Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Old movies

As one who has always loved movies I enjoyed this post at World Magazine. I still resist silent film and many of my younger students resisted anything that wasn't in color - or that had a plot that might make them have to keep track of anything. It is, of course, easy for a non-parent to prescribe how children should be raised - so here goes - it seems to me a very good thing to raise children to enjoy their cultural patrimony, whether music, art, literature or film. Perhaps a book like this can help with at least the latter.
For most of my life, I didn't really like old movies. Not because they were bad, or black-and-white, or not in stereo, but because I didn't know how to watch them. When you're used to the style of Goonies and Ghostbusters, it's hard to get into, say, The Grapes of Wrath or Giant. Since these older movies are on the whole more palatable for the family, though, it might pay to start early with my 9-month-old daughter, Simmons, to ensure her palette for My Fair Lady, rather than My Super Ex-Girlfriend. That's what Boston Globe film critic Ty Burr says in his book, The Best Old Movies for Families. From a review: "The younger you start, the easier it is, so here are his top five choices for toddlers: The Adventures of Robin Hood, Bringing Up Baby, Meet Me in St. Louis, Singin' in the Rain, and Stagecoach.

Source: How to make sure your daughter prefers Jimmy Stewart to Jimmy Kimmell

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