Unfortunately, that misses the bigger picture.  I like to look at media as any method of communicating a “story”: facts and information, fantasy, or opinion.  And there are a lot of methods out there, each one unique.

It’s enlightening to expose kids to other forms of media besides the printed word and the shimmering screen.  Not only does it encourage a different kind of interaction– watching a ballet is a very different experience than seeing a cartoon version of the same story– but it lays some important foundations for critical thinking.

First, it gives kids the chance to consider how the particular medium itself affects their perception of the story.  For example, in a ballet, the dancing and the costumes create a certain atmosphere that’s impossible to duplicate with, say, a cartoon.  If the Nutcracker were made into a non-ballet film, the darker parts might seem much more frightening, and the Land of Sweets journey would probably just end up being very silly.  But in the ballet production, the medium– dance– influences the way the story is conveyed.   Realizing that different media can create different moods is an important first step to recognizing that artistic directors can choose media and arrange elements in order to convey a particular atmosphere.

Second, it introduces kids to the concept of artistic liberty.  The basics of a story might remain the same, but the director and players can, and do, bring their own interpretations to the mix.  I remember the first time I took my daughter, who had just turned three, to a play version of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty.  Because it was the Disney-written play, it was the identical story as the animated movie, but the sets and costumes were different, and many of the characters and scenes were more developed.  At first she was confused, but it gave us the opportunity to discuss how the same story can be told in many ways.  Realizing that different writers and artists might see a story or character in a different light is a particularly important tool.

Finally, it shows kids that although different media and different artistic directors will adapt a story in unique ways, the story itself needs to be appropriate to the medium being used.  An example is books that are adapted into movies; certain elements might have to be left out or altered in order for the story to flow smoothly as a film.

When kids start thinking more deeply about what they’re seeing, reading, or experiencing– looking beyond just the story–they’re learning the tools they’ll need to assess media and make their own value judgments on messages.  To get conversations going, ask guiding questions.  For younger ones, invite them to “draw the movie”.  If they had to draw one picture that “captured” the movie, what would be in the picture?  Their choices (and the reasons behind them!) are often quite enlightening!  For school-age kids, ask whether they think the medium used (film, play, etc.) affected the story.  Would they have interpreted it differently?  How might the story have to change if it were conveyed using a different medium?

The world of media is both fascinating and confusing.  By encouraging our kids to start thinking critically about their media experience, we’re putting them on track to become discerning adults with good judgment.

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Even better than the movie itself (and in some cases, much better!) has been the accompanying research we usually end up doing. We didn’t enjoy The French Connection (except for the opportunity to see a much younger Gene Hackman!), but we later learned that its iconic car chase scene has probably influenced crime movies for years. In fact, many of the older movies have set precedents: often, the films and even genres we see today are variations on the formula.

Doing a little digging has yielded some surprising relationships, too. Since many of “today’s” actors and actresses come from old acting families, we’ll often recognize a surname or two in the credits. After a quick search of Wikipedia, we discover that Jamie Lee Curtis is the daughter of the murdered woman in Hitchcock’s thriller Psycho.

Non-familial ties are also interesting. Did you know that Victor Fleming, who directed most of The Wizard of Oz, also was the director for Gone with the Wind? We’ll often spot an actor or actress who “looks familiar,” and our inner geek won’t rest until we discover that, yes indeed, the maid in Rear Window was the “I don’t get it” shopper who appeared for five minutes in Miracle on 34th Street.

We’re not only familiarizing ourselves with the films and people who have laid the foundation for modern Hollywood, we’re also noticing more technical aspects of film production. Without the modern-day technology to fill in the gaps, filmmakers years ago had to rely on other tricks to keep the viewers watching. For instance, there are often fewer scene changes and fewer settings. In a few movies (Twelve Angry Men and Rear Window come to mind), the majority of the film occurs in one setting. The focus is on the characters’ interpersonal relationships, and we really become invested in who these people are, since we’re not being distracted by changing scenery.

