We admit it, all right! Here at Family Valued Central, we have not spent as much on Research & Development as we should have. Instead, we spent time cleaning the bathroom and polishing the fine silver. But no longer! Let loose the dogs of toilet bowl mold! We have rededicated ourselves to research! And in the interest of generally raising the discourse here, we have settled into our La-Z-Boy chairs and popped in a DVD.
Extensive inquiries have provided the following list of movies that children apparently love and yet, they don’t always see. Let’s face it, we worry too much about the latest blockbuster and too little about replacing crap with quality (or at least it’s vague approximation). Some films reference mature subject matter, but the toddlers that went to The Matrix, Spiderman, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, or Austin Powers probably won’t notice. But they will like these movies.
Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955) – most consistently funny of the Abbott and Costello films; Bud and Lou find themselves pursued by an Egyptian cult for a special medallion linked to a walking mummy
The African Queen (1951) – Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn; World War I on a boat on an African river with a missionary and a drunk
The Wizard of Oz (1939) – everyone has not seen it; Dorothy gets caught in a bad storm and finds that she’s not in Kansas anymore
Singin’ in the Rain (1952) – Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor ensure that everyone in the room will try to dance at some point soon; the best movie about movies and it’s a riot
Young Frankenstein (1974) – for anyone who loves Goosebumps and its ilk; Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder recreate the classic tale in the funniest movie ever made
The Princess Bride (1987) – William Goldman adapts his book for an all-star cast; a classic fairy tale with more adventure than any three movies
Bringing Up Baby (1938) – Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant; screwball comedy with a dinosaur skeleton and a panther

February, 2006