Another Useless, Top 10 List - The 10 Best Children's Movies
Sep 18 '03
The Bottom Line Some old, some new, some borrowed, some blue.
Call me silly but when I think of fantastic children’s movies, I think of movies that capture the essence of innocence, love, and forgiveness. Most of the movies that made my Top 10 list were movies I watched as an adult. Usually, I was in the company of children - or at least people who acted like children at times :).
Willie Wonka & The Chocolate Factory
I actually saw this movie as a child. Growing up in a poor home, I fantasized about being Charlie. And then there was the chocolate. Chocolate! I loved chocolate! As kids, we didn't get a lot of treats so I *totally* understood what Charlie was going through when he craved a candy bar. Gene Wilder was a unique fella and he absolutely charmed me. Then there were the ooompa loompa's who sang songs that cracked me up. Despite all of the fun and whimsical gestures of the characters, the messages conveyed through the storyline - don't be selfish, share, do what's right by other people - didn't get lost. As a side note, I am fearful of the impending remake. I'm not sure anything good can come of it. How in the world does anyone (producer, director, actor), think that they can possibly recreate the magic of this movie? Shiver. I must forget...I must move on...
The Lion King
When I was pregnant with my son Ethan, this was out in movie theaters. My husband and I went to a matinee and Ethan was awake and kicking almost the entire time. The music seemed to excite him! Being all hormonal, I cried at all of the "right" Disney moments and I hoped that Ethan would turn out to be just as cute as Simba was. One of the reason that I still enjoy this movie is that stands up to the test of time. It's just as cute, funny, and sad as it was nine years ago.
E.T.
Maybe my memory is failing me but I remember most characters in children's movies (back in the day) as being attractive. Sure, they were always portrayed as underdogs but never, ever do I remember them being stone-ugly. E.T. was the first movie where the character you were supposed to feel love for was not gorgeous. E.T. was a homely dude who had a heart bigger than what most adults had. Steven Spielberg sucked us all in with the alien-befriending-the-young-confused-boy storyline. How can you not love a movie that introduced us to Reese's pieces and cute-as-a-button, Drew Barrymore???
The Iron Giant
This is what I call, a sleeper hit. A boy makes friends with a giant, alien robot who is wanted by the government. The story, set in 1958, made fun of the conspiracy thought processes of that particular times period. More importantly, I was touched by the relationship between the boy and the robot. I cried. It was my first exposure to Vin Diesel and Eli Marienthal (who later went on to star in American Pie as Stifler's little brother). If you haven't seen this movie, you really need to add it to your list.
The Secret Garden (1993)
Although I have very little in common with the main character, Mary (she's a rich, orphaned, spoiled child), something about her spunk for life got under my skin. Then there's this thing I have for gardens. As my buddy bijou will tell you, pulling weeds and planting flowers is a form of therapy for me :). In this particular version of The Secret Garden, I loved the dramatic changes between colors - from drab and muted to bright and gorgeous.
Finding Nemo
I had the opportunity to see this again the other day. The story is still adorable without going overboard. Single parent, child with a handicap, random violence, cultural differences - all tied up into various plot lines, character development, and sometimes played out by the music. Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks were perfect in their roles.
Charlotte's Web
The first time I saw this on television, I was highly enchanted with Templeton. That other stuff - the pig, the spider - didn't stand out for me until the last moments, when suddenly, they didn't have each other. You can bet that the next time I saw this, I sat up and took notice of all of the small things that made the relationship between these two characters. Still today, I cry like a baby when I watch this movie.
Cinderella (1950)
Ever since I can remember, I have always wanted to be Cinderella. It all started with this movie. The animation made me feel magical. The story of a girl treated poorly by her step-family, made me feel like someone else understood. The mice instigated me to ask (and get) two gerbils (I named them Oliver and Juliet). The songs, especially A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes, stuck in my head and I would sing them to myself as I lay in bed, trying to fall asleep.
The Little Mermaid
All I want to say here is, see my obsession about always wanting to be a princess. When The Little Mermaid was released in 1989 (gee, hope I got that right), I hadn't seen an animated movie in years. This was the movie that reignited my interest. I started craving musicals too - all because of Ariel singing Part of Your World and Sebastian singing Under the Sea.
Fantasia
This movie is largely responsible for my great love of classical music. It was one of the first movies that I saw on the big screen (Quimby Village). I can still remember how I sat there, awestruck by the magical animation and the bigger than life music that accompanied it. My heart beat faster when Mickey was in his battle with the broom(s).
The End
So there you have it, just another useless list here on epinions. One down, three thousand to go.
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Member: Kristina Frazier-Henry
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Cannot breathe. Missing Barbara.
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