Ok. I'm taking a quick break from reading the 924 pages of Pamela I need to finish (and write 2000-3000 word essay on) before Thursday. After writing that sentence, I'm beginning to think that this little diversion is a bad idea. Oh, well. I've committed myself.
What prompted this post is an article I've come across through Yahoo news, entitled "Kids films deemed too scary for kids." It talks about the new film Where the Wild Things Are and how some parents think the themes are too dark for their young children. It's based off of the classic 1963 children's novel of the same title, by Maurice Sendak. It's the story of a little boy who goes off into an imaginary world of monsters and other creatures. Watch the trailer here.
The article also mentions the Pixar movie Up as similarly controversial. In Up, a lonely old man and a hyper little boy scout stowaway ride off in his balloon-lifted house towards South America. The opening scenes of the film show center around the poignant story of the old man's life with his wife. I'm not going to say any more in case you haven't seen it yet, but I do suggest bringing a box of tissues.
The article goes on to discuss how parents are often overprotective with what their children watch, and that children are capable of processing themes better than their parents believe they can. I completely agree. I think it's important to expose children to some of the unpleasant things in life. This is not to say that we should completely bash their innocence and show them all the horrors of life. I simply mean that there are certain ways of gently preparing them for life's situations.
Besides, it's not like children's movies in the past were all sunshine and flowers. Here are a few that I loved, yet (slightly) traumatized me.
-The Lion King (1994) Great movie, but I still can't watch the Mufasa scene.
- The Fox and the Hound (1981) Any time you have a gunshot in the opening sequence: yikes. Also, just because you and your friend are different, you can't be friends anymore?
-Old Yeller (1957) The ultimate boy-and-his-dog film.
-Pinocchio (1940) Drinking, smoking, vandalism, and getting swallowed by a whale...but also learning a valuable lesson.
What prompted this post is an article I've come across through Yahoo news, entitled "Kids films deemed too scary for kids." It talks about the new film Where the Wild Things Are and how some parents think the themes are too dark for their young children. It's based off of the classic 1963 children's novel of the same title, by Maurice Sendak. It's the story of a little boy who goes off into an imaginary world of monsters and other creatures. Watch the trailer here.
The article also mentions the Pixar movie Up as similarly controversial. In Up, a lonely old man and a hyper little boy scout stowaway ride off in his balloon-lifted house towards South America. The opening scenes of the film show center around the poignant story of the old man's life with his wife. I'm not going to say any more in case you haven't seen it yet, but I do suggest bringing a box of tissues.
The article goes on to discuss how parents are often overprotective with what their children watch, and that children are capable of processing themes better than their parents believe they can. I completely agree. I think it's important to expose children to some of the unpleasant things in life. This is not to say that we should completely bash their innocence and show them all the horrors of life. I simply mean that there are certain ways of gently preparing them for life's situations.
Besides, it's not like children's movies in the past were all sunshine and flowers. Here are a few that I loved, yet (slightly) traumatized me.
-The Lion King (1994) Great movie, but I still can't watch the Mufasa scene.
- The Fox and the Hound (1981) Any time you have a gunshot in the opening sequence: yikes. Also, just because you and your friend are different, you can't be friends anymore?
-Old Yeller (1957) The ultimate boy-and-his-dog film.
-Pinocchio (1940) Drinking, smoking, vandalism, and getting swallowed by a whale...but also learning a valuable lesson.