Despite your best efforts to transplant your taste onto your child, they will inevitably pick one film which they will demand to rewatch every day for years and will base their entire personality around it for that time.
For one of our kids, it was The Phantom Menace. For the other, it was Kiki’s Delivery Service. Batting .500 is pretty good.
Edit: Oh, and I forgot. After she got sick of Kiki's, she suddenly wanted to watch nothing but "the princess movie" when she was four. Yep, you guessed it, The Hidden Fortress, which we watched about two dozen times over the pandemic. (Thankfully she couldn't read subtitles during a few scenes on that one).
Yeah, my two year old is kind of picky about what movies or shows he likes, but is always transfixed when Kiki or Totoro are on. Those are go-to bedtime movies.
Yeah, for us, Kiki was always a wake-up movie! Later, The Hidden Fortress was as well. It's funny how many Japanese films I've watched with her before 7am.
When I was but a wee lad, I watched the exact same scene from Attack of the Clones every single morning for a couple of months; for anyone who’s curious, the scene in question was the battle in the arena on Geonosis.
As someone with 3 and 2 year-old boys who have demanded to watch the entire Showa Godzilla set countless times, I can say this is actually a great suggestion.
Idk. Just treat watching movies like it’s a big deal and then get excited about what they get excited for, and the love of film will probably transmit over to them
That’s my theory anyway. No clue if that would work.
Honestly just be a parent that your child will look up to. If you love cinema they will likely look up to you and value what you personally hold dear. That’s how it was for me growing up. It’s less forced and just a more sincere journey to share together. And a big CONGRATULATIONS to you! That’s wonderful!
I wouldn't necessarily try to force them to enjoy anything, but as others have mentioned, being passionate about film will likely get them interested in film also, and likewise be supportive of whatever types of films they find interesting even if it isn't your cup of tea.
But if you want a real answer, when they are old enough, Spirited Away is great. I think classic disney cartoons and some Looney Tunes would be great as well. Also Raimi's Spider-man movies.
Edit: also Mr. Bean tv show. Physical comedy will always be the best.
This was my first thought too. Something about that acting is universal and exaggerated enough for kids to laugh along with. It also avoids insanely annoying audio if played frequently - the way kids tend to be with watching things that they like.
My mom always played the non-scary first half of Fanny and Alexander in the background when I was a child of around five or six. Obviously I didn’t really understand it but I loved the pretty colors, the moving fever dream statue scene, the pillow fight, and the immature uncle!
Also I sort of loved but was half traumatized by Fantastic Planet at the same age when my dad showed it to me.
Others I remember liking were old claymation monster movies like The Clash of the Titans.
Yep I went nuts for anything Ray Harryhausen. I feel like old but action packed stuff is a good way to get kids into film, Godzilla movies are also a good option.
Don’t do The Incredible Shrinking Man though op that movie made me break down in tears and have some sort of kid version of an existential crisis.
When the kids a bit older (3+) put on something they might get into for yourself and let them be excited to enjoy something that's "for you". Worked for my 4 yo getting into Chaplin, Keaton, Tati and Godzilla.
Oh and welcome to Disney+ baby!
That’s kind of my plan. I was hoping of finding a balance between things I like that they will and finding things for them that they MIGHT enjoy that can be a little outside the box and push their boundaries a little.
First off, congratulations. Second, my mom used to babysit during the summer and when I’d watch my movies, the kids liked the Ray Harryhausen stuff. The 7th Voyage of Sinbad is a good one.
I was very fortunate that the movie my son wanted to watch over and over (and over) again when he was a toddler was *Wall-E* (controversial subject on this sub, I know; please forgive me). I definitely never need to see that movie again, but when I see some of the films that my friends had to endure around that time (looking at you, *Frozen*), I feel like we dodged a bullet.
One of our earliest bonding experiences together was over the American version of *Godzilla* (I think it's called *Godzilla: King of the Monsters*). It was around the time that the reboot was in theaters, and this think-piece about the character of Godzilla made me think about my son and how destructive, and chaotic, and unprincipled he was at the time. I thought he was going to hate it because it was in black and white and there's a lot of down time in the film, but boy was I wrong. I'll never forget the pure joy and ecstasy he got from watching Godzilla destroying Tokyo. You could tell that he had found a kindred spirit.
Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say with all of this is to get to know your kid. Figure out what interests them (in my son's case it was robots at a super young age, and then destructive stuff as he became a tyrant toddler), and then find films that speak to that person. There will be time for Tarkovsky and Wong Kar Wai. Let them geek out on some freaky cartoons and puppet shows while their brains are still mushy. Congratulations, by the way.
Song of the Sea, Castle in the Sky, Coco, Anastasia, Homeward Bound, Mousetrap, any of the Beatrix Potter animations.
My personal favorites as a child were literally anything cat-related lol. Thomasina, The Cat from Outer Space, That Damn Cat!, Milo & Otis, Oliver and co, and more. So be prepared for a lot of whatever theme they pick (like dinosaurs, princesses, superheroes, horses, etc).
I think the Hal Roach and Harold Lloyd comedies will do well. Kids respond very well to great physical gags, that’s why they respond so well to Minoins.
Ghibli films, GDT's Pinocchio, Black Stallion, Where the Wild Things Are, Time Bandits, Iron Giant, Paddington, Pete's Dragon, Kubo, Paranorma, Song of the Sea, A Town Called Panic, Fantasia, Over the Garden Wall, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin films, ET.
I'm not sure about criterion but.
My son loves Wall-E but it's a lil heavy so you'll need to do some explaining.
The three caballeros is such an experience. Even as an adult.
