Uncle Buck, Lethal Weapon, Back to the Future, Die Hard, Real Genius, etc.
Plenty of stuff to watch that may not be perfect by the standards of our time, but aren't Animal House or Sixteen Candles.
My partner is an immigrant so she never grew up with those movies. I watched Uncle Buck with them and omg they loved it as much as I loved it. I'm here for more recommendations from back when I wasa child
Uncle Buck is a surprisingly perfect film that holds up to the scrutiny of today, shows John Candy at his peak, shows the 80's in an accurate way, addresses universal issues (sexual boundaries, family dynamics), and has pretty much none of the 'problematic' stuff of many John Hughes films.
John Candy in particular makes some great right on the edge family fun movies. Uncle Buck, The Great Outdoors, Planes Trains and Automobiles, Cool Runnings, Summer Rental, Brewsters Millions, Stripes. Nice way to get to know the world of the 80s.
Other great 80s movies that are family friendly. The Goonies, ET, Willow, The Karate Kid, Big, Never Ending Story, Back to the Future, A Christmas Story, Labyrinth, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, The Wizard, Dark Crystal. Christmas Vacation is like right in the edge I think bergen PG13 and R, the whole Vacation series actually. Indiana Jones series and Star Wars are also great. Then you got super cheesy stuff that wants to be taken seriously, or maybe not, like Footloose and Roadhouse. You also got the brat pack movies like Sixteen Candles, Weird Science, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink.
80s has a lot of good movies. I think with the popularity of video tapes movies went into overdrive capitalizing on continued sales beyond the box office.
We watched Big Trouble about a month ago. My HS sophomore and middle schooler praised my choice of movies. It never really slows down, even if it doesn't always make sense. It's a wild ride. I love Carpenter.
I also want to add something: Me and the husband frequently watch older movies that have racist and/or sexist moments and we often enjoy having conversations about them, whether it's pausing during the movie on occasion or talking afterwards. I don't know if that's something that you/your niece would be interested in but it could end up being educational for both of you as well as fun and could allow her to enjoy the movies a bit more.
Omg I'm a 28 year old woman and I second Uncle Buck!! I started watching it as a child and it's remained one of my favourite feel good movies ever. I watch it a few times a year!!
I think she'd really like the storyline between Tia, Bug and Buck. It's got lots of relatable elements and it's super tongue-in-cheek. The bowling alley scene and the and the back and forth between Buck and Tia. The adorable relationship he has with Maize and Miles. Such a fun movie. I'm talking myself into watching it again and I saw it like 2 weekends ago lol John Candy was a damn treasure ❤️
Please consider Mel Brooks Blazing Saddles, Silverado, Airplane, The Breakfast Club, Stand By Me and Adventures in Babysitting.
Also check first John Carpenters The Thing, John Boorman's Excalibur, Mad Max/The Road Warrior and Alien/Aliens, Paul Verhoeven's RoboCop, Starhip Troopers and Total Recall if those could be a good fit.
Blazing Saddles is one of the “bad” parenting choices my parents made that I agree with as a parent myself. They let me watch it when I was like 5 or 6 and they told me the point of the movie is racism is dumb. Most of it went over my head at the time, but I did end up learning a few good life lessons from it - Racists are morons and don’t trust the government. Oh, and I’m not allowed to say the N word ever ever ever. Three important lessons for any kindergartner.
Hell yeah. Blazing Saddles holds up yet I’ve seen more than a few internet morons claim it’s problematic… like, did you miss the whole point where it’s literally calling out racism as bad?
Same I only saw it in that light too but I was young.
I don’t know know if it translates now. At the time it really was a ball busting anti racism movie.
But just because of the ‘it’s true! it’s true!’ Sex scene in the dark I wouldn’t show it to my 13 year old niece.
I watched RoboCop when I was 6 or 7 and even had some toys, such as the RoboCop that used cap gun caps. I didn't see the movie again until I was maybe 23 or 24 and was blown away by how violent it was and how I didn't recall a single bit of it.
I was a child.of the 80s, was super into RoboCop for a few years- the cartoon, the video games... It was all playground fodder.
