Let's lighten the mood. Assuming they survive the lead paint, the car seats, and the trips to the ER, what formative movie can you barely wait for your kid to be old enough to see?
Apocalypse Now?
Fast Times At Ridgemont High?
The Seven Samurai?
The Piano? [please say no]
The film snob in me says John Cassavetes' A Woman Under The Influence, [since she's already seen Shadows] but if it were Sixteen Candles, then at least she'd be able to understand where all my annoying catchphrases come from. So I'll split the difference and go with Pulp Fiction.
Leave your favorite movie you want the kid to love someday, too, in the comments. I'll pick an email address from the entries at random Sunday night, and you can choose between one of the last remaining DT t-shirts or one of the sweet little Muji toys I've been stockpiling. [Email addresses aren't visible and won't be used for anything else.]
The Dark Crystal
Clash of the Titans
Witness
It's a Wonderful Life
(sorry, had a hard time picking just one...)
She already has - I've introduced her to Nilsson's "The Point" which is a fantastically trippy animated film. I had two Uncles who were like the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers who would play it for me as a child and it became a touchstone.
It's a toss up between Blue Velvet and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Ahhh, the classics...
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Au Bout de Souffle
Demoiselles de Rochefort
Wizard of Oz
Rushmore.
The Last Unicorn
Priscilla Queen of the Desert
The Breakfast Club
Blade Runner
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Heathers
ditto on the Sixteen Candles...my personal favorite scenes:
"Fred, she's gotten her boobies!"
"I'd better get my magnifying glass!"
"OH! and they're so PERKY!"
***CUE the Psycho music****
"tan trousers and, oh... red argyle socks... hum? No, he's not retarded!"
Shoot, I can't wait long enough for those movies. I'll drop down a few years and be happy when we can trade quotes from The Princess Bride.
Or Full Metal Jacket.
Princess Bride.
The Beastmaster.
pink pather 1 and 2
true romance (later)
wife says:
princess bride
grease
right now we are all watching the latest pirates of the carribean, as it is the only recent movie in the new zealandish video store that we haven't seen. unfortunate
Full Metal Jacket
Goodfellas
Godfather I & II
(have seen Full Metal Jacket with my older kid and it rocked his world in a good way!)
Before Sunrise.
I'll second The Princess Bride too.
Pretty In Pink
Of course, Silence of the Lambs.
As I put baby lotion on my dear one each day, I lovingly chirp: It rubs the lotion on the baby...
She'll wonder where that came from.
And, for pure survival tactics in this Bratz fueled world: Heathers or Clueless.
Hell, why not both.
Great topic.
T
The 40-Year Old Virgin or Animal House
*sigh* no matter what I choose, because I chose it, she is gonna hate it.
Unless it is the greatest flick ever - The Karate Kid!
Un Chien Andalou
The Big Lebowski
Star Wars (d'uh)
The Hidden Fortress
Any Albert Brooks Movie Before 1990
Simpsons Box Set (all seasons)
A Hard Day's Night - energy, music, comedy, B&W
The Big Lebowski - "do you have to use so many cuss words?"
Anything by Hitchcock
Before Sunrise
Waking Life
Mine:
Romancing the Stone
Jewel of the Nile
The Pianist
Indiana Jones (all of them)
For my wife:
Gone with the Wind
The Color Purple
I'm obliged to agree about these too:
Princess Bride
Pretty in Pink
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Umm...she's already seen the Simpsons. She knows the characters by name almost.
Heathers -- not a bad movie to teach peer pressure. 'Course The Breakfast Club does that too.
Can't wait for our boy to see
original Star Wars trilogy
Ferris Beuller's Day Off
Revenge of the Nerds (I know, I know, weird choice)
Lord of the Rings (only after he's read the books, though)
Princess Bride
The Sixth Sense
PS And Kill Bill Vol. 1!!!
The Apple Dumpling Gang
The Muppet Movie
Star Wars
Indiana Jones
My Life as a Dog
Chariots of Fire
spirited away.
rushmore.
pan's labyrinth.
Bueller....Bueller....
Enter the Dragon and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, only after he's read the books :)
Star Wars!
Miller's Crossing
Officer and a Gentleman
The Sound of Music
...
Princess Bride! Star Trek II!
[it'll help explain to him why he's named KHAAAAAAAN -ed.]
#1 choice:
labrynth
other important picks:
princess bride
rock 'n' roll highschool
help!
The Princess Bride
Star Wars (4-6)
Indiana Jones movies
Monty Python's Holy Grail
Animal House
Blues Brothers (oops, we've already shown this. He calls it the "Police Car movie")
The Big Lebowski
Swingers
the Wes Anderson film catalogue.
The Graduate
Grand Prix starring James Garner (1966)
Play Misty for Me
Westworld
Star Wars (all)
Indiana Jones (all)
Ferris Bueller...c'mon.