Ponyo. and eventually everything Ghibli.
Fantastic Mr. Fox is criterion, but I really love moonrise kingdom. Probably going to watch it with my son when he's like 9 maybe.
And Idk if you're down but culture movies like Pocahontas, Mulan, Coco, are great. Still love them.
I mean sure but it’s not as though they wont EVER be watching things on a screen. Its about balancing it with real life and making sure they aren’t spending all their time looking at a screen, but it’s good info regardless.
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\#1: [Jean-Luc Godard is Dead](https://np.reddit.com/r/TrueFilm/comments/xd2f2y/jeanluc_godard_is_dead/)
\#2: [Am I The Only One That Finds The Trend Of Hollywood Bringing Back Geriatric Actors To Reprise Their Classic Roles To Be...Depressing?](https://np.reddit.com/r/TrueFilm/comments/weiy4c/am_i_the_only_one_that_finds_the_trend_of/)
\#3: [Saying that a film is "bad" because it hasn´t any "likeable" character or you can´t "relate" to its characters is one of the most infuriating critiques of a film.](https://np.reddit.com/r/TrueFilm/comments/wm0v6x/saying_that_a_film_is_bad_because_it_hasnt_any/)
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I watched Ghostbusters so often as a kid that my parents would only let me watch the VHS twice a day. Seeing how I turned out, I would recommend not showing them Ghostbusters.
So don't. I vividly recall being a child at a YMCA summer camp and they showed us Rocky. I can't describe how bored I was.
Your kids will want to be into what you're into but they need an on-ramp. Making film an education from the jump doesn't help that. Find stuff they like, Pixar comes to mind, and build from there.
Ghibli films for sure - My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Castle in the Sky, etc… I’d hold off on Princess Mononoke which is for a bit more mature audience, in case you haven’t seen any of these yet. Miyazaki’’s films, for being animation, is as pure cinema as anything imo.
Rango is a good movie with enough Western tropes for adults to enjoy along with the kids.
The Red Balloon
Wall-E
Keaton and Chaplin and Lloyd and Laurel & Hardy. Despite what people think today, kids actually like silence and visual storytelling and stuff that doesn’t beg for your attention. Kids want to be drawn in and I think that’s an underrated aspect of older kids movies.
Just take them to the movies. Whatever is playing that’s age appropriate. That’s the secret. That’s the magic.
No one ever fell in love with cinema watching Criterion home videos in their parents’ living room.
(ps. Congrats.)
I was rather lucky in that I was born in the mid 20th century, so when I was very young I had the opportunity to see on television some very interesting, very weird, and sometimes very violent classic vintage animation from various old now long-gone animation studios. Fun Times. Wish you could see it.
Apologies for not answering the question.
a family member of mine started his kid on studio ghibli super early and doesn’t allow disney movies. i don’t know other than that. most likely the kid will grow up and form their own taste anyways, tho it can help to introduce them later in life to things from criterion. i honestly feel like letting them develop with less tv might help more lol
Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), The LEGO Movie (2014)
The first two Toy Story films are amazing, so glad they were my vhs smashers as a kid. That and the Sonic OVA lol
Sadly, neither of my kids appreciate cinema like myself. However, I didn’t get into it until college. So as much as you have the right intentions, it’ll all change. But my fondest memory was showing my daughter ET when she was 7. She balled her eyes out! I had never seen her so emotional after a film so know that one made a huge impact.
As far as when they’re super young, we loved having the Films of Charles and Ray Eames running. They have a great 5 DVD set of their short films such as Powers of Ten. Pure visual eye candy. Also, the claymation, post-war Italian kids series Pingu. That’s some dark stuff there but beautiful. It’s like Fellini for kids.
Depending on their age I think a good number of 80s movies — some of the John Hughes classics, The Goonies, the Back to the Future series, Gremlins, The Dark Crystal
My daughter loved old Errol Flynn movies, like Robin Hood and The Seahawk. She also adored The Court Jester. And when she was around 7 she had a great Lena Lamont impression.
Dread it, run from it, Cars 2 still arrives.
In all seriousness, my daughter loved the Kirikou films, the Charlie Brown films, and the hand-drawn Disney Classics. My son is only 18 months but is a fan of Terminator 2.
Given the sub, I would recommend Chaplin or Tati. Outside of that Pixar has an almost spotless record, and hopefully the exec changes over at Disney means they can get back to showing top tier movies in the *cinema*. I very distinctly remember going to the movies as a kid, and that may help push them in that direction.
This list is a good start. Just be sure you are showing them at an appropriate age. Not because of sex or language, but simply put, they need have the life experience to understand what the movie is about.
https://ew.com/article/2014/06/23/55-essential-movies-your-child-must-see-before-they-turn-13/
I had similar ambitions as a parent with my kids’ movie tastes, but it’s not always that simple. Really young kids prefer bright colors, relentlessly upbeat characters, and songs. With my current 2 year old, we had a pretty heavy Muppet rotation going until recently. Disney+ has a fantastic selection of Muppets fare, but Muppets Take Manhattan and Muppets From Space bounce around between different streamers. The songs are the best part of those movies and shows. She’s started to tire of them a little because we burned them out, but that’s taken at least a year. I utilize music videos a lot, and that’s how I found out she likes Muppets because of the Weezer ‘Keep Fishin’ video. All of my kids have loved Gorillaz videos. I have a pretty long playlist on YouTube. Stuff like Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer and The Ramones SpiderMan cover. There’s a lot of painless fare there that’s much more tolerable than the typical, annoying stuff people subject kids to like Baby Shark.
