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In The Best Old Movies for Families, film critic and father of two Ty Burr has compiled an impassioned and readable guide to help wean your kids off Hollywood junk food and introduce them to the classics. From Action/Adventure to Comedy to Musicals, Burr covers dozens of suggestions in the book, which we've condensed here into an easy starter kit. Click on the links below or scroll down to browse his recommendations, then pick a movie, grab the popcorn, and launch your family's cinematic adventures!
Movie recommendations for kids, ages:
4-6 | 7-8 | 9-10 | 11-12 | 13-15 | 16-18
AGES 4-6
Bringing Up Baby
A crazy heiress (Katharine Hepburn) takes a nerdy zoologist (Cary Grant--yes, Cary Grant) on a series on a misadventure that causes kids to go nuts with both apprehension and delight. Contains two leopards, one pesky dog, one dinosaur bone buried in the backyard, and a collapsing brontosaurus skeleton.
Singin' in the Rain
Infectious, colorful, sprightly, and fun, this is the musical to start a lifelong love of musicals. It has a likable hero in Gene Kelly, a sly goofball in Donald O'Connor ("Make 'Em Laugh," he sings, and he does), and a half-witted villainess (Jean Hagen) whose hilariously nasal screeching your kids will imitate until you beg them to stop. Oh, and Princess Leia's mother (Debbie Reynolds) plays the good girl.
The Adventures of Robin Hood
Fast-paced, brightly colored, and funny, this is the most exhilarating version of the Robin Hood legend committed to film. Your children will immediately understand what star quality is when Errol Flynn's Robin Hood walks into the castle feast and throws a deer down at nasty King John's feet. The climactic duel between Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone will cause an immediate uptick in living room swordplay: Hide the shishkebab skewers. |
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"Terrific, necessary, and carried out with integrity, intelligence, sensitivity, and totally without condes- cension. Ty Burr's book can lead to a lot of pleasure–of the life-long kind."
—Peter Bogdanovich
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