This one will require a box of tissues, extra hugs, and maybe a dose of something lighthearted on the telly before you all trot off to your rooms or to bed or to clean the kitchen. Maybe a "Friends" re-run or a little "VHI's One-Hit Wonders of the '80s" will do the trick.
Paper Clips is a stunningly powerful documentary about a group of 8th grade students in tiny Whitwell, TN, who embark on a journey to understand the Holocaust, but end up questioning so much more. Not only do the students emerge changed from the experience, but it touches an entire community as well.
Tiny Whitwell, TN (outside Chattanooga, and about 100 miles from where the KKK was founded) has a couple of stoplights, virtually zero Jews and Catholics, and might epitomize to some much of the southern United States: homogenized, predominantly fundamentalist Christian, and wrapped in a history of ethnic and racial discrimination and intolerance. (Whitwell is also about 45 miles from the Rhea County Courthouse, where, in 1925, a teacher was convicted for teaching evolution during the "Scopes Monkey Trial.”)
When eighth grade students at Whitwell Middle School, back in 1998, began studying the Holocaust, a student planted the seed for the project, by saying, “What is six million? I've never seen six million.” The idea to collect six million of something (something related to the Holocaust, principal Linda Hooper insisted) led to the paper clip, which was "invented" (seems debatable, according to Wikipedia) by a Norwegian Jew; Norwegians wore them on their lapels during WWII as a protest against Hitler and his policies.
The Paper Clips Project got underway slowly, and after nearly stalling out late in 1999 (with 1.5 million clips donated), was saved by mainstream media coverage that was largely due to the efforts of a German couple living in the U.S., working as White House correspondents. Once the spotlight shined on Whitwell, the paper clips came by the millions. Well after the project met its completion, the paper clips would still trickle in, from all corners of the world. At last count, some over 30 million had been received.
There are many heroes in this story: the German couple, who came to the rescue several times and also answered an early question by students, “What are German people like? What do they look like? How could they have done this?”; the principal, assistant principal and teachers involved in the project who had incredible vision and patience; the entire community of Whitwell, who came to together in building a beautiful memorial; the Holocaust survivors who came to Whitwell to tell their stories; and of course the students, who worked tirelessly over a number of years to see the project through to the end.
Of course, the real heroes may be those who sent the paper clips; without the paper clips, this story would be something different. Not only did celebrities, regular people, and presidents (both Bushes and Clinton) send paperclips, but so did Germans, and of course, many, many Jewish people, both Holocaust survivors and relatives of the victims, all with heartbreaking stories.
The multiple award-winning Paper Clips should become a staple in middle school curriculum. Until that happens, a family viewing, with plenty of discussion, breaks for tissue replenishment, hugs, and sweet snacks for levity, will not only serve as a great history lesson and some quality family time, but it’ll bring the love.
I guarantee it.
(Note: This film is officially rated G, but I strongly recommend it for older kids who have a grasp of Holocaust history, and for parents who have more backbone than I, as I pretty much blubbered my way through the whole thing.)
Have you seen any of the new Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince posters? I think they’re going for a new tough guy image. But I guess with aging actors (and viewers), and thus more mature storylines, you gotta market the thing with a bit of grown-upness. You can see all the new posters here at MSN.
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Son K asked me the other day: “What is it about Twilight, why does everyone like it so much? Especially girls? Is it 'cause the guy is a --" (here he indicates air quotes) "-- 'hunk'? What’s the big deal about it?”
I said, "Well, it was a popular book--"
"These kids haven't read the book, I guarantee you," he snorted.
Since the Twilight phenom is something I’m really not up on, I couldn’t answer him with any authority. K’s just turned 12, isn’t particularly interested in it himself, but wonders what the fuss is.
What should I have said? What do YOU know about it? I know vampires are sexy and all, but how do you give that answer to a kid in a way that ... uh... that makes sense? (Actually, I did say that: “Um, some people think vampires are kinda sexy, I guess...” After that, I was at a loss.)
What's your take on the Twilight phenom?
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Lastly (promise I’ll get to a review soon!), here’s a sneak peek at a poster for a film coming out Christmas Day.
Do you know who the actor is? I’ll let you ponder for a moment. Answer in image following.
Here's the answer. Oh, i can't wait! Jude Law will co-star as Watson, and it's directed by Guy Ritchie, so I rather doubt it will be kid-friendly.
