In college, I spent summers working at a theater so that I could watch movies for free. I reeked of popcorn and artificial butter, but it was worth it. Nowadays, with Netflix, I can watch a ton of movies without ever leaving the house—I can be as antisocial as I want and devour them all. Sure, there’s lots of junk, but there are also gems, though sometimes they’re a little hard to find. Sometimes I want mindless junk, background noise while I’m working. And I still go out with friends to the movie theater, where I can enjoy first-run films, blockbusters and independent cinema, superheroes and drawn-out dramas.
I don’t have kids. I’d occasionally babysit friends’ kids or my younger cousins, and taking them to the movies was different from watching them with adults. I imagine my cinematic experiences are different from those of parents’. What is it like for them? My friends and coworkers with children mostly watch movies meant for kids. I appreciate how lucky I am with my plethora of choices—for months I had requests from parents to avoid posting Star Wars: Episode VII spoilers on Facebook. I understand. We’re fated to see very few movies in common, because they get to choose very few on their own.
But sometimes, once in a long while, there’s an overlap. When a rare wind blows and the stars align, parents, kids, and I all watch the same film.
Almost all of the movies below are meant for both kids and adults. I don’t have kids, and I wonder—what is it like for you to watch these movies as parents?
Inside Out: This movie is loved by everyone: kids, parents, and I can’t tell you how many adults without kids I know who are moved by it. This is one of the best animated representations of the turmoil of dealing with different emotions, balancing happiness with sadness, anger, and envy. Sometimes others—parents, anyone—set expectations that are hard to live up to. The world isn’t perfect. It isn’t always rosy. Kids and adults both have to deal with various feelings, with struggles, with life. All of this is presented in a funny, yet touching animated film. A cartoon! I saw it with friends—it spoke to us. It spoke to me. How do parents see this movie, and how do they discuss it with their kids?
School of Rock: This movie is so popular, it’s now a Broadway show. Jack Black gets a bunch of kids to perform the kind of music they’re never allowed to play at home, bringing out their full potential. He’s hysterical, if you don’t mind a terrible role model with a foul mouth and selfish motives who teaches kids to do cool things for the wrong reason. Bonus: Joan Cusack is hilarious as a tightly-wound principal who gets plastered and rocks out to Stevie Nicks. Jack Black is redeemed when the parents discover their kids’ talents, and their rock band becomes the audience favorite. That’s apparently enough to make everything OK. Wait—this is a family film? Because it’s all about kids. In school. The school of rock.
Toy Story: Kids get talking toys. Parents relive their childhood. Adults cry during the third installment, their eyes overflowing with emotion, hands wiping away the tears that stream down their cheeks and into the popcorn. Careful, someone might see. Or, who cares—let them see—every other adult is crying, too.
Goosebumps: OK, I know this movie isn’t meant for me—I’m not the intended audience. But once again, it features Jack Black, and if Jack Black’s in it, I’m in. So I half-watched it (on Netflix—I ain’t paying for it) while working and tweeting, mostly just looking up whenever Jack Black appeared. I’m curious about who enjoys this movie. I can’t tell who’s supposed to identify with the characters—they’re in high school, but this is not a high schoolers’ movie. Do nine-year-olds really appreciate a teenage romance in a CGI monster comedy? Do parents enjoy this movie?
Finding Nemo & Finding Dory: Everyone faces challenges, which Nemo and Dory have to contend with, metaphorically and literally—literally in the sense that Nemo has a physical disability (small fin) and Dory a cognitive one (amnesia). Despite these limitations, both are capable and thriving—even heroic. Plus, Dory is the coolest character in Finding Nemo, so cool that she gets her own movie! Do parents discuss Nemo and Dory’s disabilities with their kids—both children living with and without disabilities?
Gulliver’s Travels: Jack Black returns as—just kidding! This is a terrible movie.
Mary Poppins: Does anyone still watch this with their kids? ‘Cause it’ll forever be supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and practically perfect.
And anything else y’all like. This is just a smattering of kid- and adult-friendly movies I’ve seen that comes to mind. Oh, and I took a look at Common Sense Media (https://www.commonsensemedia.org/) to assess kid-friendliness. As for films in general, I have my personal favorites, but I don’t think a parental perspective of Clerks, Babette’s Feast, and Lawrence of Arabia is warranted in this context. (Fun fact: did you know that 2001: A Space Odyssey is rated G? Just like Bambi.)
Tangentially, if you have any opinions about Bad Moms, there’s a lively discussion of it here: https://www.care.com/c/stories/1394/why-every-parent-should-be-insulted-by-bad-mo/
