6 Smart Films to Watch With Your Tweens and Teens During Another Pandemic Winter

Summary

The article lists six thought-provoking films suitable for watching with tweens and teens during a pandemic winter, offering a mix of drama, biography, and documentary to engage and educate.

Abstract

The author discusses the challenge of finding quality films to watch with children during extended periods at home, such as during a pandemic winter. With a preference for more sophisticated cinema, the author recommends six films that cater to a discerning audience of teenagers and pre-teens. These films include classics like "Stand By Me," documentaries like "Jane" and "Pick of the Litter," and the adventurous "Free Solo." The list also includes the comedic "European Vacation" and "Napoleon Dynamite," all of which provide valuable lessons and engaging content for young viewers. The author emphasizes the importance of choosing films that are both entertaining and appropriate for the age group, avoiding some of the more obvious children's movies in favor of these alternative selections.

Opinions

The author is selective about films, preferring those with artistic or educational value, such as those found on The Criterion Channel.
"Stand By Me" is considered a timeless film that resonates with today's youth despite its R-rating, with its themes of friendship and adolescence.
"Jane" is praised for its inspirational portrayal of Jane Goodall's unique path and her contributions to conservation.
"Pick of the Litter" is seen as both heartwarming and educational, highlighting the importance of guide dogs for the blind.
"Free Solo" is recommended for its gripping narrative, especially for children interested in climbing or those living in mountainous areas.
"European Vacation" is acknowledged as a classic comedy that remains funny and relatable, despite some inappropriate content.
"Napoleon Dynamite" is highlighted as an unconventional and hilarious film that appeals to the entire family.
The author regrets attempting to watch "The Fugitive," "The Poseidon Adventure," and "Airplane" with the family, finding them either inappropriate or not as humorous upon revisiting.
The author encourages other parents to share their own film recommendations for the 11-14 year old age group.

Forget Pixar! Your kids will love these alternative flicks.

Although we don’t watch much television in our house, when we were in lockdown and in the middle of a series of blizzards here in our mountain town, we realized it was time to spend some quality time with the boob tube. I’m incredibly picky when it comes to films. If I had my way, I’d only watch The Criterion Channel, and I probably make it grudgingly to a movie theater about once a year. But, with that said, there are a few good films we found on various streaming services to watch with our teen and tween during that first pandemic winter, and we will likely be watching some of them during this pandemic winter too.

My guess is most of these aren’t movies you and your kids have seen yet. There are some unusual ones here, so hopefully, one or two will pique your interest! They should all be available by the popular streaming services (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, etc.).

Stand By Me — I was skeptical because there was a lot of this movie I’d forgotten about, and with an R-rating, I wasn’t sure it was appropriate for my 11 and 13-year-old. But, once it got rolling, I knew I had little to fret over. The movie is as wonderful as it was when I first watched it when I was a teenager. The friendships, the cussing (maybe not the smoking), and the characters’ faults and shortcomings are all very relatable to tweens and teens of today. There is a dead body scene, and the boys smoke and use a little profanity, but other than that, its R-rating was lost on me. The tenderness and trueness of their friendship is almost heartbreaking. My 13-year old couldn’t stop talking about it for a week. And, well, there’s also River Phoenix (sob).

Jane — This is the biographical film of Jane Goodall’s life (narrated by Jane herself). Jane Goodall is a famous conservationist who studied chimpanzees in Tanzania. The story is inspiring, as it teaches kids they can choose a unique path if they wish to. We watched it after lunch one day.

Pick of the Litter — A documentary about how puppies become guide dogs for the blind. You follow a litter of puppies from their actual birth until they’re united with their blind guardians. The kids loved it and learned about blindness and how important guide dogs are. Plus, the dogs are so dang cute!

Free Solo — The story of Alex Honnold, a free climber — yes, he climbs without ANY gear, one false move, and he’s a goner. It’s another documentary with a little bit of foul language, but if your child is into climbing or lives in a mountain area like we do, the film is riveting.

European Vacation — My kids hadn’t seen this yet, so they had to watch it. Yes, the Vacation movies have some inappropriate innuendos, but overall your tween is already aware of it all. The film is still as funny as it was decades ago. We all laughed a lot at how stupid/funny this family is.

Napoleon Dynamite — If you haven’t watched this one yet, you must. It is 100 percent appropriate for tweens. It’s hilarious and a good family watch as all family members will find something about it that they can’t stop thinking about once it’s over. It’s the story of a kid named Napoleon Dynamite who lives his day-to-day, makes a couple of friends, draws Ligers, and teaches himself to dance. There is SO much more to it, but the gist is just getting to know this weird kid and the other cast of characters he interacts with. It’s my daughter’s very favorite movie of all time.

Others we tried which I wish we had not:

The Fugitive, The Poseidon Adventure (what was I thinking!?), Airplane (it’s just not as funny as I once thought. Plus, there’s a lot the kids can’t, won’t, and would prefer not to understand. Ultimately, I think it’s just dated.)

So from a regular mom to other regular moms who have kids that watch an average amount of movies, these are some unique ones maybe they haven’t seen yet that I recommend for the 11–14-year-old set.

And please share some of your own recommendations below!