Movies Worth Watching With Your Middle School Kids

I'm a movie buff.

And, a new tradition in our family is movie night. We love to put a movie in the DVD (or, yes, the VHS player), pop some popcorn, and settle down to watch. My husband and I have enjoyed introducing some of our favorite films to our daughter. This allows us to have a shared culture - things that we reference that she now gets as well.

Now that she is getting a bit older, she is able to appreciate and handle movies that we all enjoy. Here are a few we have enjoyed sharing:

1) THE PRINCESS BRIDE - This live-action film is witty and funny and timeless. The dialogue has great quotes that you and your kids will repeat to one another. It will even work with younger children as there is enough action to keep them entertained. And - it spans both boys and girls. There is love and romance and action and humor.

2) WHAT ABOUT BOB? - This is an 80s comedy starring Richard Dreyfus and Bill Murray. Bill Murray plays a psychiatric patient who suffers from extreme anxiety. When he attaches himself to his new psychologist and the doctor's family, it is both funny and touching. The film examines the issues of hospitality and self image. It also looks at parent/child relationships in a funny and, sometimes, sad way.

3) PLANES, TRAINS, and AUTOMOBILES - This is another 80s comedy starring Steve Martin and John Candy. It tells the stories of two traveling salesman stuck at the airport on Thanksgiving. As they make the journey home, they learn about each other and about how to love your neighbor.

4) PRETTY IN PINK - John Hughes is our 80s favorite. This tale of a teenager on the wrong side of the tracks is about individuality and standing up for yourself in the face of teenage pressure. It says that it is okay to be different - and that, sometimes, things are not as they seem. Parents can decide whether some of Hughes topics are too mature for their middle schooler, but I have found that these subjects are already being thought about by kids this age.

5) BACK TO THE FUTURE - What if you could go back in time? Would you change anything? What if you could see the world that your parents grew up in? Would it change your view of your family? These are the questions faced by this teen who is shot back in time to see his world in the 1950s... It inspired a series of films - but the original is still the best.

6) DEAD POET'S SOCIETY - This is a heavier film with a weightier subject. A school teacher takes on the traditional values of a high-class private boys school. He challenges his students to think out of the box - to seize the day! He wants them to walk independently, to think for themselves. One boy does this, with tragic consequences... A good discussion starter about conformity and about your relationships with authority.

7) OCTOBER SKY - Four young boys decide to build a rocket. This is back in the era of space exploration and is set in a coal mining town. The main character's father does not understand his son's dream. He wants him to settle down and work in the mines like everyone else. How will he pursue what he loves? The story is a great lesson in teamwork and perseverance.

I could go on (and I might), but these were a few that were a big hit in our family... Which ones would you add to this list?

Mary McLeod Bethune: She Has Given Her Best

I first heard about Mary McLeod Bethune when I was a student at Moody Bible Institute. She was an early graduate of my college - and an African American woman. I knew she had gone on to become one of the greatest women in our country. She was so well known that she earned the status of being featured on our postage stamps. But I didn't really know much about her. As I researched Mary McLeod Bethune for my book, When Others Shuddered: Eight Women Who Refused to Give Up . I learned a bit more about her remarkable life: She was the 15th of 17 children, born to former slaves. From an early age, she hungered for education. She graduated from Moody Bible Institute with a desire for missionary service to Africa - an opportunity she was denied because of her race. Undeterred, she started a school for African American girls in Daytona Beach, Florida, that went on to become Bethune Cookman University. She was asked to work with Franklin D. Roosevelt and led many ...

Pacific Garden Mission: A Bed, A Meal and the Bright Light of Hope

In 1877, a woman named Sarah Dunn Clarke and her newly-wedded husband George started a rescue mission on Chicago’s south side. They were wealthy, but their hearts were broken by the men and women who struggled to survive on the city’s streets. The Pacific Garden Mission is the 2 nd oldest operating rescue mission in the United States. Now located on 14 th St and Canal – just south of Chicago’s loop – they offer shelter to as many as a thousand men and women on any given night. As part of my book research to understand how the work of Sarah Clarke continues today, I visited the mission with my friend Dawn Pulgine. Entering through the side, we felt a bit out of our element. Men, black and white, old and young, clustered near the doorway. Some carried bags of personal belongings. Others were working the desk and security. It was mid-day at the Mission. We were given a tour by one of the “program men” – residents who choose to stay a...

My Life as a Cosplay Mom

Cosplay?! What's that? When I tell people that my teenage daughter loves to cosplay, they often have no idea what I'm talking about. About five years ago, my daughter created her first costume to attend a cosplay convention. What I quickly learned is that her love for "cosplay" (defined as costume play) would definitely involve her mom! Together, we have made countless trips to the fabric and craft store as I learned to sew, trace, and glue, create patterns from scratch, and apply stage make-up. In the photo to the left, you can see my husband and I, with our daughter, in full Pokemon cosplay. Attending ACEN (Anime Central) at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, two mild-mannered parents were instantly transformed into Team Magma. Our daughter had full design control, helping me create our group costume. Apparently we did it right, because the moment we entered the conference center, we were stopped for photos. Milt and I had to fake i...

Jamie Janosz

Search This Blog