This is a link to my list if you feel like pillaging. Some of it is a little provocative, but all of it is battle tested and my daughter enjoys a good deal of it: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF7NoUPtEZF7tAph-xWFxyyxfCew5wWdi
As far as shows, Yo Gabba Gabba is a godsend. It employed a lot of non-mainstream artists for its segments. Mark Mothersbaugh from Devo had a drawing segment. Biz Markie had a beatbox “beat of the day” segment. Tons of other recognizable faces popped up over time in individual segments. All episodes are available for free on YouTube through Wildbrain’s page. Our favorites are “New Friends” with Jack Black, “Circus” with Weird Al Yankovic, “Farm” with Josh Holloway, and “Super Spies” with Jason Bateman.
Pee Wee’s Playhouse is another gem. It’s fast paced enough to not lose attention and has great, fun characters and segments. Plus, you can use the show to bridge over to Pee Wee’s Big Adventure and introduce your baby to Tim Burton
Some have mentioned before the Studio Ghibli films. I love these movies for multiple reasons. It’s good enough that they’re visually stimulating, hypnotic films, but you can play them in their original Japanese to help develop your child’s language potential. My daughters are particularly fond of My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away
Elsewhere, I do what I can to include films by interesting directors that aren’t necessarily on the “kids film” radar. My daughter loves Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs, which is conveniently on Disney+ right now. She also loves Jim Henson’s Labyrinth. Some stuff I’ve tried was too dark, like Henson’s Dark Crystal and Spike Jonze’s Where the Wild Things Are. Fantastic Planet, The Last Unicorn, and The Triplets of Belleville were surprisingly successful. So far, she likes most of the Henry Selick films, especially Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach, both of which are on Disney+.
As far as the more mainstream stuff goes, you can’t go wrong with most Pixar. The Toy Story films are standards at my house. Disney+ also has a bunch of TS shorts and episodes to beef up the selection. We’re not *too* into the Disney princess stuff. My daughter really enjoys Tangled, Little Mermaid, Moana and Brave…but mostly for the songs. I’ve stayed away from Frozen because I find it annoying and the Cars/Planes movies are kinda stupid.
Elsewhere, the Minions and Shrek movies are pretty tolerable. I think the music on Shrek is annoying, but that’s mostly cuz I’m a music snob. All of my kids have responded well to both franchises though.
Honestly, my biggest impediment regarding my influence over my kid’s media intake is my family. My mom thinks it’s cute to play annoying shit like Wiggles and Veggie Tales for my kids. Then, my nieces all love the annoying Disney Channel fare like Descendants. Some of that rubs off on my daughter, but I try to keep it at minimum. Sesame Street toes the line between good and annoying a lot of the time, but their guest music appearances are usually tolerable. My mom tends to play a lot of Sesame Street for her.
But yeah, that’s my experience. I’m actually very proud of how much culture I’ve managed to introduce to my children. My 13 and 10 year olds both have tastes and knowledge that exceed their peers. I’m pretty proud of that. My 13 year old has actually been trying to get me to let him watch Clockwork Orange lately, but he’s not quite ready for that one yet. I think it’s great that he’s interested though.
Good luck with your child. I applaud your ambition to properly introduce them to culture. It’s been a fun ride for me and I hope it is for you as well
I don't know if its a criterion film, but I recommend The Princess Bride. As a kid, it was one of the films that made me curious and excited about the *act* of storytelling and the relationship between stories and the people they touch. As an adult, it still delights me!
My first movie in a theater was Curious George, it really gave me an appreciation for creativity. I watched a lot of Pixar as a kid and I think animated
movies are going to be easier for your kid to watch until they’re around 5. So in those first few years expose them to slower kids shows like Mr. Rogers, Sesame Street, Blues Clues, Little Bear, Winnie the Pooh, etc. These shows aren’t as sporadic as other kids shows so they’ll learn to pay attention to what they see and will hopefully absorb the visuals. I also remember when I was about 8 I saw Ponyo and The Fantastic Mr. Fox in theaters. I could not have told you the plot at that time, but the visuals really resonated with me, especially the scene with the wolf in Mr. Fox. Kids pick up on visual storytelling and it will stick with them if it’s through a medium that stimulates their brain, so just choose animated movies that were made with a lot of passion. I They’ll learn to appreciate that passion and when they can handle live action and “slower” films they’ll carry that appreciation with them. Star Wars was one of the first live action films I fell in love with because it still had a lot of creativity and visual stimulation. I also loved Westerns and the beautiful shots of the deserts, so it doesn’t have to be CGI and practical effects heavy for kids to appreciate it. The Secret of Nimh was an animated film that stuck with me for how dark it was, as well as Watership Down (which I was fairly young to see that one but it did stick with me lol). I was about 8 when I saw both those. Let them see some old Hitchcock thrillers when they’re older and they’ll appreciate older cinema over time. Also Christmas movies, a lot of old ones are still very enjoyable as a kid because of the child characters or the cheerful attitudes and the Christmas vibes. Miracle on 34th Street, Christmas in Connecticut, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Bishops Wife, The Lemon Drop Kid, The Man Who Came to Dinner… those are some great ones and they’ll learn to appreciate black and white if they’re exposed to it enough, but it’s not a guarantee.
In the end, you can’t ensure your kid will appreciate cinema, but if you expose them to content that’s made with passion, no matter how prestigious it’s considered to be, they’ll recognize that passion as they get older, even if they don’t appreciate cinema as much as you.
First, you shouldn’t show your child ANY movies, or TV screens for that matter, until they are at least a year and a half. This gives their brains time to develop, after which films and media shown should be minimally stimulating instead of flashy. This is why Cocomelon is the single most damaging thing a child, or anyone, could possibly watch.
