This is our spring break week! I'm so excited!
So, lets face it. We try to minimize the amount of TV our kids watch. Sometimes we succeed and sometimes, its, well....harder. These are all movies that I have watched with my kids on our family movie nights, and some of my favorites, for reasons I'll list below. Enjoy! (and please follow your own instincts when it comes to anything that might be inappropriate for your own unique child, since some of these would scare younger children or more sensitive children, I always look up movies on this site before I let my kids watch, I've learned this the hard way. It gives guidance as to an appropriate age range, too, which helps a lot!) :)
1. Ratatouille
For any foodies out there who enjoy cooking and eating as much as I do, this movie is a real treat. It is a beautifully animated story about a rat who dreams of doing more than eating garbage all day. He learns all about cooking from a famous chef on TV whose claim is that "anyone can cook." He meets up with a young man named Remy who is also socially isolated and they create a partnership that allows both of them to thrive and learn more about themselves as they are thrown into the center of a kitchen in a busy Paris restaurant. I love this movie because it shows the power of following your dreams in spite of social pressure and about friendship and being your best.
2. How to Train Your Dragon
Another story about a young man who doesn't quite fit in (there is a pattern here, hm), in his Viking village of dragon fighters. He captures a dragon and surprises himself by refusing to kill the dragon (which would have finally brought him honor and respect at home) and instead befriending it. Together he and his dragon forge a friendship that helps them overcome their individual handicaps, learn the courage to stand up to forces that kept them down, and bring understanding and change to the village. A touching story about a parent-child relationship and finding the gifts in our children or ourselves that may be different than our own.
3. In Search of the Castaways
Ok, this is an old movie (1962) with pretty rudimentary special effects. But I LOVE it. A story about two children whose father was lost at sea and their attempt to find him after a French professor found a message in a bottle, it is a fun and upbeat adventure story. My favorite is the Frenchman and his optimism-- his song "Let's Climb"-- love it.
4. Meet the Robinsons
A movie about the value of family and following your dreams in spite of setbacks, this is a great movie for all ages. A young orphan named Lewis is a budding inventor who can't seem to find the right adoptive parents. When he receives a couple of mysterious visitors from the future, he discovers what family is all about (this one is so quirky and hilarious!) and is challenged to keep moving forward in spite of failure and find peace with his past as he races to save the future.
5. Rise of the Guardians
This is one of our new favorites, though there are some parts that could scare young children. Jack Frost is uncertain as to how he became who he is, and wonders why human beings cannot see him. When the Boogeyman threatens to destroy children's belief in the "Guardians" of childhood-- Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and the Sandman-- by instilling fear, Jack must discover who he is inside and why he has suddenly been chosen to help protect children. The animation is amazing and imaginative, providing a fantastical and fresh glimpse into the characters and worlds of what could have been stale over-told stories (LOVE the Santa with his naughty and nice tattoos and the Australian accented Easter Bunny). Instead it is fresh and inspiring story about the power of belief and childhood.
6. Wreck-it Ralph
This is yet another story about someone on the fringes who goes in search of meaning and inclusion. Ralph is the "bad guy" in an old-time video game. Always taught that being bad was important and not to be questioned, Ralph gets tired of being marginalized and ignored for his contributions. And yes, the poor guy has to sleep in the dump. One day, in his frustration, he enters a different video game, and then another, in order to earn a medal to bring home. The chaos that ensues is both cathartic, funny, and painful, as you watch Ralph learn about himself and others finally learn to appreciate him. He meets a young girl who has also been socially rejected (a "glitch" in her game), and helps her discover her inner talents. I really enjoyed the animation in this movie too-- the creative and humorous old, nostalgic games (remember Pac Man and games of us 80's brats?), as well as the incorporation of newer themes.
7. Cars
This has been on my mind a lot because I've got a Cars addict on my hands that I have to fight off a lot around here. But this truly is a great kids movie, one of my favorites as far as messages go. Lightning McQueen is a young, arrogant racecar who only thinks of himself. Until he gets lost on his way to a big race and has to do service in a little lonely run down town off of Route 66, for some damage he did to the road while evading a police car. He finally learns to see outside himself as he becomes endeared to the various cute and quirky personalities in the small town. What was once a one-man show turns into probably one of my favorite movie endings of all time, as McQueen finally learns that winning isn't everything. This movie is chock full of funny automobile references and details that will delight people of all ages (little tiny car bugs? Click and Clack? Bring it on!).
I have some more I'm saving for another day! Are any of these movies a favorite of yours too?
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