Putting the "Family" in Family Films

Dear Big-Time Hollywood Producers,

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but thank you. Thank you for understanding that parents must sit through children’s movies. Thank you for realizing that although they may walk into walls and eat Play-Doh once in awhile, our kids are pretty smart and can laugh at things besides bodily functions. Thank you for creating films we can enjoy together as a family and don’t make me want to beat myself silly with the remote control.

This Saturday, the little P’s and I watched Where the Wild Things Are. A little slow, a little depressing, but overall, the theme of love and redemption and family struck a chord with both me and my 3-year-old. She loved the characters; I loved how Spike Jonze turned Max from simply a bratty kid to a bratty kid whose loneliness and sadness affected how he saw the world.

Over the past year, I’ve liked Coraline (beautiful), Up (if you don’t bawl during the first 15 minutes, your heart is made of stone) and Fantastic Mr. Fox (my absolute favorite). Mr. Fox, which is released on DVD March 23, is gorgeous, funny and entertaining. The one thing it’s not is for toddlers, which I learned when I took my 3-year-old to see it in the theater and discovered she was the only person under 21. But for older kids – and their parents – it’s a fun ride.

I’m also looking forward to the March 16DVD launch of The Princess and the Frog. While my family has OD’ed on Disney princesses over the past year, I’ve heard nothing but good things about the film. And my child has finally agreed to see it after refusing to watch it in the theater because “crocodiles are scary.”

Just a few movies we’re looking forward to in theaters include*:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid – March 19

Disney’s OCEANS – April 22

Shrek Forever After – May 21

Toy Story 3 – June 18

Ramona and Beezus – July 23 (I am so excited about this one!)

Tangled – November 24

*Note – all release dates are subject to change. Am I missing any movies you really want to see? Let us know!

So, Big-Time Hollywood Producers, on behalf of moms like me and my remote control, we thank you for a great year of movies and hope 2010 continues to introduce us to quality movies we are actually able to sit through.

Cheers,

Mrs. P 

By Nicole Plegge, lifestyle blogger for SmartParenting