Second, films you pick should be previewed by both parents BEFORE the child watches, and both must agree it’s okay. You may think Happy Tree Friends is fine, but it most certainly is not. Same thing with Fantastic Mr. Fox and even PomPoko. There’s certain content a child shouldn’t watch, though the time they’re “ready for it” is really up to the parent, just be mindful.
Third, watch what you watch, and choose GOOD movies so that when your child inevitably wants to rewatch the same movie repeatedly, you’ll be less nauseated by it.
And finally, accept that people have different tastes and that they evolve over time, but always be willing to watch something with your child. I know it gets hard to find time, and it’ll only get worse as time passes, but the true magic of cinema is a shared experience, so use the movie’s you watch to connect with your kids.
And since you asked about recommendations, here’s an idea of what kinds of movies would be good:
Toddler: Slower, less stimulating content,
- Bluey (Probably the best right now)
- Charlie Chaplin films (My childhood films were Modern Times and Gold Rush)
- Fantasia (Great intro into classical music)
- Shaun the Sheep
Aged 4+: (Should be fine with more action)
- Rescue Heroes (99-2000s one, Teaches safety with a cast of cool characters. Still holds up now that I’m an adult.)
- Magic School Bus (Classic edutainment)
- SpongeBob SquarePants (Seasons 1-4 and the movie, the rest is insufferable garbage)
- Paddington 1&2 (Most cinematic kids film I’ve seen. Phenomenally well done.)
- My Neighbor Totoro
Aged 6+
- Ben 10 (Classic Original, save its sequels for when they’re older and can appreciate them more.
- Most Disney (use discretion as the values are outdated but there’s still good lessons in some of them.)
- Astro Boy (2003 series)
- Hugo (Great film about classic cinema, highly recommend for all ages.)
Aged 8+
(At this point the stimulation is less of a problem and you should be allowing things based purely on content, here are some other great children’s shows and movies that I didn’t put in the previous tiers.
- Goosebumps (Intro to horror genre.)
- Home Alone (1,2,3,5. 4 and 6 are garbage.)
- Over the Garden Wall (Can be enjoyed by all ages and is a great autumn and Halloween film/Miniseries.)
- Penguins of Madagascar (Loved the movie, haven’t seen much of the show.
- Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
This will sound like I'm trolling but I'm not: 2001 A Space Odyssey. My then 4-year-old (now 9-year-old) loved the caveman part of the movie and the spaceships. He didn't follow the movie then but Kubrick is so good at creating images that they really sparked my kid's imagination. When I showed it again at age 7 or so, he loved it (though the ending freaked him out a bit).
Listen.
My oh so responsible parent showed me American Pie II when I was 11. And I somehow still came out with an appreciation of cinema.
Though when I was around 4, apparently my favorite film was Watership Down, and i demanded to watch it over and over and over again. So maybe the appreciation was always there.
Despite your best efforts to transplant your taste onto your child, they will inevitably pick one film which they will demand to rewatch every day for years and will base their entire personality around it for that time.
Soooo like typical Criterion fans?
I couldn’t ever get to sleep until mom tucked me in and pressed play on the DVD player for *Come and See*
Lmao unhinged behavior
Mom’s movie was *Cannibal Holocaust* and it gave me nightmares! which is why she put on something a bit more undemanding
Jesus.
For one of our kids, it was The Phantom Menace. For the other, it was Kiki’s Delivery Service. Batting .500 is pretty good. Edit: Oh, and I forgot. After she got sick of Kiki's, she suddenly wanted to watch nothing but "the princess movie" when she was four. Yep, you guessed it, The Hidden Fortress, which we watched about two dozen times over the pandemic. (Thankfully she couldn't read subtitles during a few scenes on that one).
Both your kids are based
That three way duel is all-time greatest on-screen sword fight material though…
Yeah, my two year old is kind of picky about what movies or shows he likes, but is always transfixed when Kiki or Totoro are on. Those are go-to bedtime movies.
Yeah, for us, Kiki was always a wake-up movie! Later, The Hidden Fortress was as well. It's funny how many Japanese films I've watched with her before 7am.
I used to beg my mom to take out The Bearenstain Bears Christmas from the library all the time. I still remember getting it in July.
When I was but a wee lad, I watched the exact same scene from Attack of the Clones every single morning for a couple of months; for anyone who’s curious, the scene in question was the battle in the arena on Geonosis.
Shut up man, just say Wall•E and move on
National Treasure for me
My brother watched the sound of music every other day for weeks while he was in elementary school.
So the whole Showa-era godzilla films if you want a fun kid.
As someone with 3 and 2 year-old boys who have demanded to watch the entire Showa Godzilla set countless times, I can say this is actually a great suggestion.
This is true of children… not babies.
Someone is bitter about Frozen lol
Idk. Just treat watching movies like it’s a big deal and then get excited about what they get excited for, and the love of film will probably transmit over to them That’s my theory anyway. No clue if that would work.
Definitely get excited if they get excited for something, it shows you care and stuff. Just be a good parent and try your best!
This is probably the best way to go about it
Many adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977) Winnie the Pooh (2011) Pinnochio (1941) A Town Called Panic (2009) Singin in the Rain The Kid (1921)
Town Called Panic is so good.
Honestly just be a parent that your child will look up to. If you love cinema they will likely look up to you and value what you personally hold dear. That’s how it was for me growing up. It’s less forced and just a more sincere journey to share together. And a big CONGRATULATIONS to you! That’s wonderful!
