05:31 PM • [link]
I have to convince my Dad to watch TV with me most of the time, but he did get me to watch Back to the Future (I-III), Indiana Jones (I’m going to pretend we didn’t see four in the theatre when it came out) and Star Trek: The Origional Series. I’m now watching the Next Generation all on my own and I always stop to watch the others when they’re on TV :) I, on the other hand, had to introduce my entire family (48-year-old parents and 16-year-old sisters) to The Princess Bride—-what’s up with that?!!?
Kirok_enterprises said on 01.17.13 at 05:44 PM • [link]
My daughter (now an awesome Mum of her own at 25) and I have our absolute favorites to watch and some I remember watching with my Mum or Dad.
- The Cruel Sea
- The Black Stallion
- Monty Python & The Holy Grail
- Bambi
- Star Wars (IV, V & VI)
- Lust in The Dust
- The Wild Geese
- Shirley Valentine
- Rocky Horror Picture Show
laj said on 01.17.13 at 05:46 PM • [link]
Oh Sarah, I loved Sports Night, such smart and snappy dialogue.
Young Frankenstein is a good one. I remember my six yr old scared, but laughing his butt off with the rest of us. Good times.
Time Bandits is great! Crazy and full of wonderful cameos. My boys love it.
The first Terminator is a fantastic movie.
SNL skits from the seventies are so funny, what a crew of talent.
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer with Burl Ives singing is really the best kids Christmas show. Despite teasing I watch it every year, and my boys, now teens always end up joining me on the couch. I love White Christmas too.
Movies my Mom handed down to me:
Sabrina
Father Goose
My Man Godfrey
Adam’s Rib and The Desk Set with Tracey and Hepburn.
And of course An Affair to Remember…....I have watched all of these so, so many times over the years.
Great Post, Thanks!
laj said on 01.17.13 at 06:05 PM • [link]
The Ghostbuster ambulance has been parked on and off at a Cadillac repair shop in my neighborhood for years. Everyone in the area has photos of kids and the Ghostmobile. Tourists are agog at seeing it always asking if it’s real. It is. Ghostbusters is probably one of the funniest movies ever made. Bill Murray and Danny Ackroyd with plasma beings and Sigourney Weaver what’s not to like!
Tam B. said on 01.17.13 at 07:10 PM • [link]
It’s totally off topic but ThinkGeek has t-shirts featuring Inigo Montoya and his “prepare to die” phrase.
(I’m not sure if pasting the link will work but will try.)
http://www.thinkgeek.com/brain…
Raine said on 01.17.13 at 07:22 PM • [link]
When my son was little we picked up a dvd collection of the original b&w mickey cartoons. It was his favorite for years and we always had to get it if it was there. Sadly I was a young broke mom and the dvd set was too expensive for me at the time and now it is “back in the vault”. But as he got older we watched Goonies, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, dvds of the Muppet Show, and MacGyver. Recently, I shared Short Circut with him and some friends (gosh there was some bad words in there) but they all loved it- Johnny 5 is Alive!!
Sycorax said on 01.17.13 at 07:34 PM • [link]
While I love ‘The Princess Bride’, if I was showing it to a child - especially a girl - I would make sure I discussed the problematic nature of Princess Buttercup’s character. The fact that the only female main character is passive, gullible and relies completely on the men around her, lets the story down in a major way. Little girls already think that men rescuing women is the status quo - they don’t need it reinforced any more.
Heather said on 01.17.13 at 07:55 PM • [link]
“Labyrinth” would totally be a pass-down movie. David Bowie in tights and surprisingly attractive glittery mullet wig? Scrumptious! :D
Dread Pirate Rachel said on 01.17.13 at 08:00 PM • [link]
I should think it’s fairly obvious that The Princess Bride is my favorite movie of all time. :-D
I don’t have children, and I likely never will. Hubby and I are childfree by choice, but I have several nieces and nephews whom I dearly love. Naturally, I will indoctrinate them into the glories of Wesley and Buttercup at the earliest opportunity.
A few other movies I’d like to share include the LoTR series, the original Pink Panther series, and the marvelous Sherlock Holmes spoof Without a Clue.
Kelly N said on 01.17.13 at 08:27 PM • [link]
I alos recently shared The Princess Bride with my seven year old daughter and was thrilled that she loved it as much as I do! Goonies was also a hit with her, much to my surprise. Another good one was Honey I Shrunk the Kids. She thought that was hilarious!
Melissandre said on 01.17.13 at 09:29 PM • [link]
The Court Jester!! “The chalice from the palace has the pellet with the poison, but the vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true!” Such an awesome, daffy movie. It makes an excellent companion to TPB, as does Stardust from a few years ago. Stardust might be a little more mature, but I think it is a true heir to the fantasy/romance/comedy of The Princess Bride. I
I am biding my time to show my niece “The Wizard of Oz.” I suspect her Disney-centric house does not have a copy, which is a damnable shame.