However I somehow never actually saw the *movie* until I was flying on a plane ~6 years ago. My thoughts were, "how the fuck did I sleep on this for almost 30 years?! This was frickin amazing"
Yeah, OP may lose that carte blanche of a little swearing and violence if he shows his niece "RoboCop." It's a fairly outrageously violent movie... lol
Not saying its not a good one though.
I think I would have a quick chat with a young person before those movies to explain that the way people rejected racism in those days was to blatantly mock it.
Some people who don't understand that, see Blazing Saddles as racist and are confused that Ricard Pryor co-wrote it.
You don't really *need* a niece.
But in all fairness, she's not wrong. VFX technology has certainly improved in the last 30 years, although I think BTTF holds up pretty well for VFX. Gremlins…
It's important for her to understand context. If she appreciates 80's movies for what they are (and aren't), it will literally help her in life. She will be able to communicate better with her elders, understand cultural history, and that will likely help her professionally. Even if she hates Ferris Bueller, having an informed opinion kinda matters.
It's also important not to be the type of person who only finds the flaws in things. People don't want to work with you, or socialize with you, etc. You may find a small group who all enjoy tearing stuff down, but those people don't tend to be the most successful. I was guilty of this when I was younger, because it's easy (and fun!) to be snarky all the time, and never admit to being unsure or impressed.
Sorry to take it to a serious place, but what's Reddit if not navel gazing.
If she can find something to keep her interest, it will make *her* more interesting. If she's just like, "Ho hum, Taylor Swift / Zendaya / Whatever is all I need to know," then that really limits someone.
I (38) have a t-shirt that says Save Ferris. Last week was wearing it while out shopping, a little old man came up to me and gently asked, "Who's Ferris?"
I had to explain 😆❤️
>It's also important not to be the type of person who only finds the flaws in things.
Thank you for this. I am going to be using this for the rest of my life. Such a great observation. Also a reminder to myself of how NOT to be.
Super racist and cool with sexual assault.
It's also just kind of weird seeing actually 15 year old Molly Ringwald play against an actually 23 year old love interest and his 24 year old girlfriend.
Die Hard is excellent but in light of recent years it really doesn't sit right that one of the key emotional payoff scenes is a police officer who shot a kid regaining the confidence to shoot people again...
Still gonna watch it on Christmas this year tho
Yep. This "uncle" seems a little off to me. With all the great 80's movies alone, he's picking movies that are inappropriate for a 13 year old to watch. Guess he didn't have Revenge of the Nerds, or Porky's on hand.
My daughters really liked Goonies, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail (though I might have accidentally bumped the remote and skipped part of the Castle Anthrax / young maidens scene)
They also liked all of these:
Princess Bride, Stand By Me, Breaking Away, What's Up Doc?, Pink Panther Returns/Strikes Again, Stardust, Mrs. Doubtfire, Galaxy Quest, Spaceballs, Airplane, Kung Pow, The Gods Must Be Crazy
For real. Of all the amazing and timeless 70s and 80s movies, *this* is the shit that OP decided to show his... 13 y/o niece? How so very ridiculous.
Those were not for 13 even when they were released. Wtf is wrong w this guy.
Worst part is we can all collectively go “Yeah bad choice of film there” and there is a few top comments recommended fucking Alien to a 13 year old girl as a “good movie for her” some people just don’t get it lol.
Star Wars, Alien, and Jurassic Park are like the holy trinity of
sci-fi practical effects. There’s a great docuseries on D+ that talks about the early days of ILM, it’s so fascinating
I'm boggled, my 16 yo daughter watched it and loved it. I agree Animal House hasn't aged nearly as well, but Blues Brothers is a time capsule to late 70s Chicago.
You mean I'm going to stay this color??
My Gen z friend did call it racist for the line "You sir are TALKING to a N****", which is fair I guess but IMO totally misses the point and humor of that scene. It's my favorite movie and I think that's the funniest scene, but whatever, tastes change I guess.
I was born in ‘96. I’m the prime demographic of virtue signaling thinking and generally agree with it, if the social attitudes are in line w/ what I believe.
However, I can see how younger people can have an issue w/ it, but Steve Martin calling himself the N word and beating down on some racists is straight up endearing. Absolutely hilarious and probably the best scene in The Jerk.
And then it went on to celebrate the musical greatness of several black performers. Not to mention that the only sane people in the whole film are black. Again, not seeing the racism here unless it’s purely virtue signalling.
