My D and I watched Ordinary People and Risky Business her first break home from college when she was a college freshman, she enjoyed both.
@doschicos - she’s 14; HS.
we watched pretty in pink and 16 candles and Argo recently. @creekland - I’ve watched two of those movies; they are intense and moving; but I just don’t know if that’s what I want right now. I’m wanting oldies but goodies for her I guess.
14 year-old girl: You may think she’s a tad too young for this, but from the standpoint of facilitating really valuable parent-child discussions about love and romance, the best movie I ever watched with my kids when they were teenagers was Before Sunrise, with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy playing two college students who just met walking around Vienna all night trying to decide what their attraction to one another means. Also, in something of the same mode (i.e., mainly very talky), but maybe more directly relatable, Whit Stillman’s Metropolitan (a bunch of preppy, awkward college freshmen spend a lot of time together on Christmas break in the early 70s in Manhattan). Also think about Dazed and Confused (same director as Before Sunrise, but much larger cast and more broad humor – the last day of school in 1976, suburban Texas, for rising h.s. seniors and freshmen – plus the career start for Matthew McConaughey , Ben Affleck, Renee Zellweger, Parker Posey, and Milla Jovavich) and high school cultural touchstone The Princess Bride.
Or you could binge My So-Called Life, Freaks and Geeks, Friday Night Lights, the first season of Veronica Mars, and Buffy The Vampire Slayer – all extraordinarily well-done TV about girls (and some boys) in high school, at different levels of seriousness and realism (in descending order as listed).
Marriage Story: Before you accuse Noah Baumbach of making a roman a clef in which he looked good, consider that the alignment of the main characters in the movie look a lot more like Baumbach and his current partner, Greta Gerwig than like Baumbach and his ex-wife, Jennifer Jason Leigh. When Baumbach married Leigh, she was an established star and writer 8 or 9 years older than he, and he was very much at the start of his career. They split when their child was an infant; Baumbach’s relationship with the child was entirely post-divorce. By contrast, when Gerwig and Baumbach got together, he was a revered (but not necessarily bankable) director, and she was an indie actress with lots of promise but no roles in movies whose budgets had more than five figures – much more like the characters played by Driver and Johansson in Marriage Story.
@bgbg4us - how about the original National Velvet, the one with Elizabeth Taylor?
@bcbg4us Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Clueless, Legally Blond, Life is Beautiful?
Has anyone seen Troop Zero? I’m a big Jim Gaffigan fan. Reviews look good.
@bgbg4us Here are some ideas - a few older than the past 20 years. Tried to focus on feel good movies.
Schoolhouse Rock, The Holiday, Love Actually, The Pursuit of Happyness, Peanut Butter Falcon, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Captain Fantastic, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, Good Will Hunting, The Help, Mrs. Doubtfire, Big, Inside Out, Lady Bird, The Blind Side, We Are Marshall, Remember the Titans, Juno, About A Boy, Hidden Figures, Tootsie, Mean Girls, The Sound of Music, West Side Story, Coach Carter, Bend It Like Beckham
@Creekland - About Time is one of my favorite movies. We often watch it when my kids are all home. Even my sons like it.
The Ethan Hawk Before Sunrise trilogy is really good, although I think the third one has some unexpected nudity.
Friday Night Lights is a great series for family viewing and conversation.
I love The Holiday but it may be a little mature for a 14 year old - infidelity, casual sex, etc.
And there is the original movie as well if you don’t want to dive into a series.
Depends on one’s household. My kids were definitely fine with it at that age - younger actually - but I let my kids watch a lot except for really violent stuff and misogynistic/sexist movies.
It is PG and gets pretty tame ratings here:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/the-holiday
It probably is one of those movies that does depend on your kid. Some of the reviews/ ratings do mention it may be pushing it to be rated PG 13, may be more suitable for older teens (sex, drinking) . Great movie and is definitely one of my favorite romantic comedy type movies.
@doschicos love your list - Captain Fantastic, Hunt for the Wilderpeople aren’t ones you see recommended often, and we love them. Have you seen The Boys of Summer or The Fundamentals of Caring? Those are two others we enjoyed.
Another movie my daughter and I watched together over and over was What a Girl Wants. (The guys in our family have seen it a few times, too.) Amanda Bynes and Colin Firth star.
I haven’t seen those two but will add to my list. Thanks!
THANKS you guys. Making a list. I love Colin firth; but I know my D hasn’t seen that movie so thanks! And fundamentals of caring was touching. good idea. I think Juno is a good wakeup call. We are Marshall; remember titans would be good ones for H to watch with her. Thanks! I appreciate these thoughts. Now’s the time to watch them all. I personally like ANYTHING Hugh Grant related, so About a Boy would be cute too. And the throwback national velvet I’d like to see; it’s been 40 yrs.
I sobbed during Titanic yesterday. she thought I was crazy!
so - she’s my youngest of 4; ages 14-23. Boy, have I inadvertently let up on permissions with movies/subjects over the years. No way would I let my 23 yr old watch R movies at age 14. Now, as long as its not just horrible, I’ve let up. She’s been exposed to so much more than they had at that age. No need to pretend she’s not seen and heard so much. I guess I just need to make sure we talk about mature subjects after or while watching.
@bgbg4us How about “Some Like it Hot”? I remember my daughter watching it with me when she was in early high school and she loved it! It is one of my very favorite movies.
We were definitely stricter with the oldest than the youngest. I’m pretty sure my oldest could tell you the exact date and year of his first PG-13 movie!
As for favorite movies that my guys like (and me, too) - The Grey, Drive, and 3:10 to Yuma are our go-to movies when they are both home.
@bgbg4us how about Romeo and Juliet with Leonardo DiCaprio Modern take on a classic.
Maybe some old Hitchcock films. Rear Window, North by Northwest, and The Man Who Knew to Much are among my favorites.
A few other suggestions: The Outsiders, Marie Antoinette, The Truman Show, Stand By Me, Diner, Dead Poets Society, Good Morning Vietnam, Brooklyn