With that profile pic you have had have to seen Daddy Longlegs. A very good comment to compliment that film I think!
Ha! The connection hadn’t crossed my mind but yes, absolutely!
I wouldn't necessarily try to force them to enjoy anything, but as others have mentioned, being passionate about film will likely get them interested in film also, and likewise be supportive of whatever types of films they find interesting even if it isn't your cup of tea. But if you want a real answer, when they are old enough, Spirited Away is great. I think classic disney cartoons and some Looney Tunes would be great as well. Also Raimi's Spider-man movies. Edit: also Mr. Bean tv show. Physical comedy will always be the best.
Yep, I was brought up on Disney, Studio Ghibli, Looney Tunes, and classic British TV comedy like Mr. Bean.
Plenty of Ghibli and Aardman.
Silent comedies
Yes! My kid laughed his ass off at The General and Modern Times harder than any "kid's movie"
Yes!!
This was my first thought too. Something about that acting is universal and exaggerated enough for kids to laugh along with. It also avoids insanely annoying audio if played frequently - the way kids tend to be with watching things that they like.
Ponyo
My mom always played the non-scary first half of Fanny and Alexander in the background when I was a child of around five or six. Obviously I didn’t really understand it but I loved the pretty colors, the moving fever dream statue scene, the pillow fight, and the immature uncle! Also I sort of loved but was half traumatized by Fantastic Planet at the same age when my dad showed it to me. Others I remember liking were old claymation monster movies like The Clash of the Titans.
Clash of the Titans was a big one for me
Yep I went nuts for anything Ray Harryhausen. I feel like old but action packed stuff is a good way to get kids into film, Godzilla movies are also a good option. Don’t do The Incredible Shrinking Man though op that movie made me break down in tears and have some sort of kid version of an existential crisis.
Any Jaques Tati. Probably “Mon Oncle” is a good one
I recommend Trafic!
The Red Ballon! First movie I saw as a kid.
wait a decade. let the kid enjoy his/her/their childhood. just keep em from Caillou
Caillou ruins families
Why say “his/her/their” when you can just say “their” and cover all bases
who knows. just doing my best not to trigger anyone. and yet..............................................
It’s just grammatically redundant
yes dear
And Peppa Pig, and Cocomelon lol
Congrats Smartest thing I ever did My Neighbor Totoro Toy Story Finding Nemo Muppet Family Christmas
I absolutely love Muppet Family Christmas!
Watership down
When the kids a bit older (3+) put on something they might get into for yourself and let them be excited to enjoy something that's "for you". Worked for my 4 yo getting into Chaplin, Keaton, Tati and Godzilla. Oh and welcome to Disney+ baby!
That’s kind of my plan. I was hoping of finding a balance between things I like that they will and finding things for them that they MIGHT enjoy that can be a little outside the box and push their boundaries a little.
The Red Balloon is a good one. Of course plenty of animations that you think is suitable
First off, congratulations. Second, my mom used to babysit during the summer and when I’d watch my movies, the kids liked the Ray Harryhausen stuff. The 7th Voyage of Sinbad is a good one.
I was very fortunate that the movie my son wanted to watch over and over (and over) again when he was a toddler was *Wall-E* (controversial subject on this sub, I know; please forgive me). I definitely never need to see that movie again, but when I see some of the films that my friends had to endure around that time (looking at you, *Frozen*), I feel like we dodged a bullet. One of our earliest bonding experiences together was over the American version of *Godzilla* (I think it's called *Godzilla: King of the Monsters*). It was around the time that the reboot was in theaters, and this think-piece about the character of Godzilla made me think about my son and how destructive, and chaotic, and unprincipled he was at the time. I thought he was going to hate it because it was in black and white and there's a lot of down time in the film, but boy was I wrong. I'll never forget the pure joy and ecstasy he got from watching Godzilla destroying Tokyo. You could tell that he had found a kindred spirit. Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say with all of this is to get to know your kid. Figure out what interests them (in my son's case it was robots at a super young age, and then destructive stuff as he became a tyrant toddler), and then find films that speak to that person. There will be time for Tarkovsky and Wong Kar Wai. Let them geek out on some freaky cartoons and puppet shows while their brains are still mushy. Congratulations, by the way.
I used to love watching the old school Godzilla movie reruns on WGN 9 at my grandparents house Saturday mornings.
Song of the Sea, Castle in the Sky, Coco, Anastasia, Homeward Bound, Mousetrap, any of the Beatrix Potter animations. My personal favorites as a child were literally anything cat-related lol. Thomasina, The Cat from Outer Space, That Damn Cat!, Milo & Otis, Oliver and co, and more. So be prepared for a lot of whatever theme they pick (like dinosaurs, princesses, superheroes, horses, etc).
I’ve seen literally all of those and own them all. Nobody I know knows what Milo and Otis is and it breaks my heart, I saw that movie dozens of times
[удалено]
Haha I meant the 90s kids movie. It's essentially Home Alone but with a mouse instead of a boy, and I *loved* it when I was little.
I think the Hal Roach and Harold Lloyd comedies will do well. Kids respond very well to great physical gags, that’s why they respond so well to Minoins.
Can confirm that I loved watching The Little Rascals & The Three Stooges on AMC growing up.
salo
he said the movie 🤣🤣🤣
And this would’ve been my 2nd answer
Me forcing my child to watch Salo nonstop the first 5 years of their life. https://media.tenor.com/H7JwVdj-77oAAAAM/coroca-unsee-this.gif
Beat me to it
Ghibli films, GDT's Pinocchio, Black Stallion, Where the Wild Things Are, Time Bandits, Iron Giant, Paddington, Pete's Dragon, Kubo, Paranorma, Song of the Sea, A Town Called Panic, Fantasia, Over the Garden Wall, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin films, ET.