One of the biggest benefits of the project, though, has been the conversations it’s spawned. Old movies—and the spinoff topics that tend to evolve as we talk about people, places, techniques, and culture—is one subject area that doesn’t involve the day-to-day minutiae of family life. If true relaxation requires escaping from the everyday, then Operation: Films We Need to See has given us the opportunity to place ourselves in a different world, still connected to our own, but in a different sphere.

As the winter progresses, what better way to connect with family—and society—than by immersing ourselves in classic film?  We can’t wait til our daughter’s old enough to appreciate, and share in, this whole new world!

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It’s a project that’s been ongoing in our family for over a year.  Last year while I was browsing the movie section of the local library, I noticed an old film, North by Northwest. It’s a Hitchcock thriller in which Cary Grant, in a double case of mistaken identity, is on the run from the bad guys and the law.  It had suspense, romance, and Cary Grant. I couldn’t go wrong!

But when my husband and I plugged it in that night, something happened.  As we watched Cary Grant flee his pursuers across Mount Rushmore, a light went on.  “Hey, that’s just like that Family Guy episode!” we shouted in unison.

Then suddenly, we paused.  No, the Family Guy episode was like the Hitchcock film.  And then we realized: we knew the parody of a classic film, but not the original. We hadn’t even recognized it as parody when we’d seen the TV episode the first time.  (The title of the episode was even “North by North Quahog,” but we hadn’t understood the connection.)  How many times had this happened?  How many parodies, songs, quotes, and the like were familiar to us, yet we’d never known the source?

“Uneducated” is often bandied around as a description of the current generation, and Hollywood’s usually one focus of blame.  Ironically, though, it seems as though North Americans are equally unschooled where film is concerned.  Hollywood isn’t just a modern influence, but has played a big role in Western culture for decades.

This isn’t just in the areas of manners and social mores; quotations, songs, expressions, and plot lines from classic films have become so embedded in everyday culture that we don’t pay them special notice.  We began to realize just how undereducated we were in classic film.  How many old movies had made a significant impact on popular culture, or had set the stage for the various film genres or elements we see today, yet we’d never even heard of them?

This experience culminated in Operation: Films We Need to See.  The American Film Institute (AFI) created two Top 100 American Movie Lists (one in 1998, and an updated version in 2007), and we’ve been slowly working our way through the list.  We’re determined to see every film the AFI recommended, and to try to figure out what makes those films so historically, culturally, or cinematographically significant.

We’re about halfway through, and it’s been not only entertaining but also very instructive. Although we’ve loved some films, hated others, and puzzled over a few, the overall experience has been enlightening—and it hasn’t been limited to two hours on the couch.  In the second part of this article (to appear within the next few days), I’ll discuss some of the benefits we’ve seen already.  In the meantime, check out the list, and try a few of the films.  It’ll be a fascinating experience which may completely transform the way you feel about cinema.

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Our daughter is excited because, well, it’s a Disney Princess movie.  ‘Nuff said.  At the same time, though, she’s a little nervous; she’s seen the previews, and thinks the voodoo doctor rivals Maleficent in pure scariness.

It’s time to break out the old scary-movie toolbox.

We’ve found that the best way to help her deal with frightening things is to encourage her to do what we adults do when confronted by scary scenes: take control.

Think about it.  Television and movies can be frightening because, as we make connections between the pretend world onscreen and our lives, we suddenly feel our control on our world slipping.  Will the shower curtain give way to Norman Bates?  It did in the movie.  Could those trees along the road be as sinister as the ones in Snow White’s woods?  They look similar to me.   To overcome fear, we retake control: we tell ourselves it’s not real, we laugh, we distract ourselves, we change the channel.  Sometimes, we’re proactive with fear: a preview looks frightening, so we skip the film.  Regardless of which method we choose, we’re exercising our dominance in order to show the fear– and ultimately, ourselves– that we’re stronger.   We still may be nervous or even highly uneasy, but since we’re in charge, the fear is lessened.

What works for us as adults can also work, to a lesser extent, for kids. These are some of the methods we’ve used to help our preschooler deal with the scary stuff:

Step 1: Be prepared

First, know going in if something scary is going to happen.  If it’s a movie, check out a review online.  Find out what could be frightening, and when it’s going to take place.  In this case, ignorance is not bliss (unless bliss involves clandestinely removing a screaming kid from the theater).

