I’m going to my sister’s for Thanksgiving and wanted to get some Netflix movies (which means I have to put them in tonight as I just sent back the most recent batch). She doesn’t like movies with a lot of violence or sex or language (though she’s not a total prude- she liked 3:10 TO YUMA for example even though it had some violence). She also doesn’t like cartoons. I can’t stomach movies like Tyler Perry’s MORALITY PLAY starring Tyler Perry as Tyler Perry’s M’dea or anything with Kirk Cameron or a “beat you over the head” religious agenda.
So, can you recommend some movies that downplay the sex and violence and language but at the same time are decent to watch even if you’re not in need of a Family Values message?
Things I know my sister likes in movies:
WESTERNS- I think Lonesome Dove is her favorite miniseries of all time, though she’s seen it and owns it (I gave it to her one year)
HUGH GRANT- I’ve put MUSIC & LYRICS on the list (there’s a sex scene but not at all graphic), she’s seen ABOUT A BOY
FAMILY DRAMAS- stuff like *Sarah Plain and Tall *and movies about a little boy who raises a blind horse with 3 legs and wins the World Series or whatever… in fact,
JOHNNY DEPP- Pirates of the Carribean is among her favorites
HORSES- she generally likes anything with a horse as the main character, including that Viggo Mortensen movie whose name eludes me (the Arabian 500) or SEA BISCUIT or MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER (also a favorite).
Things she hates other than graphic sex/violence:
Arthouse- I would never try to show her Merchant/Ivory or Pi (and frankly I’m not that crazy about them myself)
Roseanne Barr (not that she’s made that many movies)
Gays portrayed sympathetically (though I can override this one)
Sad endings.
I think I’ll add CHOCOLAT to the list- nothing graphic and Johnny Depp (don’t know if there’s a horse).
I still like some of the old family films from the '60s. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, The Love Bug, The Incredible Mr. Limpet…
Johnny, of all people I’d think you would dismiss Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as the affront to the memory of Count Zborowski that it is. And a really crappy movie.
“The Princess Bride” (assuming that’s not a given)
“Silverado” – it does depict prostitution and it has some violence, but less of both than “Lonesome Dove”
While not featured as main characters, horses are featured in both options.
I"ve had very good results showing Big Fish to family and friends. There’s a heavy Tim Burton fantasy streak in it, but if that’s not a deal killer then it’s a great family movie…about family.
There’s a current thread about That Thing You Do. It’s a wonderful movie for anyone that remembers the British Invasion.
The Christopher Guest mockumentaries are fun. My favorites are Best In Show and Mighty Wind. Best in Show has a heavy gay element, tho.
Disclaimer: These two movies can be a little sappy at times and are not just rollicking good fun, if that’s what you’re looking for. But they’re both good.
One that comes to mind from several years ago that I really enjoyed was Fly Away Home, with Anna Paquin and Jeff Daniels playing a daughter and father that raise a litter of orphaned Canada geese and teach them to migrate. It’s geared generally toward kids and is not normally my type of movie, but I thought it was really well made. I believe it was inspired by a true story, but is not an accurate portrayal of the actual people or events. If there aren’t any kids who’ll be watching, you might be better off with something else.
Another (and even better) movie about daughter-father (and grandfather) relationships is Whale Rider. I can’t recommend this highly enough if you’re looking for family drama. The young lead actress was nominated for an Oscar and is just amazing.
There are a lot of good suggestions in this thread already, but I’d add one more: Sky High. Family-friendly superheroes, in the traditional Walt Disney vein. One of my favorite movies.
Fantasy adventure, similar sort of feel to The Princess Bride - heaps of romance, feelgood ending - no Johnny Depp but the lead male actor is a dish of similar caliber. And it’s really funny.
I will confess - it does have a cross-dressing Robert De Niro in it, but he hams it up sufficiently that I think you could get away with it.
ETA: The Gods must be Crazy is the only film I ever attempted to walk out of (at age fifteen) due to being bored to absolute tears with the first half hour of it (I’ll agree it did get better. But I have a suspicion that if I were to try to watch it now I’d find it kinda racist in a paternalistic way). You might need your fast-forward finger for that one…
The only one on my very short list that might be hard to find is Whale Rider, a New Zealand film about a young girl who overcomes sexism and tradition to help her village, her father and herself. It’s worth the effort to find this one.
:smack: I see that this film was mentioned already by Tangent. Isn’t that enough of a recommendation? Go get this film now!
I really liked Secondhand Lions. I’d also recommend the first Adams Family movie. She might like Maverick, even tho’ it’s got Mel Gibson in it. It’s a nearly bloodless western, IIRC. She might also like a chick-flick called Year of the Comet.