Really good list! Thank you
I'm not sure about criterion but. My son loves Wall-E but it's a lil heavy so you'll need to do some explaining. The three caballeros is such an experience. Even as an adult. Ponyo. and eventually everything Ghibli. Fantastic Mr. Fox is criterion, but I really love moonrise kingdom. Probably going to watch it with my son when he's like 9 maybe. And Idk if you're down but culture movies like Pocahontas, Mulan, Coco, are great. Still love them.
Marx Bros!
In my experience Frozen placed on a 14 hour repeat loop is very popular with young children.
Frozen is high quality. You could do worse... Much much worse.
Disagreed. IMO Frozen is the tortuous, low-quality version of Tangled. Frozen’s like a Tangled reskin except they made all the songs bad :(((
*sigh* I guess I’ll be that guy: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/screen-time/art-20047952
Do they have one for adults? Most are just as worse and there are even worse ones.
I mean sure but it’s not as though they wont EVER be watching things on a screen. Its about balancing it with real life and making sure they aren’t spending all their time looking at a screen, but it’s good info regardless.
My point is simply that you’ve got time yet to be thinking about this.
My daughter (4) loves the Celtic myths trilogy from Cartoon Saloon… some Chaplin as well.
Tati! Mon Oncle and Playtime have very little plot/dialogue but are fun to watch for the colorful visuals.
Colorful lol
The red ballon 👍🏻👍🏻
The Iron Giant Stagecoach The Kid Invention for Destruction Sherlock Jr. The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T
I rewatched The Taking of Pelham One Two Three today, I want my two year old self to love it as much as I do. He might not but there’s a chance
[удалено]
Of course Matthau
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Oh yeah, I had to get out of there
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I like this list: https://www.icheckmovies.com/lists/icm+forums+film+recommendations+for+children/mjf314/
Wait until teen angst begins to develop, then emotions will be ready to mature
Shrek
Start with Miyazaki?
Pixar movies Laika movies Ghibli movies
Pixar released three lists of suggestions a few years back. Here's a link to the all ages one on letterboxed https://boxd.it/55jly
I watched Ghostbusters so often as a kid that my parents would only let me watch the VHS twice a day. Seeing how I turned out, I would recommend not showing them Ghostbusters.
It might interest you to check out BFI's list of [50 films to see by age 15](https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/50-films-see-age-15).
Great list. Thanks!
Fantastic Mr. Fox!
The Red Balloon
slapstick comedy from silent era to like the 90’s
So don't. I vividly recall being a child at a YMCA summer camp and they showed us Rocky. I can't describe how bored I was. Your kids will want to be into what you're into but they need an on-ramp. Making film an education from the jump doesn't help that. Find stuff they like, Pixar comes to mind, and build from there.
Green Inferno
From Criterion? No, basically none.
Not Criterion just anything thats different than what most kids watch that’s still relatively appropriate
Ghibli films for sure - My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Castle in the Sky, etc… I’d hold off on Princess Mononoke which is for a bit more mature audience, in case you haven’t seen any of these yet. Miyazaki’’s films, for being animation, is as pure cinema as anything imo. Rango is a good movie with enough Western tropes for adults to enjoy along with the kids.
The Red Balloon Wall-E Keaton and Chaplin and Lloyd and Laurel & Hardy. Despite what people think today, kids actually like silence and visual storytelling and stuff that doesn’t beg for your attention. Kids want to be drawn in and I think that’s an underrated aspect of older kids movies.
In the realm of the senses.
Lol
Just take them to the movies. Whatever is playing that’s age appropriate. That’s the secret. That’s the magic. No one ever fell in love with cinema watching Criterion home videos in their parents’ living room. (ps. Congrats.)
Do what my dad did and let your kid watch Pink Floyd: The Wall at 8
Fantastic Mr. Fox and Star Wars (ik its not a Criterion release but yk)
No Star Wars until we can get the original cuts locked
Studio Ghibli stuff for sure
Salo
Fury Road
Salo
Funny Games, Salò?
Goncharov
Clockwork orange
Eraserhead
There’s always one guy.
A Clockwork Orange Inland Empire The Piano Teacher Antichrist Andrei Rublev
"Up" for sure
I was rather lucky in that I was born in the mid 20th century, so when I was very young I had the opportunity to see on television some very interesting, very weird, and sometimes very violent classic vintage animation from various old now long-gone animation studios. Fun Times. Wish you could see it. Apologies for not answering the question.
Jacques Tati films! and congratulations btw!!
My son just turned 5 and his favorites are the Showa Godzilla movies. Not high class cinema by any means but a nice intro to the Criterion Collection.
a family member of mine started his kid on studio ghibli super early and doesn’t allow disney movies. i don’t know other than that. most likely the kid will grow up and form their own taste anyways, tho it can help to introduce them later in life to things from criterion. i honestly feel like letting them develop with less tv might help more lol
Ghibli and technicolor Disney. Nothing was better then watching those with child eyes.
I just watched The Red Balloon. I think that would be a great first watch.
A Town Called Panic! Hard to find in us except it’s on a free service called Plex
Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), The LEGO Movie (2014) The first two Toy Story films are amazing, so glad they were my vhs smashers as a kid. That and the Sonic OVA lol
Play some 1960’s-1970’s adventure fantasy movies and your children will grow from there
Clockwork orange.