Candy said on 01.17.13 at 09:40 PM • [link]
Hear hear. I loved The Neverending Story! Also, I just pre-bought Winterblaze. As a matter of fact, I think you should stop posting comments on movie threads and get writing! Love your books so much.
Gabby said on 01.17.13 at 09:46 PM • [link]
The Princess Bride is definitely a movie that should be passed down and shared through the generations. It’s a classic. I actually know a woman I work with at DISH who hasn’t seen it though, and neither have her kids, so I’m planning to rent it for them from DISH’s Blockbuster@Home service. They have a huge selection of over 100,000 DVDs, so they always have the movie I’m looking for, and I can’t wait to show my friend and her kids the movie. I’m sure they’ll love it.
Crystal Grey-Hewett said on 01.17.13 at 10:11 PM • [link]
I watched Labyrinth with my kids. They loved it.
Rebecca said on 01.17.13 at 10:41 PM • [link]
I don’t have kids, but I had tremendous fun watching The Princess Bride with considerably younger (college age) friends this summer…at an open-air screening in Spain, dubbed into Spanish. “I could give you my word as a Spaniard…” got a huge laugh from an audience of actual Spaniards, and when we got to the famous “My name is Inigo Montoya…” the whole plaza started applauding. Fun times.
In terms of movies shared with me when I was a kid….my mom showed me all the Astaire and Rogers movies, and from there most movie musicals. My dad was responsible for Caddyshack and Hopscotch, still two of my favorites. I’d pass any of those on in a heartbeat.
StaceyIK said on 01.17.13 at 11:28 PM • [link]
I hadn’t thought of this purposefully, but I am excited about it. Movies I need to share with my son that were passed down to me from my mother are Hatari with John Wayne (baby elephants!) and Bringing Up Baby with Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant (dinosaur fossils, giant cats, ditzy heiress, oh my!) Oh, I am going to have to think on this some more.
Michelle C. said on 01.18.13 at 12:15 AM • [link]
She resisted for years, but I finally got my 19 year old daughter to watch Dirty Dancing, and she loved it.
Phaenarete said on 01.18.13 at 12:32 AM • [link]
My 2 yo loves Samurai Jack and the Powerpuff Girls. We’ve also found some older adaptations of Beatrix Potter that are lovely. Oddly enough, she’s weirdly hypnotized by “Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist.” I think a lot of the classics here will have to wait until she’s older, but I hope to add “The Last Unicorn” to the list…
Molly Bauckham said on 01.18.13 at 01:31 AM • [link]
I ADORE the Dark Crystal, but it’s a little terrifying for the youngsters. (The only thing really terrifying in Labyrinth is those pants David Bowie is wearing. ;))
Noelinya said on 01.18.13 at 03:16 AM • [link]
I too try to pass older movies to my daughter, when I think of one. She loves Jurassic Park, The Goonies, Princess Bride, Ladyhawke, Ghostbusters, The fifth element, The wizard of Oz, The nerverending story, Willow, Grease, and Cutthroat island.
This week she’s discovered Who framed Roger Rabbit, and I hope to have her watch next Dirty Dancing and The man in the iron mask
Reader said on 01.18.13 at 05:40 AM • [link]
Not just old movies but old TV series too - Magnificent Men in their Fying Machines, Chitty Citty Band Band, Mary Poppins,Get Smart, Sound of Music, I dream of Jeannie, Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, all the Star Wars, Back to the future I-III, Indiana Jones, Flying Nun, Wargames and terminator
Natalie said on 01.18.13 at 08:23 AM • [link]
We watch The Princess Bride with our kids (son & daughter) every year. They also love The Cosby Show and Gilligan’s Island—the physical comedy of the latter never gets old, the racist portrayals of some guest stars are a chance for a conversation, though. ET was a huge hit, although so quiet compared to contemporary movies. Back to the Future is good (although I always notice “language” when I’m watching with my kids, and this has more than some viewers might be comfortable with). I had to force them to watch Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but they loved it. We’ve got Ghostbusters in the queue. For mid-teenagers, The Usual Suspects is fantastic.
What a great list! I’ve added tons more stuff to watch with the kids. Thanks, all!
Andrea D said on 01.18.13 at 10:40 AM • [link]
I don’t have kids, but I would share with any kid I know The Iron Giant. It’s not from my childhood, but I absolutely fell in love with that movie when I first saw it. It’s funny, has some exciting action, and is touching and sweet as well.
