Twolittleboys Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Okay, I would really love some help with this! I am planning on taking the kids (9 and 7) to LA this summer and we will also visit Hollywood. However, I just realized that this won't be too exciting for the boys as they know absolutely nothing about movies. As far as I know, the only movies they have seen are animated Disney movies. So I was thinking it might be a good idea to watch some movies to make them familiar with famous movies/actors etc. before we go on our trip. Looking for suggestions of good movies to watch for the entire family. I am most interested in old classics but some newer movies might be good as well. What makes this a bit difficult is that both boys are VERY sensitive so anything "exciting" is out. Would really appreciate recommendations of movies to watch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 So, the goal would be to share blockbuster movies and actors that have become part of our culture, right? I'm going to make a list that *I* would let *my* kids watch at those ages, you can read up and decide for yourself if they are appropriate for your kids. in no particular order, just glancing through my shelves: the 1933 version of King Kong The General with Buster Keaton Casablanca with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Becall The Thin Man with William Powell and Myrna Loy Mr. Smith Goes to Washington with Jimmy Stewart and Jean Arthur Ben Hur with Charlton Heston It Happened One Night with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert The Gold Rush with Charlie Chaplin Dracula with Bela Lugosi Frankenstein with Boris Karloff Sons of the Desert with Laurel and Hardy Duck Soup with the Marx Brothers The Egg and I with Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert Christmas in Connecticut with Barbara Stanwyck Mrs. Deeds Goes to Town with Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur The Adventures of Robin Hood with Errol Flynn The Wizard of Oz It's a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed Singin' in the Rain with Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds Meet Me in St. Louis with Judy Garland Lawrence of Arabia with Peter O'Toole Star Wars Episode IV The Absent Minded Professor with Fred MacMurray any Godzilla movie (Herbie) The Love Bug The Muppet Movie Time Bandits The Court Jester with Danny Kaye Beau Geste Bringing Up Baby with Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant Sound of Music with Julie Andrews If you want to be more specific, I could come up with more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 More kid favorites: Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang The Apple Dumpling Gang Pollyanna Mary Poppins E.T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twolittleboys Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Thanks so much - this is already a great start. I guess what I am looking for are movies that will help the boys to enjoy visiting Hollywood. Obviously, it would be fairly boring to see the footprints/stars etc. if you have never heard of anyone. So I would say one objective is to hit a number of the best-know/loved movies but the other objective is to get familiar with many of the "Hollywood legends". Mostly I am thinking of past actors/actresses (eg. Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, etc.) but it would be great to also get to know some of the stars of today. The major difficulty I see is that the boys are really not at all ready for anything scary/sad etc. - I think the Wizard of Oz is pushing it. So any additional ideas (either of movies or not to be missed actors/actesses) would be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Thanks so much - this is already a great start. I guess what I am looking for are movies that will help the boys to enjoy visiting Hollywood. Obviously, it would be fairly boring to see the footprints/stars etc. if you have never heard of anyone. So I would say one objective is to hit a number of the best-know/loved movies but the other objective is to get familiar with many of the "Hollywood legends". Mostly I am thinking of past actors/actresses (eg. Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, etc.) but it would be great to also get to know some of the stars of today. The major difficulty I see is that the boys are really not at all ready for anything scary/sad etc. - I think the Wizard of Oz is pushing it. So any additional ideas (either of movies or not to be missed actors/actesses) would be great. Honestly, beyond watching some of the movies, I just wouldn't worry about being familiar with the "stars." You probably don't want to go into their biographies, for instance, if you don't want "scary/sad." Hollywood is in a kinda icky area, too. (We went 2 summers ago.) I would just go and have fun as adults, and know that they may not be super-excited about it. If you want to do a studio tour, Warner Bros. is excellent. They do a backlot tour that's really interesting, even if you've never heard of the shows they highlight, although it is, of course, more interesting if you have heard of them. You could talk about sets and locations and things like that to prepare them a bit, or just enjoy a lovely tram ride and walk around places where things are filmed. (On the tour, we saw the "Jungle Area," "New York" and a "suburban area," and a Town Square area. George of the Jungle, Ghost Whisperer, Fantasy Island, a vampire show, several sitcoms--all filmed in part there.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Most of the movies I posted are comedies. A few of them are adventure-films (like Star Wars), but I don't think it is scarier than Wizard of Oz. Even King King is not scary at all; you can see the strings on the planes, lol. Oh, the othe thing you might consider is a kid-friendly gangster movie like Angels With Dirty Faces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Hollywood is in a kinda icky area, too. (We went 2 summers ago.) ha! It's much fancier and nicer now than it was 20 years ago! Hollywood spent tons of money fixing it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 (edited) I think this book is a good place to start The Best Old Movies for Families:A Guide to Watching Together. I read it last year and agree with most of his recommendations. A few were really out there (sorry, can't recall what they were right now) but for the most part they were movies that my kids and I have already seen together and mostly enjoyed. :) hth eta- just read Mrs. Mungo's post - lots of great movies there except for Meet Me in St. Louis - I detest that movie. Just my 2 cents.:D Edited February 4, 2012 by Mothersweets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twolittleboys Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share Posted February 4, 2012 Thanks so much for all the info. I will definitely look for that book - it sounds like it would be perfect for my purposes. We are actually planning an extended trip to Southern California and Hollywood is just a small part of it. Still, it seems that it would be more fun for the kids if they had more of an idea about movies in general. Also, I feel that I have neglected that part of their education somehow. So this isn't just for the trip but to give them at least a basic understanding of movies which I think is part of a well-rounded education (and fun as well). Actually, I have started a list of possible movies and it is coming along nicely. What I am still having trouble with is finding appropriate movies that are newer and feature more recent actors/actresses (e.g. Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt etc.). Would love to have some suggestions for this as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoundAbout Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 I think this book is a good place to start The Best Old Movies for Families:A Guide to Watching Together. :iagree: We absolutely love this book!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 You could watch a couple of movies where Universal Studio backlot sets are visible, such as Back to the Future. Then you can go to Universal Studios and take the tours. Or you could watch the movies afterwards...works out to be just as fun. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Actually, I have started a list of possible movies and it is coming along nicely. What I am still having trouble with is finding appropriate movies that are newer and feature more recent actors/actresses (e.g. Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt etc.). Would love to have some suggestions for this as well. Julia Roberts is in Hook. Brad Pitt does voices in a couple of cartoons like MegaMind. Tom Cruise is in Legend (which you might not want you littles watching, I don't know). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.