Step 2: Prepare your child

As adults, we rarely are caught unprepared by frightening scenes.  We can pick up more subtle clues that we’re about to be spooked: a change in the music, a darkening of the scene, fear in the eyes of the characters.  Although our daughter is just starting to recognize some of these cues, we help her out by warning her in advance that a scary part is ahead.  It sets the stage: she’s already partly in control, since she won’t be caught off-guard when the scene happens.

Step 3: Let kids choose a strategy to deal with their fears

Before watching a film which we know may involve something that could frighten our daughter, we ask her what she wants to do when the scary scene happens.  We offer to fast-forward, or cover her eyes, if she wishes.  If we’re in a theater, we tell her she can ask us to take her home if she feels uncomfortable.  Or, she can watch it and deal with it directly.  It’s up to her.

Although at first she mostly would ask us to cover her eyes, she gradually started working up strategies to meet her fears head-on.  Her tactic of choice: to cackle with laughter and stick out her tongue at the menacing villains. The laugh’s nervous, even forced, but she’s in control: it’s her tactic to fall back on, to let her show the scary stuff who’s boss.  The fact that she thought it up, rather than it being our suggestion, gives her an extra boost of confidence, I think.  Plus, she knows there’s always a safety net to fall back on.  If her tactics don’t work, we’re still willing– and we tell her so ahead of time– to fast forward, cover her eyes, or bring her out of the room.

Step 4: Focus on the production values to distract from the scary scene

I’ll never forget the time my daughter heard menacing music, told me, “Something bad is going to happen,” and asked to leave the movie (we did).   Shadows, lighting, music, and expressions on the characters’ faces– all are tactics filmmakers use to make a scene more frightening, and even young kids can pick up on it.  Knowing how the “trick” was accomplished helps kids stay more in control of the situation, and consequently, of their fears.  For example: “Wow, look how the movie people made the screen look dark.  It makes it scarier because we can’t see clearly.”

Step 5: Back up their final decision

There have been a few times when our daughter has decided to skip a movie (or, in one instance, leave midway) because she was frightened.  Although the scary part would have been over quickly, it was probably more important to respect her decision to leave.  That way, in the future, she’ll have confidence that her media judgments are worth something (and her attitude might facilitate more complex discussions when she’s older!).

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…what about for my kids?

Fortunately, it’s no longer necessary to try to preview the movie yourself– or take the kids anyways and hope for the best.  The internet is full of resources for parents who are trying to make the best media decisions for their families.  Using these review sites as tools, parents can determine whether to take the kids, but better still, they can prepare themselves to lead post-movie (or, sometimes, mid-movie!) discussions with their children.  Below (in alphabetical order), I’ve highlighted some of the better review websites out there, describing their strengths and weaknesses.  For comparison purposes, I’ve also included a link to each website’s review of the same film, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009).

Happy watching!

Common Sense Media

• Reviews: Movies, TV shows, video games, websites, music, and new books.
• Strengths: You can search for age-specific media– great if you don’t have something already in mind.
• Weaknesses: The reviews are more general and less detailed than others available.
• Sample review: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009).

Kids In Mind

• Reviews: Movies.
• Strengths:  The reviews detail shortcomings point-by-point, and include brief suggestions for discussion topics.
• Weaknesses:  Movie shortcomings are listed only if the reviewers considered them to be an issue for the majority of families.
• Sample review: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009).

Parent Previews

• Reviews: Current movies; its archives go back a few years, with a smattering of older films that were recently re-released on DVD.
• Strengths:  Each review gives some detailed starting points for family discussions after the movie, and includes an “Alternatives” section, highlighting similar films parents might want to check out.
• Weaknesses: The reviews, while giving good plot summaries and listing a few specific problem areas for each film, aren’t as clearly structured or as detailed as are some of the other sites’ reviews.
• Sample review: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009).