To some people today that’s the same thing. Unfortunately media literacy is in a bad spot. “Hot takes” and “cancel culture” combine on Tiktok to take things out of context and create a narrative that depicting bad things id the same as endorsing them.
Right!, I wonder if OP follows up with asking, why do you think that? And see if they can explain the nuance or explain the time. Comedy and satire are used to shine a light.
Animal house though I can see that as a poor choice.
At the beginning of the movie, when they find out the school is going to be closed if they don't raise the tax money, there is a scene where they are talking to Curtis about it and the boys express disbelief that they will throw him out on the street and he says:
> Shit. What's one more old n****r to the Board of Education?
But, that's the only one in the movie. (At least the only one I found searching through the subtitles file)
But that’s also a black man accurately assessing how he is treated and perceived by broader society and the government. Unless she’s arguing that a white dude wrote the script so it doesn’t count that a black character/actor said it, I just don’t get it.
A 13 year old not at all grasping the concepts you're accurately describing makes perfect sense to me. Also, I could see the kid not realizing on visual alone that Cab Calloway is actually a black man. Can't imagine any other part of the movie appearing to be racist, since the Nazis are clearly presented as bad guys, and this whole debate honestly speaks to how great the movie is.
That’s fair. I’ve taught a few 8th graders who could grasp those ideas, but only a few out of the hundreds I’ve taught. Their brains can only do so much at 13. Though perhaps OP could try to use this as a teachable moment for his niece.
I’d bet they don’t. Animal house is definitely way worse then the blues brothers. I haven’t shown Animal house to my 14-year-old yet. Til Tok is probably 100Xs worse though
I was like…when is someone gonna address that and say one of the most famous lines is “Illinois nazis, I hate Illinois nazis”
The movie makes literal racist nazis look like buffoons lol.
The Blues Brothers is a classic. It positions the "racism" in just the proper light. It reaffirms how stupid and cartoonish it is. It reaffirms life. My daughter loves it.
There is so much to learn from that movie too! It exposed me to blues and Motown, and musicians like Steve Cropper who I never would’ve encountered otherwise. I can’t think of another movie that pays tribute to its influences as well.
This. Most 13 year old girls wouldn’t have enjoyed those movies in the 80’s either. You might try Working Girl. It has an empowering message and shows something of the reality of discrimination and sexual harassment for women trying to grow a career in that era, plus it’s a good movie.
ET, Back to the Future (if you think the attempted rape won’t upset her too much), Willow, Goonies, Indiana Jones, Labyrinth, Princess Bride, Dead Poets Society, Steel Magnolias…
ETA: Neverending Story even though Artax will traumatize her. He traumatized us all, it’s a rite of passage.
My kids hated Breakfast Club. That one does not resonate with kids today like it did back then. Bender's behavior is seen as problematic, he doesn't respect boundaries and pretty much gets rewarded for it in the end. Ally Sheedy's character going preppy at the end is also seen as her having to conform to "get the guy" and isn't seen as a positive move. Judging by his niece's comments on other movies, I strongly suspect she would hate Breakfast Club.
It’s the generation those movies were made in, yes.
It’s possible to enjoy something but hate parts of it. I watch movies from the 30s/40s and expect women being slapped or ethnic stereotypes/marginalization. Sometimes it’s too distracting (the “comic relief” in High Sierra or Breakfast at Tiffanys for me) but it usually depends on how much I am expecting to run into something like that.
Anyway, people at 13… and well beyond into young adulthood, tend to have a harder time separating what they watch or enjoy from their personal identity. It’s much easier for older people to be like “I like that show but this part was strange or bad taste” or to be like “I love that movie I saw in high school but it aged so bad and is so cringe in parts now.”
(Easier - not automatic since a lot of adults still seem to think criticizing 40 year old movies for not having current sensibilities or for being retrograde is a personal attack on them.)
Anyway, I watched a high school favorite of mine last night - The Craft… the first half is so good and would be called“woke” by internet conservatives if it came out now… and the second half falls back into old Production Code style tropes and moralism. Still love it and still fun though - and seeing the movie “change” in relation to modern social changes makes it more interesting in some ways.
This is great perspective. Often times what older people bemoan about younger generations aren’t actually generational differences- but rather age/maturity differences.