Ok, by now perhaps you've heard a story floating around, most recently reported by The Hollywood Reporter, of a Three Stooges flick with Sean Penn as Larry, Benicio Del Toro as Moe, and Jim Carrey as Curley. I just refuse to believe it, even though the stories start to look more and more credible.
Sigh. I had to post this hilarious photo, courtesy Ropes of Silicon.
Maybe this wasn’t a “near miss.” Maybe it’s a “Boy, is she dumb” miss, or a “How could she not have known?” miss.
Bill Murray. 1979. Was that enough of a tip-off? Perhaps. Perhaps I was in denial. Perhaps I should have dug harder around IMDB since Netflix offered no indication that user reviews like, “good family viewing,” were off the mark, unless they meant families with teenagers. Perhaps I should have questioned the “PG” rating since Meatballs was made in1979, and as I’ve noted before, PG now and PG then certainly seem to be different!
Anyway, this serves as notice that, lest you be enticed by Mr. Murray and his inarguable charms, or by the topic (shy boy comes out of shell at summer camp), or by the rave reviews on Netflix, this is far too rife with sexual innuendo to be appropriate for kids. We got into the first ten minutes or so, and after jokes about a “sex machine” counselor picking up ten nurses one night and only “three made it to work the next day” and about about the nice summer kids spending their parents’ money on “hookers from every country” and “raping and pillaging” their way through summer, we abruptly shut down.
Ok, so I’m not up on my Bill Murray like I should be (I do love the guy). Forgive me. But I’m here to serve.
I know I don’t usually write a lot about Disney stuff, but this bit of news is worth reporting.
Disney has been working on a hand-drawn animated feature called The Princess and the Frog, and I seem to remember reading somewhere that they are committing to producing hand-drawn features every couple of years or so. Basically, they are not giving up the tried and true for a world built soley with CGI.
A big cheer for Disney!
Even bigger news: The princesss in the film is not blue-eyed and fair! She’s African-American... a first for Disney. (Is that really true? Really?)
Here’s a trailer:(Princess will hit theaters in December.)
So, son K never insisted on seeing Coraline. My theory? I think he’s a little spooked by it! I’m hearing more stories about kids who are/were spooked by the movie, and either skipped it or are now trying not to dream about it.
I guess I’ll have to see it on my own -- in my living room since it’s no longer on a screen near me. Phht.
If you’re a fan of musician Stephin Merritt/Magnetic Fields, you may already know that he has written music and lyrics for a stage production of Coraline that’s opening in NYC on May 7. Arrgh! Can I get back to NYC then? I doubt it.
For those of you lucky enough to go, you should know that for a limited time (through April 12; they just went on sale yesterday), discounted tickets will be available for $39 at the MCC Theater website. You can get more info here at Merritt’s site: www.houseoftomorrow.com
His Gothic Archies project did music a few years ago for the Lemony Snickets books, entitled “The Tragic Treasury: Music for a Series of Unfortunate Events.” They are dark, and cool, and lots of fun for parents. Oh dear, now I’m humming the melody to “The World is a Very Scary Place” .... hmmmmm....mmmmmmmm....mmmmm...
This wonderful French film might serve your kids well as an introduction to subtitled foreign films, if you’ve not ventured there yet. I’ve got a couple other recommendations, but this one might be a good place to start. (I’m pretty sure The Butterfly would carry the equivalent of a G rating.)
The story is easy enough to follow that working on the subtitles without missing screen action will be fairly easy for kids around nine or ten. However, the story is not so simple that parents should shy away from it, lest they be bored. It’s a beautiful and entertaining film on many levels, and of course it’s shot in Paris and in the beautiful French countryside, and so is visually quite pleasing.
I watched this without K (who was in one of his increasingly more frequent tweener moods; “A butterfly? It’s about a butterfly?” [Sigh.] “No thanks.”) (Er, it’s not about a butterfly.) During the last half, I wished I’d twisted his arm, or been more cunning, because he surely would have enjoyed it. K has quite a capacity for emotional empathy (in film, anyway), and The Butterfly is full of quiet little twists and turns expounding on the difficulties of love, trust, parenting, and personal loss.
