If it’s Saturday movie night and your kids want to watch “Penguins of Madagascar” and you think it looks stupid, DO NOT strongly suggest that they watch the charming and beautifully written 1999 flick “My Dog Skip” on VHS unless you are prepared for the fallout.
Do not insist to your 7 year old dog-lover that the dog WILL NOT DIE because even though the handsome neighbor boy does not die in WWII (whew!) and Skip does indeed survive his harrowing run-in with the blunt end of a shovel, all dogs do indeed die. Even an off-camera implication of dead dog is not going to fly in your house.
Your desire to watch a well-reviewed movie with good actors (Kevin Bacon, Diane Lane, Luke Wilson and cute as a button young Frankie Munoz) should not outweigh your daughter’s desire to avoid ever contemplating her own precious dog’s demise, particularly now that as a second grader, she can “do the math.”
If you do insist on watching it, be prepared to miss much-desired Saturday night blog time while the 7 year old screams, “I don’t want Shadow to die!” over and over in your ears until they feel like they are bleeding and she finally falls asleep in your arms at 10:30 pm.
And that 99 cent VHS tape of “Old Yeller” you also picked up at the thrift shop? Forget about it.
Do not insist to your 7 year old dog-lover that the dog WILL NOT DIE because even though the handsome neighbor boy does not die in WWII (whew!) and Skip does indeed survive his harrowing run-in with the blunt end of a shovel, all dogs do indeed die. Even an off-camera implication of dead dog is not going to fly in your house.
Your desire to watch a well-reviewed movie with good actors (Kevin Bacon, Diane Lane, Luke Wilson and cute as a button young Frankie Munoz) should not outweigh your daughter’s desire to avoid ever contemplating her own precious dog’s demise, particularly now that as a second grader, she can “do the math.”
If you do insist on watching it, be prepared to miss much-desired Saturday night blog time while the 7 year old screams, “I don’t want Shadow to die!” over and over in your ears until they feel like they are bleeding and she finally falls asleep in your arms at 10:30 pm.
And that 99 cent VHS tape of “Old Yeller” you also picked up at the thrift shop? Forget about it.
You'll want to skip Marley and Me too then...
ReplyDeleteYes - I think you have to stick to Disney for a while... Although the old school ones are always killing off moms in the beginning of the story... So maybe not.
ReplyDeleteWhat were you thinking?! Dogs, death and kids... never a good combination.
ReplyDelete"Penguins of Madagascar" is a big hit in our house. And, yes... it's stupid. BUT, nobody cries.
i kind of like those penguins. we have a ban on any dog-dying movies in our house. my kids are way way to sensitive for those.
ReplyDeletei saw old yeller way to many times as a child. still haunts me.
After we all watched (and wept over) Where the Red Fern Grows (and I DID warn them about the doggie death and that there would be tears), my 10 year old had this bit of wisdom:
ReplyDelete"Yeah, I should've listen to (so and so). He said never to watch any movies with dogs since the dog always dies."
So true. And don't even get me started on dead Disney mothers.
Sooner or later, children should not only be able to "do the maths" but actually do it. It's a good thing if it's "only" a dog, better even if it's on TV... hard, though. But you can't be prepared fr reality too well, can you?
ReplyDeleteWhatever you do---don't pick up My Dog Marley for the fam to watch then....oh, no...don't DO that!
ReplyDelete(Even though it is a real good movie!)
Love the new look also---of your blog---so fresh, so bee--you--tee--full!!