Qualisign said on 01.18.13 at 12:26 PM • [link]
Arabian Nights (2000). It has swords, death, horror, magic, humor AND kissing.
Cbeta Fiberson said on 01.18.13 at 06:05 PM • [link]
Nuts, my comment got eaten up. If I should be lucky and blessed to have children, I think I might pass on Gargoyles or Home ALone. I don’t care much about Princess Bride and although I watched it, I don’t understand what’s the big deal of it. I also might pass on Sunrise and Sunset movies, and some Korean movies that my ex loved such as The Classic and Art Museum by the Zoo.
With books though, I only read and am familiar with Judy Blume and Harry Potter and Lurlene McDaniel as well as Chicken soup books for teens and one for Jews. Not sure what else they would like. As for romance, I will pass on Jillian Burns books and some others that I have such as Coyote Dreams, The Foreign Student, Bridge of Scarlet Dreams and so on.
Susan/DC said on 01.18.13 at 10:33 PM • [link]
My boys all loved “The Princess Bride” and we still quote from it. Unfortunately, it’s clear our political leaders weren’t fans or at least didn’t take a lesson from Vizzini and “never get involved in a land war in Asia”.
We also liked Errol Flynn in “Captain Blood” Like TPB, it’s got revenge and romance and great swashbuckling swordfights; in other words, something for everyone.
I got my love of “7 Brides for 7 Brothers” from my mom. When I watched it with my oldest son, then around 7, he liked it but asked “that’s not how you get a wife, is it?” Even at that age he realized that kidnapping and avalanches were probably not elements in most courtships.
Rebecca said on 01.19.13 at 01:09 PM • [link]
Sycorax - I hear what you’re saying about The Princess Bride, but I think part of the point of the story is that ALL the characters are a collection of (mostly borderline offensive) stereotypes. The impossibly perfect (blond, blue-eyed) hero, the hot-tempered honor-obsessed Spaniard, the violent, cunning Sicilian, even the villainous prime minister. The only character who is somewhat played against type is Humperdinck. It’s even clearer in the book, but I think the movie makes the point that ALL the fairy-tale tropes are somewhat problematic.
KRGrille said on 01.19.13 at 04:34 PM • [link]
No kids but I managed to pass along my love of The Shawshank Redemption and V for Vendetta to my (then) teenage nephews. Thankfully my sister has done a good job of rearing her children on the “classics” like Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, The Breakfast Club and Monty Python.
dee. said on 01.20.13 at 10:53 AM • [link]
I’m still too young to have kids, but I’ve been exercising my evil influence on my younger cousin, having her watch Heathers, Clueless, The Breakfast Club, Gone With The Wind, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Dirty Dancing…all that good stuff. Right now, I’m in the process of convincing her to start watching Daria, fingers crossed that she’s smart enough to get it and love it.
Elizabeth Gunther said on 01.20.13 at 10:36 PM • [link]
i’ve been sitting here listening to music on Pandora and realized that I can’t wait to introduce my cousin to a lot of the artists that have been played: Springsteen, Blues Traveler, Alanis Morisette, The Eagles, Meatloaf, Queen, Green Day, Brian Adams, The Who, Madonna (her early stuff), Elton John, The Spice Girls (he was asking about them today, lol), Blink 182, Eminem (his early stuff), and so many more.
Amiddendorff said on 01.22.13 at 01:25 PM • [link]
I saved this post in my feed intending to come back and comment when I had more time. After reading all the comments I no longer feel regret that it took five days to get more time. So many movies added to my list!
My daughter is only 4. I’m trying not to push these things on her too early lest she get turned off them and miss out. She recently discovered a Mary Poppins book that she’s had me read a zillion times and has asked even more questions, so I rented the movie. I’m not sure she got it and now we’ve moved on to another book.
Dark Crystal was in a box of VHS tapes my MIL got at a yard sale and my daughter popped it into the VCR before I realized it. I thought she’d get freaked out, but she loved it. She had fewer “concerns” about that than Mary Poppins leaving the children. Go figure.
In addition to The Princess Bride, I’ve added The Goonies, Neverending Story, The Sound of Music, The Secret of NIMH, A Christmas Story, Flight of the Navigator, and The Sandlot. Later, when she’s a bit older, Dirty Dancing, Muriel’s Wedding, Sixteen Candles, Cocoon, Real Genius, and Weird Science. Plus, Sabrina and To Catch a Thief because Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly and Cary Grant… sigh.
Reneesance said on 01.22.13 at 03:03 PM • [link]
So many great movies here, most of my favorites have already been mentioned but one of my Favorites is Bedknobs and Broomsticks! Fully intending to pass that one on to the kiddo sometime soon.
Care to comment?
Comments are now closed for this post.
Subscribe to These Comments