My kids have grown up and have lives of their own, but they still talk about our popcorn night. We would pull out the sleeper sofa( not suitable for sleeping, but fun to hang out on tor a movie). We would get our movies ( free) from the library. I can’t remember too many but here are a few that come to mind: The Little Toaster, Beatrix Potter’s The Tailor of Gloucester, Chicken Run and the Wallis and Grommet collection. On a single mother’s budget, we rarely went to the movies, but this ritual was maybe even better. “Necessity is the mother of invention” ? Improvisation? Traditions are really important. Thank you for sharing yours. It’s fun sharing ours with you.
I could only find an English subtitle for it and my parents couldn't read in English, so I was translating pretty much line by line for them throughout the two-hour movie. By the end I was exhausted, but what I remember the most was how much they enjoyed the film as it reminds them of their childhood :)
Studying Japanese right now so that I can watch it again in the future in the original language!
When I first read this I thought you were referencing School House Rock which my whole house loved. Do you remember these? Conjunction Junction what’s your function?
I just watched all the old Indiana Jones movies with my 13-year-old son (inspired by your post on the last crusade diary), and we got into some deep discussions about racism and sexism in movies, and what’s “woke” and what’s not. It was a surprise and a delight for me to see my child’s level of critical thinking and I’m excited for him to be ready for more mature content films. He doesn’t want to see the new Indiana Jones movie, he thinks they are all just garbage (though he did get into them). We watched all the Marvel Movies last year, most of which we both enjoyed immensely, particularly the Antman movies (maybe a good family friendly place to start when you think your little guy is ready) and Thor: Ragnorok.
Wow! Thanks for this post that flooded me with memories! First of my own growing up with a mom who LOVED movies ( she’s in her 80’s now ) She would let me wake up in the middle of the night to watch one’s she loved and thought I would too - Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn is top of mind. Then with my own daughter (who is 36 now) who I could wait to watch certain movies with her-Goonies, The Sand Lot, Bad News Bears & then later on Sixteen Candles-Breakfast Club-My favorite memory has to be taking a personal day from work - letting my daughter be absent from school and taking her to see The Secret of Roan Inish a John Sayles movie.. she was probably 8... I was a young mom so no thought to how appropriate it was.. thanks so much for jogging my memory!!!
Raising Arizona was a family cult flick when I was growing up, and at Christmas we all watched the original Tremors when the littlest grandchildren were at least 6. Waiting for Guffman was it when everybody was at least preteen. Thanks for a great topic.
I still have the huge drawings my grandsons made telling the stories of these wonderful stories. Of course, there are some pretty dark and scary images but if your kids like that stuff, its such a yummy set of movies (and books to re-read too).
We don't have children, so anything goes in our house. However, when I was in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program years ago, and "my kid sister, Rachael" was eight, we went to see the movie The Mighty Ducks. We both enjoyed it. My brother, who has two kids (grown now) always watch A Christmas Story 24 hours a day on Christmas Day. (I believe there is a station that plays it 24 hours a day.) In an independent movie house at the time (the River Oaks Theatre in Houston), I saw a movie (a documentary of sorts) on the creator of Winnie the Pooh. Anything Pooh-centric is always a hit with me.
My kids have grown up and have lives of their own, but they still talk about our popcorn night. We would pull out the sleeper sofa( not suitable for sleeping, but fun to hang out on tor a movie). We would get our movies ( free) from the library. I can’t remember too many but here are a few that come to mind: The Little Toaster, Beatrix Potter’s The Tailor of Gloucester, Chicken Run and the Wallis and Grommet collection. On a single mother’s budget, we rarely went to the movies, but this ritual was maybe even better. “Necessity is the mother of invention” ? Improvisation? Traditions are really important. Thank you for sharing yours. It’s fun sharing ours with you.
Fantastic Mr. Fox!!!
Our house (4 teens) love Hunt for the Wilderpeople. We quote this movie constantly.
Freaky Friday (the original, with Jodie Foster), The Parent Trap (also the original, with Hayley Mills, though the Lindsay Lohan version is not bad).