Plugged In Online

• Reviews: Movies, music, TV shows, and video games.
• Strengths: Reviews give a more detailed run-down on a movie’s problem areas.  Because Plugged In is an online publication of Focus on the Family, its orientation is Christian.
• Weaknesses: If you don’t follow a similar worldview, you probably won’t like the Christian slant.
• Sample Review: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)

Screen-It

• Reviews: Movies.
• Strengths: The reviews are very, very detailed.  Anything that could possibly give pause to any parent is listed, point-by-point.  Parents can skim through and determine what might be offensive to their values or what might merit a mid-movie comment or later discussion.
• Weaknesses: The website is a haphazard mess.  There is a cleaner, subscriber-only website available, but it’s not free.  Much of the same information can be found on the free site; it’s just more difficult to locate.  Recent movie reviews are listed by movie release date here; movies on video from 2004-present are indexed alphabetically here; and movies on video prior to 2004 are here.
• Sample review:  Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009).

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Movie Reviews

• What it reviews: Movies (both past and current), TV (upcoming films on TV and a few nonfiction programs or series), and theater.
• Strengths: The site maintains a massive database reviewing over 8000 films, from the early years of cinema (including some silent films!) to the present day.  Although reviews of the older films are short and sweet, it’s one of the few resources available if you’re looking at pre-1990s movies.
• Weaknesses: The reviews are very general and much less detailed than others available.
• Sample review: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009).

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But what, exactly, is meant by “educational media”?  Unfortunately, it’s never been well defined.  Is it educational because the ABC’s dance across the screen, or the heroine sings in multilingual verse?  Is it educational because it “teaches” traditional school subjects, like spelling and science?  Or is there something more?

Putting aside for now the question of whether teaching via television is effective, I’d like to propose something a little more revolutionary: all media is potentially educational.  It just depends on how you use it.

Education involves interacting.  If you and your child aren’t discussing what they’re viewing, they probably aren’t learning much, regardless of onscreen content.  On the other hand, if you’re talking about what you see and hear onscreen, there’s actual teaching going on, even if the subject isn’t the ABC’s, math, or Spanish.  In fact, frequently, the depth of what they’re learning far, far outstrips anything they could get from traditionally “educational” media.

It can be simple lessons like “Why do you think so-and-so is afraid?  What do you think they can do to get over it?”  Or, it can tend towards the much more complex.  The Little Mermaid III: Ariel’s Beginning led to a complicated discussion on civil disobedience.  The Tale of Desperaux: a talk about how people deal with tragedy.  Sure, these were deep topics for my three-year-old, but the basic concepts weren’t over her head.  The tie-ins to real-life issues made the movies a little more relevant, something more than just a fun watch.

After all, why not?  Kids want to understand what’s happening onscreen, and, by extension, what’s happening in the world around them.   “Noneducational media” gives kids a place where they can deal with a microcosm of life events from the safety of their couch.

I’m not saying that traditionally “educational” media is bad.  Nor am I saying that all movies and television are good teaching instruments.  But for parents interested in using the media to teach, it’s worth considering educating using entertainment fare.  When used well, “noneducational” media can become an amazing educational tool.

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What, exactly, are Woozles and Heffalumps? Well, technically, they don’t exist. They’re a distortion of a fear in the mind of someone who’s the 2-D manifestation of the written creation of yet another.

Confused yet?

You should be. The world of entertainment and culture can indeed be confusing, particularly to parents trying to help their kids navigate it. As parents, we’re bombarded with conflicting messages about the media– and its effect on our kids. Evil, beneficial, or somewhere in between, one thing is clear: the entertainment culture is here, and it’s pervasive.

Do we pretend it doesn’t exist? Do we embrace it with a what-can-you-do shrug? No! We teach our kids to encounter it with thought and deliberation. Thinking kids grow into thinking adults: functioning teens and grown-ups who can take a media message and interact with it, sifting through it thoughtfully rather than passively allowing it to wash over them.

And that’s the focus of this blog: thinking about kids, media, and culture. How do we help our children become thinking kids as they interact with the world? What struggles come up? What works? What fails? Join us as we take a step towards engaging the culture not on its own terms– but on ours.

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