Yes, I Used to Work At Blockbuster

A chilly Spring Break means movie time at the See house.

I thought I’d share with you some older movies we have enjoyed that may be off your radar. Because movie ratings have changed over the years, I’ve noticed that some older PG movies have bad language in them, so I would strongly suggest reading movie reviews from a site like Movie Mom before choosing for your family.

I have found that putting up with a few damns and hells has given us the chance to see movies with much better plots than some of the crapola being made right now (you know—all parents are idiots, the only things kids care about are dating and clothes-- basically anything on Nick or Disney Channel). It’s nice to find movies that I want to watch with the kids.

Once again, please check out movie reviews first. I mean, how many of us were scared to death by POLTERGEIST (1982)? That had a PG rating!

So, like us, you’ve probably enjoyed revisiting the “Free Willy” movies and “E.T.” Here are some other family movies we have enjoyed.

“The Rookie” (2002) Dennis Quaid, baseball coach and dad, gets a second chance at pro baseball.

“A Little Princess” (1995) Gorgeous version of Frances Hodgsen Burnett’s classic.

“Miracle” (2004) Kurt Russell plays the coach of the victorious 1980 USA Olympic Hockey Team. Note: Hockey language included.

“Dreamer” (2005) Dakota Fanning, Kurt Russell, save an injured racehorse and mend their relationship.

“Fly Away Home” (1996) A girl saves a flock of geese by guiding them south and develops a strong relationship with her father.

“Believe in Me” (2006) Small town doesn’t believe in girls’ sports. Cutie-pie actor from “Burn Notice” plays their inspiring coach. Note: Rough language, and teen pregnancy alert!

All the “Shiloh” movies.

And you may remember

"My Dog Skip." I loved it, but the implied elderly doggie death at the very end sent Molly into hysterics.



What older family movies do you like?

Don't Kiss Me Kate (Winslet)

So Tom and I were watching “The Reader” last night, starring Kate Winslet. The kids were at a sleepover, so we had a rare night to ourselves. I had read the book, so I knew what to expect plot-wise, but I was still a bit taken aback by all of the nudity. I mean, it’s a period piece, but I think they must have saved a bundle on costumes, because for the first hour, the two main characters were pretty much nude…frontal, backal, the works.

This was the closest Tom and I’ve ever come to one of “those kinds” of movies, and I wonder what my neighbors thought of the images of Kate and her teenage lover getting it on through our window on our new widescreen TV. Note: This is NOT a movie you want to watch with your friends, your neighbors, your in-laws, your brother, or even a bunch of strangers in a movie theater. I liked the movie a lot, but I’m not even sure if I was old enough to watch the steamy scenes.

Anyhoo, I don’t know if I’ve told you but Tom CANNOT stay awake during a movie. Ever. Comedy, tragedy, action—he’s snoozing within the hour. We usually stick to 30-minute sitcoms we have recorded on DVR, such as “The Office,” “Seinfeld,” and “Everybody Loves Raymond” so we can watch together.

After the first hour of skin, "The Reader" takes a dramatic twist and delves into terrible secrets related to the Holocaust. Tom was asleep and missed all it, yet I was riveted. I have studied the Holocaust extensively, and my mind was still churning as we went to bed. And if you are anything like me, you know the whirring torment of an overactive female brain at bedtime. I’ll take my overactive bladder any day.

Tom, newly refreshed from his during-movie nap was feeling a little friendly. After all, he’d just watched nooky on the screen (in HD no less), he’d missed the whole Holocaust part, and we had an empty house. Unfortunately, this did not mesh with my contemplation of the dark issues brought up in the movie.

I tried. I did. I tried.

He was all “An-na…” but I was all “Anne Frank.”

Some nights don’t turn out as planned.



p.s. I lost a reader today. Tom thinks it's probably because he/she thought I was too mean to Tom. What do you think?

Should Have Skipped It?

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.