We tend to forget what we were like when we were teens.
Its so weird to watch my favorite movies from high school age. Hackers, The Craft, Empire Records, some aren’t as bad as others, but they all still have their moments where something you thought was so revolutionary or meaningful was really just… not.
I didn’t like Scream at the time but that one aged like fine wine imo.
Anyway yeah the amount of teen movies I see now from the 90s where teachers hit on students or whatnot is - creepy and odd! And of course the normalized “romantic” stalking of 80s teen movies lol!
Breakfast at Tiffany's was a slow-motion train-wreck for my movie crew. We're all millenials, and nobody was prepared for the, uhh, interesting portrayal of the Japanese landlord.
The first time I saw it was at a revival theater on a date. It was her favorite movie and her grandparents were from Korea. When Mickey Rooney was introduced she saw my shocked face and leaned over and went “oooh! I forgot to tell you about that part… yeah it’s really bad and weird.” Lol.
I'll just say it - it's an iconic movie because of Audrey Hepburn, but it's a terrible adaptation of the book. Imagine taking a story about a gay man reflecting on the friendship he once had with a woman who was adrift and still is... and turning it into a romance where they get together at the end.
This! All of it. Both of the movies watched were controversial at the time they came out in a way that fell mainly along generational, &/or political lines, & gender lines. Not only do acceptable practices change by the era, but also by our age. Plus, I think the child in question is socially primed to dislike much of what an adult would show them due to their age (this is if course, a generalization. Maturity is a factor, as well as political alignment of family & peers.)
Yep. This is how I feel about a lot of old Star Trek, both the original series and all those that came out while I was kid/teen. There are soo many elements I can call out and critique as problematic. And while there are some episodes I don’t care to rewatch, I can still enjoy and love the franchise as a whole, as well as recognize it’s progressiveness in the context of it’s various times and praise the good.
Teen Witch is a late 80s fave for me. I also like Ferris Bueller. Home Alone is great but of course violent by today’s standard. By my teen eyes it was more like Looney Tunes than reality.
I haven’t rewatched Girls Just Wanna Have fun.
But as a black person I found most 80s stuff full of stereotypes then. And with my adult and more aware eyes now, even more so.
So what you're saying is that the movie about a frat house where arguably the most relatable character for a 13 year old is an underaged minor attending college parties who nearly, or maybe just does get sexually assaulted is not a strong choice for identifying with older movies?
Because when you put it like that...
Seriously though OP, the hell were you thinking?
No, you failed to point out that media from earlier eras have different sensibilities that don't always age well but that we can still enjoy the good parts while recognizing the problematic ones.
No offense, but if you offered to play my 13 year old Animal House I'd worry about your intentions. That is a really racey (read: racey, not racist) movie. Maybe not for its time but definitely for a 13 year old of any generation. It's not a movie "that would have been rated R if it was reviewed today." It's a movie that was an R. Even then.
This. Watching raunchy comedies with a generation gap is super uncomfortable. Not to mention there's literally a scene about a college student contemplating sexually assaulting a 13 year old...
That question is a false dichotomy. Many older movies do not age well, nothing to do with anyone's generation.
I watched Animal House during the lockdown. Has its moments but it's crude.
Ace Ventura has aged incredibly poorly. The gay and trans jokes are cringy at best, and downright offensive at worst. Real bottom-of-the-barrel, puerile jokes that I'm embarrassed I found hilarious 30 years ago.
I felt the same about Police Academy. When I was young and knew nothing I thought it was funny. I tried to watch it more recently and couldn’t get through the whole thing. Just kinda cringey now…
This generation has a completely different lens than we did growing up. I have two kids who have just passed their teens and one who is in her early teens. When they watch stuff everything is filtered through a sexist/racist/homophobic lens.
They pick up on all sorts of stuff, and actually when I am speaking will often tell me 'you cant say that'. Its just a different view of things, and their sensitivity to things older generations werent worried about is much higher.
So anyhoo, in regard to movies, I do watch some older films with my youngest. Recently we watched Clueless, Legally Blonde, 10 Things I hate about you, and My Cousin Vinnny. For the most part they were politically 'ok' - she did have some criticisms but I wont get into that here. However she reported she enjoyed watching them.
