In an earlier thread I mentioned how Ivygirl watched Mary Poppins for the first time. She also recently watched It’s a Wonderful Life, and is now able to appreciate when its references pop up in other films. She’s seen The Sound of Music, but not The Wizard of Oz in its entirety.
What classic movies do you think your children must see? She’s seen *Schindler’s List *and Saving Private Ryan. That was actually a school assignment, and she thought she’d knock them out in one sitting. However, after seeing Saving Private Ryan, she very quietly said she needed a break. I didn’t think she should watch them back to back, but hey, I’m her mom. Why would she listen to me?
I think Citizen Kane and Casablanca should be on her list, but she’s a bit impatient with black and white movies, and unless they grab her right away (like *It’s a Wonderful Life *did) I don’t think she’d sit through them.
How old is Ivygirl? (ETA: in the other thread, you mention she is 15). And what do you mean by “classic”? Older than 20 years? 40? Oscar winners?
Depending upon her maturity, she needs to see Chinatown and the first two Godfather movies, as well as the first three Star Wars films: SW, ESB, and RoTJ.
I’d recommend Paths of Glory for any child. Great performance by Kirk Douglas, and a good reminder that adult leaders are often morally corrupt and/or idiots.
Les Miserables (1935 w/March and Laughton) Blade Runner To Kill a Mockingbird The Quiet Man
When i was a kid, my father would let me stay up to watch these no matter what the time. Well, not Blade Runner, i was a bit beyond the age where i needed my fathers permission to stay up late by that time.
I’d throw in a couple of Miyazaki films, myself - just to illustrate how animation can tell stories that I still don’t think can be done justice to by even CGI techniques.
Spirited Away
and less animation dependant (i.e. it could be reshot, now, with CGI, but…)
My favorite “old-timey” movies in childhood (except for the “Wizard of Oz”) were The Bad Seed and The Day the World Stood Still. Partly because my father watched them with me and was able to provide commentary.
She’s seen The Sixth Sense. I’m also thinking Old Yeller, Pride of the Yankees, and Roots. (Although it’s not a movie, it might as well be.)
Oh, and she has to watch Gone With the Wind, because, well, I had that book read about 50 times by the time I got through junior high.
Classics…I don’t necessarily mean AFI’s Top 100. I mean those classics where you say one line from the movie and people know what you’re talking about. Where they insert references from the films into popular culture. Movies which will stand the test of time.
I’m afraid I’ve soured her on Shawshank Redemption…every time that’s on, I try to catch it.
Some Like It Hot - There’s no better way to blow away all of the foofaraw (both hagiographic and negative) that’s accumulated around Marilyn Monroe than to watch this movie. Also, it helps to erase the image of Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis as wrinkled old men that most of the people of my generation and after have.
Also, Imitation of Life, the Lana Turner version. Douglas Sirk deliberately had the African-American storyline overshadow the white one, which gives this version much more depth than the original Claudette Colbert version.
Anne of Green Gables I saw it when I was about 14 years old on CBC (or was it PBS?) and loved it. Unfortunately, I bought it on VHS about 10 years ago. I’ll have to find a DVD copy, but I’ve got some time. My daughter isn’t even 2 years old.