Thanks for mentioning Jodie Foster - I loved her in the movie Contact.
I loved that movie too!
This reminds me of this one time (more than a decade ago) when I watched a Japanese movie with my parents. The movie is called "Always: Sunset on Third Street" (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Always%3A+Sunset+on+Third+Street)
I could only find an English subtitle for it and my parents couldn't read in English, so I was translating pretty much line by line for them throughout the two-hour movie. By the end I was exhausted, but what I remember the most was how much they enjoyed the film as it reminds them of their childhood :)
Studying Japanese right now so that I can watch it again in the future in the original language!
The Sword in the Stone, A Town Called Panic, Be Kind Rewind
My youngest is into VHS tapes so I might put on BE KIND REWIND. This weekend is SCHOOL OF ROCK because he's started playing my bass :)
When I first read this I thought you were referencing School House Rock which my whole house loved. Do you remember these? Conjunction Junction what’s your function?
My family really loved:
(The Gene Wilder) Willy Wonka
Hoodwinked
The Incredibles
The Emperor’s New Groove
Shrek 2
The Princess Bride
Spy Kids (the first 3 movies)
And recently my husband and I had a stay home movie date:
“Stranger Than Fiction”
We both LOVED every scene of this film from 2006.
STRANGER THAN FICTION is so good!
I need to get on SPY KIDS
Babe, though most of my family got a bigger kick out Babe, Pig in the City. I much preferred the original.
It’s wild to me that George Miller (Mad max) directed the sequel (and produced and helped write both)
A few recommendations for you to check out:
Paulie
Eight Below
Monsters, Inc.
The Incredible, Mr. Limpett
I just watched all the old Indiana Jones movies with my 13-year-old son (inspired by your post on the last crusade diary), and we got into some deep discussions about racism and sexism in movies, and what’s “woke” and what’s not. It was a surprise and a delight for me to see my child’s level of critical thinking and I’m excited for him to be ready for more mature content films. He doesn’t want to see the new Indiana Jones movie, he thinks they are all just garbage (though he did get into them). We watched all the Marvel Movies last year, most of which we both enjoyed immensely, particularly the Antman movies (maybe a good family friendly place to start when you think your little guy is ready) and Thor: Ragnorok.
Everything Aardman especially Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run.
Wow! Thanks for this post that flooded me with memories! First of my own growing up with a mom who LOVED movies ( she’s in her 80’s now ) She would let me wake up in the middle of the night to watch one’s she loved and thought I would too - Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn is top of mind. Then with my own daughter (who is 36 now) who I could wait to watch certain movies with her-Goonies, The Sand Lot, Bad News Bears & then later on Sixteen Candles-Breakfast Club-My favorite memory has to be taking a personal day from work - letting my daughter be absent from school and taking her to see The Secret of Roan Inish a John Sayles movie.. she was probably 8... I was a young mom so no thought to how appropriate it was.. thanks so much for jogging my memory!!!
Raising Arizona was a family cult flick when I was growing up, and at Christmas we all watched the original Tremors when the littlest grandchildren were at least 6. Waiting for Guffman was it when everybody was at least preteen. Thanks for a great topic.
The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
I still have the huge drawings my grandsons made telling the stories of these wonderful stories. Of course, there are some pretty dark and scary images but if your kids like that stuff, its such a yummy set of movies (and books to re-read too).
We don't have children, so anything goes in our house. However, when I was in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program years ago, and "my kid sister, Rachael" was eight, we went to see the movie The Mighty Ducks. We both enjoyed it. My brother, who has two kids (grown now) always watch A Christmas Story 24 hours a day on Christmas Day. (I believe there is a station that plays it 24 hours a day.) In an independent movie house at the time (the River Oaks Theatre in Houston), I saw a movie (a documentary of sorts) on the creator of Winnie the Pooh. Anything Pooh-centric is always a hit with me.
Hugo. The best. Beautiful and great story. Vastly underrated.