Video Rewind

Caution:  The movies you loved as a kid may not be suitable for all audiences.

With the easy accessibility and wide variety of formats available for watching movies these days, your family viewing may include some movies you enjoyed as a child. Movies have changed over the decades, and while it’s fun to recall favorites, memory can be faulty. Movies you loved as a kid may be full of profanity like The Goonies (1985) and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), tainted by horror like Watership Down (1978) and The Dark Crystal (1982) and saturated with mature themes like Airplane! (1980) and Top Secret! (1984). Keep the good and the bad in mind as you consider revisiting films from the past.

Pros:

Special effects. They have improved a lot!  I enjoy seeing the difference between what were, at the time, state-of-the art special effects and today’s cinematic spectaculars.

Showing “old” technology to your kids. My kids are fascinated by the “funny looking” big rotary phones with cords attached to the wall!, giant computers and wood-paneled station wagons in some of the movies we have seen as a family. And so many situations that arise in old movies and shows simply would not occur today, thanks to the invention of cell phones and the Internet. See, for example, every episode of Three’s Company.

Seeing stars you enjoy now in their early acting days. For example, we just saw Sarah Hyland, who stars in the popular Modern Family television series, play adorable orphan Molly in the 1999 remake of Annie. Grandparents enjoy movies from prior decades because they often feature familiar actors. My in-laws particularly liked The Love Bug (1968) and knew most of the stars by name.

The best reason of all to watch old movies with your kids is to share with them the enjoyment of cinematic entertainment and to foster their love of creativity, imagination and movie magic.

Cons: 

Changing Ratings. Many movies that came out before 1984 may have a PG rating but would be rated PG-13 today. (See the historical note below). Usually, I would let my children watch most any movie rated PG without a lot of concern. This changed after showing my then 5-year-old daughter the 1982 release of Annie in preparation for the debut of the 2014 remake. (Yes, we have a big fan of Annie at our house). I remember the 1982 Carol Burnett film fondly. What I did not remember was Daddy Warbucks’ foul language, the overt depiction of alcohol use and Miss Hannigan’s inappropriate overtures to any male in the vicinity. Granted, a lot of this probably went right over my daughter’s head, however I still don’t like exposing her to too much profanity, sexuality, etc., in movies if I can help it. One way around this is to watch a television network airing of the movie, where offensive words will be bleeped or changed.

Stereotypes. Less obvious than profanity and sexuality in the older movies is the sexism and cultural stereotypes that were much more prevalent in movies (and society as a whole) in the 1970s and 1980s. In our politically correct climate, the roles of women and minorities as depicted in older movies can be shocking. Use this as an opportunity to discuss with your kids how society has changed. Some of the older movies and stories just don’t translate well to today’s kids (or adults). Disney’s Snow White (1937) moves at a very slow pace and simply does not hold my kids’ attention. Even the music sounds strange to them. The titular princess doesn’t have much personality and needs a prince to rescue her. Disney princesses have come a long way since then!

Bad habits. Actors (sometimes kids) in older movies smoke and drink—a lot. If this is not something your kids have been exposed to, be prepared for questions.

Empty Entertainment. I feel spoiled by the current plethora of well-made, educational, ethnically diverse, thought-provoking children’s shows that my kids actually like to watch. In revisiting the cartoons and animated features of my youth, I find there is very little (if any) educational, moral or other value in the shows. Even so, my kids still love Tom & Jerry cartoons!  I guess some forms of entertainment are truly timeless.

How do you decide whether a movie is a good fit for your family movie night?  If you have time, watch the movie first without the kids. Often a quick sampling can give you an idea of whether it contains questionable elements. Ask friends whether they have viewed these movies as a family and what they thought. Read reviews or descriptions online.  I really like the website CommonSenseMedia.org, which rates all types of media regarding suitability for children.

Recognize that parents’ opinions regarding what is appropriate for kids can differ widely. Only you can decide regarding your own children, and yes, they will likely see something at a friend’s house that you wouldn’t have shown to them. Don’t blame the child if this occurs. Rather, use the situation as an opportunity to find out what your child thinks about the film or show and to emphasize to him what things in it you might prefer he not see and why.

I was horrified when my mom showed my son (he was 5 at the time) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. I thought he would have nightmares about bugs and never eat soup again. He never said a word about any of that. When pressed, he said the movie was “okay.” 

Happy viewing—and if your flick takes a turn for the worse, you can always pause for a popcorn break.

Laura Miller McEachen is a part-time attorney and full-time mommy and can’t wait until her kids are old enough to watch the John Hughes movies from the ’80s.

*Historical Note:  The first official MPAA ratings were implemented in 1968. We know these ratings as G, PG, R and X. The PG-13 rating did not come along until 1984 as a result of several Stephen Spielberg films that were deemed to be too mature for the traditional PG rating. The movement for a mid-range rating started with 1977’s Jaws, which has a PG rating despite its graphic violence. In 1984, the release of the PG-rated Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins drew criticism, and Spielberg himself moved for a new category of rating. The first PG-13 movie released to theaters was Red Dawn, which came out later in 1984.