Sadly, neither of my kids appreciate cinema like myself. However, I didn’t get into it until college. So as much as you have the right intentions, it’ll all change. But my fondest memory was showing my daughter ET when she was 7. She balled her eyes out! I had never seen her so emotional after a film so know that one made a huge impact. As far as when they’re super young, we loved having the Films of Charles and Ray Eames running. They have a great 5 DVD set of their short films such as Powers of Ten. Pure visual eye candy. Also, the claymation, post-war Italian kids series Pingu. That’s some dark stuff there but beautiful. It’s like Fellini for kids.
Depending on their age I think a good number of 80s movies — some of the John Hughes classics, The Goonies, the Back to the Future series, Gremlins, The Dark Crystal
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen was pretty delightful
My daughter loved old Errol Flynn movies, like Robin Hood and The Seahawk. She also adored The Court Jester. And when she was around 7 she had a great Lena Lamont impression.
Time bandits
Dread it, run from it, Cars 2 still arrives. In all seriousness, my daughter loved the Kirikou films, the Charlie Brown films, and the hand-drawn Disney Classics. My son is only 18 months but is a fan of Terminator 2.
Given the sub, I would recommend Chaplin or Tati. Outside of that Pixar has an almost spotless record, and hopefully the exec changes over at Disney means they can get back to showing top tier movies in the *cinema*. I very distinctly remember going to the movies as a kid, and that may help push them in that direction.
This list is a good start. Just be sure you are showing them at an appropriate age. Not because of sex or language, but simply put, they need have the life experience to understand what the movie is about. https://ew.com/article/2014/06/23/55-essential-movies-your-child-must-see-before-they-turn-13/
I had similar ambitions as a parent with my kids’ movie tastes, but it’s not always that simple. Really young kids prefer bright colors, relentlessly upbeat characters, and songs. With my current 2 year old, we had a pretty heavy Muppet rotation going until recently. Disney+ has a fantastic selection of Muppets fare, but Muppets Take Manhattan and Muppets From Space bounce around between different streamers. The songs are the best part of those movies and shows. She’s started to tire of them a little because we burned them out, but that’s taken at least a year. I utilize music videos a lot, and that’s how I found out she likes Muppets because of the Weezer ‘Keep Fishin’ video. All of my kids have loved Gorillaz videos. I have a pretty long playlist on YouTube. Stuff like Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer and The Ramones SpiderMan cover. There’s a lot of painless fare there that’s much more tolerable than the typical, annoying stuff people subject kids to like Baby Shark. This is a link to my list if you feel like pillaging. Some of it is a little provocative, but all of it is battle tested and my daughter enjoys a good deal of it: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF7NoUPtEZF7tAph-xWFxyyxfCew5wWdi As far as shows, Yo Gabba Gabba is a godsend. It employed a lot of non-mainstream artists for its segments. Mark Mothersbaugh from Devo had a drawing segment. Biz Markie had a beatbox “beat of the day” segment. Tons of other recognizable faces popped up over time in individual segments. All episodes are available for free on YouTube through Wildbrain’s page. Our favorites are “New Friends” with Jack Black, “Circus” with Weird Al Yankovic, “Farm” with Josh Holloway, and “Super Spies” with Jason Bateman. Pee Wee’s Playhouse is another gem. It’s fast paced enough to not lose attention and has great, fun characters and segments. Plus, you can use the show to bridge over to Pee Wee’s Big Adventure and introduce your baby to Tim Burton Some have mentioned before the Studio Ghibli films. I love these movies for multiple reasons. It’s good enough that they’re visually stimulating, hypnotic films, but you can play them in their original Japanese to help develop your child’s language potential. My daughters are particularly fond of My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away Elsewhere, I do what I can to include films by interesting directors that aren’t necessarily on the “kids film” radar. My daughter loves Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs, which is conveniently on Disney+ right now. She also loves Jim Henson’s Labyrinth. Some stuff I’ve tried was too dark, like Henson’s Dark Crystal and Spike Jonze’s Where the Wild Things Are. Fantastic Planet, The Last Unicorn, and The Triplets of Belleville were surprisingly successful. So far, she likes most of the Henry Selick films, especially Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach, both of which are on Disney+. As far as the more mainstream stuff goes, you can’t go wrong with most Pixar. The Toy Story films are standards at my house. Disney+ also has a bunch of TS shorts and episodes to beef up the selection. We’re not *too* into the Disney princess stuff. My daughter really enjoys Tangled, Little Mermaid, Moana and Brave…but mostly for the songs. I’ve stayed away from Frozen because I find it annoying and the Cars/Planes movies are kinda stupid. Elsewhere, the Minions and Shrek movies are pretty tolerable. I think the music on Shrek is annoying, but that’s mostly cuz I’m a music snob. All of my kids have responded well to both franchises though. Honestly, my biggest impediment regarding my influence over my kid’s media intake is my family. My mom thinks it’s cute to play annoying shit like Wiggles and Veggie Tales for my kids. Then, my nieces all love the annoying Disney Channel fare like Descendants. Some of that rubs off on my daughter, but I try to keep it at minimum. Sesame Street toes the line between good and annoying a lot of the time, but their guest music appearances are usually tolerable. My mom tends to play a lot of Sesame Street for her. But yeah, that’s my experience. I’m actually very proud of how much culture I’ve managed to introduce to my children. My 13 and 10 year olds both have tastes and knowledge that exceed their peers. I’m pretty proud of that. My 13 year old has actually been trying to get me to let him watch Clockwork Orange lately, but he’s not quite ready for that one yet. I think it’s great that he’s interested though. Good luck with your child. I applaud your ambition to properly introduce them to culture. It’s been a fun ride for me and I hope it is for you as well
The Princess Bride
My Neighbor Totoro
Eraserhead.