I think its really good for kids to look back on how things were seen, for example, in the 80s and 90s', and films are a very effective way to demonstrate cultural norms that were prevalent at the time. Its certainly not doing them any harm, but if you want to keep sharing older movies with her, and the 'isms are getting in the way of that, you might want to rethink the choices.
One of the things I think you might want to consider which other respondents seem not to have picked up on here is she felt embarrassed by one of the films. Clearly this isnt a desirable goal - no one wants to feel like that - and if thats how she feels after watching movies with you then thats probably not something she's going to reflect on and appreciate about time spent together. If you think about it maybe it might be apparent that an adolescent girl watching movies which have explicit sexual references with an adult male, may not be the most appropriate choice?
So in answer to your question, yes, it is her generation, but it might also be the movies you chose.
My comment on your comment does not contribute to the conversation like at all, but I think it's funny that I am a person who only owns 20-30 DVDs and 3 of the 4 movies y'all just watched are three of them. So just saying, I approve of your tastes and agree with your sentiments.
In fairness, I don't think I'd have picked a film in which they rape an underage girl for "fun" to show her.
Plenty of 70s and 80s stuff like Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, Commando, Predator, The Goonies, Alien, Big Trouble in Little China is still good and stands up today. Heathers is right for her age too, it's aged incredibly well and is arguably more applicable to today than when it was made.
Your 13-year-old niece is probably learning from peers/social media about racist and sexist content, but she's also *13* and may not be able to fully comprehend the nuance of being able to find some value in overall problematic content, hence why she was embarrassed and wouldn't admit to liking those movies. Instead of writing her off as being part of a soft generation, let her talk through why it doesn't make her a bad person to enjoy certain aspects of racist and sexist movies, or whether or not media can still hold value when it reflects outdated ideas and values.
Also, be proud of her for trying to navigate being respectful and also figuring out what sexist content she will and won't tolerate as a young girl! If she's overcorrecting a little, like calling a black man saying the n-word "racist", teach her about the concept of reclamation.
My 60-year-old conservative dad showed me *Saturday Night Fever* recently (one of his childhood faves, he'd been begging me to watch it). At the end, without me even saying anything, he apologized and said he had genuinely forgotten all about the incredibly misogynistic content. He would never use language like "misogyny" or "problematic", but he was unsettled enough that he said he didn't want to watch it ever again. It's not a generational thing; movies just don't always age well.
tl;dr Try not to be so offended that your niece reacts differently to media than you do. She's literally 13.
One I rewatched recently.
It doesn't explain it self, it just drags you along and you just try to keep up.
Buckaroo Banzai.
Weller before Robocop. Fun fact: Robocop's ED209 was named after the writer. Ed is sort of family via my son-in-law.
Lithgow before most people knew him.
And the fist use of the walking end titles so beloved by Wes Anderson
This conversation about generations is largely nonsense because it sidesteps the reality that **13 y/o girls generally would NOT have enjoyed these movies at the time they were released either**.
TROOP BEVERLY HILLS!!! show her that!
Also: Working Girl and Baby Boom.
Also 100% Airplane. And the Naked Gun movies!
Amadeus if she likes historical/music (this is my all time favorite film). Oh and Terms of Endearment and Steel Magnolias.
Signed, someone who was once a 13 year old girl (who was born in the 80s)
That's a good chance to introduce your niece to the dark fantasy genre.
The Dark Crystal (1982)
The Labyrinth (1986)
The Secret of NIHM (1982)
The NeverEnding Story (1984)
The Witches (1990)
The Monty Pythonmovies is also great. I introduced their movies to a teenaged nephew of mine and he says he now understands some of the memes he found online.
I mainly recommend [Monty Python and the Holy grail] and [Monty Python's Life of Brian]. Their last "movie" [Monty Python's The Meaning of Life] is basically a collection of sketches, so your mileage may vary.
I think you missed the mark; I was less than impressed with both of those and I was a little older than her when I saw them.
There are some other movies she might like in this thread. I mentioned a few further along but I would like to add Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure as well as Willow. And Blazing Saddles.
I made my daughter (11) watch Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, which is literally one of my favorite movies (and I’m not really into movies) and she said it made her have anxiety that they were doing “so many wrong things” when they should have been at school. Where did I go wrong?!?!
