Haven’t seen the film ( the Disney tag scared me away ), but it is of course based on the very creepy Ray Bradbury novel of the same name. Good book.
Son of Rambow fits of the bill for quirky and kid friendly. My kids loved it and my husband and I watched it by ourselves and enjoyed it just as much as they did.
Interesting. I thought the Netflix rating seemed higher than expected. I’ll add it to the list.
This or the Black Hole was Disney’s first non-rated G movie, I can’t remember which.
- kid friendly
- intelligent
- tells a complex tale coherently
- stands up to repeat viewings
- Wasn’t exactly a blockbuster
The War of the Buttons fits all these criteria as well.
Since you mentioned kids… I feel the need to stress that you NOT watch Gummo with your kids. In fact, you probably shouldn’t watch it at all. If I could un-watch any of the films I’ve seen. That one would be on the short list.
A) There is nothing about Gummo that i would call “kid friendly.”
B) Ulee’s Gold was filmed very near where I live and the story was based on some real life beekeepers/honeymakers who are well-known in this area for their outstanding delicious Tupelo honey. In fact, I refuse to buy honey from the grocery store: I’m willing to drive 75 miles to “Ulee’s” honey and buy it straight from the source. (It’s on my way to where I go to the beach.) Most of the film was shot right there in Wewahitchka, Florida and the honey processing scene was shot at the actual beekeeping family’s property. They have an honor system there: there’s a box of jars of honey on the back porch. You choose the size you want and leave your sheckels in the box.
I love that movie. It is very true-to-life for this part of the world. IMHO.
Ulee’s Honey. P.S. It’s ridiculously expensive, but IMHO, worth every penny.
The Adventures of Mark Twain, which I’ve brought up frequently on this Board. It’s a Claymation film* by Will Vinton Studios that tells all or parts of many of Twain’s works through a fantastic story about Twain flying a ballooon to meet Halley’s Comet in 1910, accompanies by Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, and Becky Thatcher. James Whitmore does the voice of Twain.
Along they way they tell “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”, “Captain AStormfield’s Visit to Heaven”, much of “The Diary of Adam and Eve”, an odd version of “The Mysterious Stranger”, and bits of others.
The animation is gorgeous, witty, and colorful. The writing is clever. At times you come close to tears. They really do tell a lot of Twain’s life and writing. The film deserves a much better reception than it got. It’s hard to find, even in video stores, and is usually found buried among the obscurities in the corners of the kids’ section.
*“Claymation” is not a general term, as many folks make it out to be. Vinton trademarked the term. His studios turned out a lot of great shorts, music videos, commercials, and a very few movies that got poor distribution. They also did the effects work for Return to Oz and the now-departed Captain EO. In a better world they’d have been at least as famous as Aardman Studios.
- older kid friendly
- intelligent
- tells a complex tale coherently
- stands up to repeat viewings
- wasn’t exactly a blockbuster
CMC fnord!
As a HUGE fan of Sam Clemens, and a big fan of The Adventures of Mark Twain, I thank you!
What about Joe vs the Volcano? It might have parts only an adult can really empathize with (working the depressing job that’s literally worse than death in a volcano) but otherwise it’s friendly, funny, and somewhat spiritual. Good performances by minor characters help a lot.
Our family enjoyed Coraline - although it may be a bit scary for very young kids. Its definitely quirky/oddball with sweetness and intelligence.
I heartily recommend both Secondhand Lions and Son of Rambow mentioned above. They were surprisingly excellent!