Young film critic

Recently I was having a conversation with one of the young women (20 something) who care for my mother. She was asking me if my seven year old liked Disney movies.  I laughed and told her some of the new one but that his heart really belongs to The Marx Brothers, Errol Flynn, and Cary Grant.

She looked at me and said, "I don't know who any of those people are."

Several years ago I had the good fortune of being introduced to Ty Burr's book, "The Best Old Movies 

For Families"  Burr breaks down classics (some popular and some movie critic classics)  by age and provides helpful information about each film.  Who knew that the sword fighting scenes in "Robin Hood" and the light saber scenes in "Star Wars were pretty much the same?  We started with the films for ages 3+ and now four years later, Christmas this year we enjoyed our son's first Hitchcock film.  

Recently it was pizza & movie night and our son's turn to pick.  He said, "I can't decide between "Bringing Up Baby" or  "North by Northwest or "A Night in Casablanca""  Oh what to do!

All of this does have it's draw backs though, at a Brattle Theatre screening of "The Sea Hawks" last summer, my son was able to recognize that the theatre was using the older version of the screen, and was missing critical scenes.  He pouted through the whole movie.  And when they get the occasional 

movie choice in first grade, seldom is he able to persuade his friends to watch "Night at the Opera"  but he's cool with that.

 

--Mayre