The Sound of Music
Disney Classics (just the good ones)
John Hughes catalogue
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
To Kill a Mockingbird
ET
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (original)
The Big Lebowski
Swingers
Nat'l Lampoons Vacation
I think it has to be 'Spirited Away' or 'My Neighbor Totoro' by Miyazaki. Both films blow my mind like I'm a wide-eyed child every time I watch them.
Since she's already seen Spirited Away;
American Graffiti
The Goonies
Donnie Brasco
A few from above plus:
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
A Fish Called Wanda
The Great Escape.
Uncle Buck, the Butcher Boy, & the entire Miyazaki catalog.
Easy Rider
Dazed and Confused!
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
and on and on...
So cool, having all of these stories (books and movies) to discover.
Boondock Saints
If we are talking about a kids' movie then the easy answer is, "Babe".
But for more adult fare...?
The imperfect, but nonetheless moving, "Men Don't Leave".
For visual poetry, "32 Short Films About Glenn Gould" or "The Thin Red Line".
For grandness, "Lawrence of Arabia".
For laughs, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail".
But ultimately there are so many great films that I look forward to sharing with my children that a narrow list seems almost impossible.
Clerks
The Prestige
Monster Club
Solaris (russian version, cause no one else will watch it with me)
Ghandi
Any caper movie.
Caddy Shack and Rushmore
Drumline
seriously.
the birds
delicatessen
funny face
princess bride
rushmore
Star Wars, the orginal three
Blade Runner
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Cinema Paradiso
The Duellists - beautifully shot, compelling story and, don't make me say it, don't make me say it, an ace history lesson
Willow
Wayne's World
Sound of Music
ET
Moonstruck
Withnail and I
The Princess Bride
Star Wars (4-6)
Heathers
The Jungle Book
All of Miyazaki, especially My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away
Kirikou and the Sorceress
Le Roi et l'Oiseau
The Nightmare Before Christmas + Edward Scissorhands
All of Charlie Chaplin's silent movies, especially The Kid
It's a Wonderful Life
Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot
E.T.
Bugsy Malone
Better off Dead
Breaking Away
The Italian Job (the orginal)
anything with Steve McQueen
I was going to say Blues Brothers, but I'm still in awe of Kelli for having already shown it. I did already make sure that it was my 8 and 11 year old nephew and niece's first R-rated movie.
So I'll just add:
The Right Stuff
The Princess Bride
(the first time my 2.5 year old saw it, I was horrified by the R.O.U.S.s, but she seems to have come through with no major trauma?
Repo Man
Gigli
[as a double feature with with Glitter -ed.]
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Princess Bride
She's already seen and loves the Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies.
[wow. even Temple of Doom? -ed.]
in no particular order:
edward scissorhands
the princess bribe
the big lebowski
ed wood
the wizard of oz
pulp fiction
enter the dragon
LA story
parenthood
I love how the majority have chosen The Princess Bride. I have two girls, and I'm scared of the whole princess thing, but this is certainly the right way to portray it.
also, all Miyazaki movies.
and it'll be a while, but I'd have to say Pulp Fiction as well, plus the Simpsons mega 23-season box set (when that comes out in 10 years).
Star Wars IV-VI
and then keeping in mind they might not like scifi (gasp!!): Goonies
[the Princess Bride thing surprised me as well. -ed.]
Hmm... So many. Pulp Fiction is a good one. Lost in Translation. The Producers. It could go on and on.
Eric
www.dapperdads.com
It's a Wonderful Life
The Neverending Story
The Chronicles of Narnia
Strictly Ballroom
Little Voice
It's a toss-up between Star Wars and Sense and Sensibility.
[thanks for all the comments, and keep them coming. This is the last comment submitted before the drawing deadline, though. -ed.]
So, who won???
: )
T
[I'm waiting to hear back from the first winner. If the prizes aren't boss enough to lure a reply, I'll pick another name. -ed.]
Movies that have been important at different stages of my life that our son might enjoy watching when he's 13 and up, although I am a girl so maybe his tastes will be different:
A room with a view (J. Ivory)
Highlander (I only)
La belle histoire (C. Lelouch)
Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain
Crouching tiger, Hidden dragon
Seven samourai
Star wars (I)
The life aquatic with Steve Zissou and other films by that team
Never heard of Princess bride. Will try to find it at the rental store...
Animal House (also saving NL Yearbook for him)
Meatballs, Stripes, Lost in Translation
On the Waterfront
Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid
Philadelphia Story
Road to Rio
The Shining
Rear Window
To Kill A Mockingbird
Help
It's A Wonderful Life
Bonnie & Clyde
Harold & Maude
Seriously, I could spend all day compiling this list. This is only a tiny fraction. He has already seen and loved all the Star Wars flicks, The School of Rock, and all released Harry Potter movies.