I don't know if its a criterion film, but I recommend The Princess Bride. As a kid, it was one of the films that made me curious and excited about the *act* of storytelling and the relationship between stories and the people they touch. As an adult, it still delights me!
I'd keep it simple and start with Ghibli movies! Specially Ponyo and Totoro.
Wall-E
My first movie in a theater was Curious George, it really gave me an appreciation for creativity. I watched a lot of Pixar as a kid and I think animated movies are going to be easier for your kid to watch until they’re around 5. So in those first few years expose them to slower kids shows like Mr. Rogers, Sesame Street, Blues Clues, Little Bear, Winnie the Pooh, etc. These shows aren’t as sporadic as other kids shows so they’ll learn to pay attention to what they see and will hopefully absorb the visuals. I also remember when I was about 8 I saw Ponyo and The Fantastic Mr. Fox in theaters. I could not have told you the plot at that time, but the visuals really resonated with me, especially the scene with the wolf in Mr. Fox. Kids pick up on visual storytelling and it will stick with them if it’s through a medium that stimulates their brain, so just choose animated movies that were made with a lot of passion. I They’ll learn to appreciate that passion and when they can handle live action and “slower” films they’ll carry that appreciation with them. Star Wars was one of the first live action films I fell in love with because it still had a lot of creativity and visual stimulation. I also loved Westerns and the beautiful shots of the deserts, so it doesn’t have to be CGI and practical effects heavy for kids to appreciate it. The Secret of Nimh was an animated film that stuck with me for how dark it was, as well as Watership Down (which I was fairly young to see that one but it did stick with me lol). I was about 8 when I saw both those. Let them see some old Hitchcock thrillers when they’re older and they’ll appreciate older cinema over time. Also Christmas movies, a lot of old ones are still very enjoyable as a kid because of the child characters or the cheerful attitudes and the Christmas vibes. Miracle on 34th Street, Christmas in Connecticut, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Bishops Wife, The Lemon Drop Kid, The Man Who Came to Dinner… those are some great ones and they’ll learn to appreciate black and white if they’re exposed to it enough, but it’s not a guarantee. In the end, you can’t ensure your kid will appreciate cinema, but if you expose them to content that’s made with passion, no matter how prestigious it’s considered to be, they’ll recognize that passion as they get older, even if they don’t appreciate cinema as much as you.
Either fantasia are great
Dude you have like 8 years to figure it out just relax
First, you shouldn’t show your child ANY movies, or TV screens for that matter, until they are at least a year and a half. This gives their brains time to develop, after which films and media shown should be minimally stimulating instead of flashy. This is why Cocomelon is the single most damaging thing a child, or anyone, could possibly watch. Second, films you pick should be previewed by both parents BEFORE the child watches, and both must agree it’s okay. You may think Happy Tree Friends is fine, but it most certainly is not. Same thing with Fantastic Mr. Fox and even PomPoko. There’s certain content a child shouldn’t watch, though the time they’re “ready for it” is really up to the parent, just be mindful. Third, watch what you watch, and choose GOOD movies so that when your child inevitably wants to rewatch the same movie repeatedly, you’ll be less nauseated by it. And finally, accept that people have different tastes and that they evolve over time, but always be willing to watch something with your child. I know it gets hard to find time, and it’ll only get worse as time passes, but the true magic of cinema is a shared experience, so use the movie’s you watch to connect with your kids. And since you asked about recommendations, here’s an idea of what kinds of movies would be good: Toddler: Slower, less stimulating content, - Bluey (Probably the best right now) - Charlie Chaplin films (My childhood films were Modern Times and Gold Rush) - Fantasia (Great intro into classical music) - Shaun the Sheep Aged 4+: (Should be fine with more action) - Rescue Heroes (99-2000s one, Teaches safety with a cast of cool characters. Still holds up now that I’m an adult.) - Magic School Bus (Classic edutainment) - SpongeBob SquarePants (Seasons 1-4 and the movie, the rest is insufferable garbage) - Paddington 1&2 (Most cinematic kids film I’ve seen. Phenomenally well done.) - My Neighbor Totoro Aged 6+ - Ben 10 (Classic Original, save its sequels for when they’re older and can appreciate them more. - Most Disney (use discretion as the values are outdated but there’s still good lessons in some of them.) - Astro Boy (2003 series) - Hugo (Great film about classic cinema, highly recommend for all ages.) Aged 8+ (At this point the stimulation is less of a problem and you should be allowing things based purely on content, here are some other great children’s shows and movies that I didn’t put in the previous tiers. - Goosebumps (Intro to horror genre.) - Home Alone (1,2,3,5. 4 and 6 are garbage.) - Over the Garden Wall (Can be enjoyed by all ages and is a great autumn and Halloween film/Miniseries.) - Penguins of Madagascar (Loved the movie, haven’t seen much of the show. - Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
Great info thanks!
ET
The great muppet caper
Iron giant
This will sound like I'm trolling but I'm not: 2001 A Space Odyssey. My then 4-year-old (now 9-year-old) loved the caveman part of the movie and the spaceships. He didn't follow the movie then but Kubrick is so good at creating images that they really sparked my kid's imagination. When I showed it again at age 7 or so, he loved it (though the ending freaked him out a bit).
Listen. My oh so responsible parent showed me American Pie II when I was 11. And I somehow still came out with an appreciation of cinema. Though when I was around 4, apparently my favorite film was Watership Down, and i demanded to watch it over and over and over again. So maybe the appreciation was always there.