Claire Bouanich is the young actress playing Elsa, and she is -- sorry, there is no other word -- adorable in every shot. She’s a natural actress, and whether she’s up to a bit of mischief to turn things in her favor, or caught off guard when a deer in the woods falls victim to a poacher’s bullet, her expressions feel genuine and effortless. Many child actors just get by -- you have to admit it -- but this young lady possesses a true gift.
The late Michel Serrault (you may remember him from the wonderful, original La Cage aux Folles, in 1978, as Albin, one of the main characters) plays the cranky old butterfly collector with whom Elsa (rather duplicitously) takes to the mountains in search of the elusive “Isabelle” butterfly. I enjoyed seeing him not long ago in another French film with a similar theme, The Girl From Paris (not a kids’ movie: old, lonely crank befriended by young city woman who moves to the country). He plays a buttoned-up, reluctantly isolated old fellow with a rough charm and a just-soft-enough exterior that giving up on him is just not an option.
In true European fashion, there is one moment in the film that had me doing a double-take, and -- because this is what I do -- you are hereby warned that the adorable Elsa (eight years old, perhaps?) tells a sailor-style joke with the phrase “scratched his balls” in the punchline. I kid you not.
Oh, those wacky French.
Here's a pseudo-trailer, with clips of Serrault and Bouanich recording the charming closing song (sorry, I couldn't find a real trailer with English subtitles):
There are several film adaptations of Frances Hodgson Burnett's beloved children's book, "The Secret Garden," but I can only tell you about two of them. One is a 1975 BBC version, which feels exactly like a 1975 BBC version. Adults might rather like it and appreciate it for its historic, vaguely Masterpiece Theater-feel, but for kids it’s too slow and too musty.
The other version I’m familiar with is the 1993 version, directed by polish director Agnieszka Holland, who has a string of films you’ve never heard of, plus television credits for shows like The Wire and Cold Case. I was surprised not to see another film or two of significance in his bio, as his Secret Garden is absolutely lovely, and the attention given to things like continuity and visual details are admirable.
This film has a G rating, but I doubt it would work on kids under age eight. It’s a pretty sedate, quiet film, the British accents may be a tad difficult for young (American) kids, and there is a dark, brooding melancholy throughout the first half. Younger children would likely have a difficult time with scenes of neglectful parents, dying parents, and “invalid” children throwing temper tantrums (cousin Colin throws a doozy here).
For the older kids, The Secret Garden is a great example of dramatic cinematic storytelling aimed at children that isn’t candy-coated in Disney sugar, and the film’s messages of hope, rebirth, and friendship are heartwarming and very sweet. It’s also mature enough (and lush enough visually) that most parents will enjoy it as well.
Dave Eggers is a fabulous writer. If you haven't read him, do yourself a favor. Start with A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, and after that, it doesn't matter where you go, as long as you definitely include What Is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng.
In addition to being an author and publisher (he founded McSweeney's), Eggers also does a heckuva lot to promote literacy and human rights. Among other things, he founded a nonprofit tutoring center and writing school for children in San Francisco, called 826 Valencia, and has overseen the expansion of the program to other American cities. (More on 826 National here.) Now, he's breaking into the movies.
Word has it that he's behind the screenplay adaptation (along with Spike Jonze) of the classic children's book Where the Wild Things Are, along with a novel that will be released simultaneously. The film releases in October, and you can get a sneak preview when you see Monster & Aliens; early reports use words like "brilliant" and "breathtaking" to describe it. Of course, being set to Arcade Fire's "Wake Up" already lends itself to use of those kinds of adjectives.
So we've got two Eggers-related treats for you here. First, a peek at the Wild Things poster! Love it? I do. I do.
Secondly, we happened upon a cool looking trailer from another film Eggers wrote (with his wife, Vendela Vida), and get this: it 's directed by Sam Mendes and stars a bearded John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, and Jeff Daniels. (Maya Rudolph? She seems pretty convincing here!).
Away We Go (not a kids' film, although parenting is a core theme) hits screens June 11. According to IMDB:
The film is the first studio production to adopt green filmmaking initiatives aimed to reduce CO2 emission. Garbage was reduced by half, thanks to the various bins for recyclable material. Caterers used ceramic and washed dishes as opposed to throwaway products. Vehicles on the set used biodiesel fuel. Enjoy the trailer:
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This is a tough one.
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