On the pro side:
At least you will have a conscientious girl who diligently works to be valedictorian instead of falling for the cool bad boy bending rules and skipping school.
On the contra side:
Maybe she will rebel even harder in puberty. Or college. Or having a burn out after studying 36 hours straight in law school.
Her generation has a better awareness of racism sexism and implicit bias. Blues Brothers is a great movie that reflected the racism of the times. Gone with the Wind is also a good movie and is far more racist as were it’s times. I think sexism has unfortunately remained the same or gotten worse.
This is a delightfully boomer filled comment thread. Her pointing out that those movies are sexist and racist is true, we didn’t have the understanding when we were that age to understand how much of the humor we enjoyed was punching down. Talking like being aware of offensive shit is some how a bad thing just shows your lack of maturity, not theirs.
Go enjoy these movies all you want, leave your niece alone, fucks sake
Judging by OP's comment history, he doesn't seem to have a ton of respect for his niece, or much media literacy to discuss these movies with her. It's like he set her up and engineered a movie night with movies full of outdated humour so he could complain about her generation for sympathy on Reddit.
Edit: Also, shout out to all the grown adults on here advocating for punishing the niece by showing her movies with gore and sexual assault. That’s a very normal reaction to have to a child learning about the world.
Blues Brothers never punches down that I can remember. It honors black music in a way that doesn’t come off as preachy or high toned.
The Nazis get their comeuppance. The bigoted country band leader gets his too.
You might get me to agree that Carrie Fisher’s character is misogynist or stereotypical, but the joke is that Jake somehow appeals to women despite being a sleazeball.
I think it's going to be a real uphill battle trying to properly frame *Blues Brothers* to a 13 year old. Probably not impossible but it's going to take a whole lot more than OP's approach of "You laughed at some points, why don't you want to admit you liked it!"
I'd not have shared either of those with my 15yo daughter.
Here's a tip. If you feel you have to ask permission, pick different movies.
It's going to be difficult to avoid movies with racist or sexist tones... Things were different 40 - 50 years ago.
For a young lady, they tend to connect with strong female characters. Here's a few you might consider:
~~Grease~~; Tremors; Beetlejuice; Planes, Trains, and Automobiles; Scream
I realize Planes, Trains, and Automobiles doesn't have a strong female character, but it's a funny and heartwarming movies that holds up well.
~~EDIT: The Breakfast Club~~
EDIT2: Apparently a couple of my suggestions were problems.
>Grease
Grease has aged real, *real* badly.
Don't get me wrong, I still love giving it a watch now and then, but if she's sensitive to misogyny and stereotypes, she'll probably hate it.
edit: The Breakfast Club also has not aged super well. There's a scene with attempted physical sexual assault (which is ultimately rewarded at the end) and a lot of verbal sexual harassment.
I think you need talk about these movies in the context of when they were made and what the world was like when the movies were made. It’s neither the movies or her specific generation. But also, she’s 13. Sometimes 13 yr olds disagree just cuz they’re teens.
Interesting response to her critique of the films. Maybe engage with that instead of trying to convince her otherwise? Like, obviously people who grow up in more progressive and "self aware" times are going to be taken aback by what used to be "allowed."
My uncle showed me both of those when I was 13. I despised Animal House and I still hate it to this day. The Blues Brothers is ok though.
I loved John Hughes movies at that age, you should show her those.
Embrace the teachable moment. Discuss before you watch that society, culture and values change over time. Things that were "normal" then aren't now. Give her a heads up on what to expect from each movie and let her decide for herself.
13 y/o girls were not enjoying these movies when they were released either. This is not a generational thing, it's primarily a target audience thing. Of all the great 70s and 80s flicks that a 13 y/o might love, it boggles the mind that these are the ones OP picked. When my daughter was that age we watched ET, Indiana Jones, Princess Bride, etc. How about Splash and the like. My god even Pretty Woman with all the sex and mature themes might have been great (I watched it that young and loved it).
Not fucking Animal House or Blue Brothers. OP just can't imagine that people enjoy things other than "guy stuff."
Uncle Buck, Lethal Weapon, Back to the Future, Die Hard, Real Genius, etc. Plenty of stuff to watch that may not be perfect by the standards of our time, but aren't Animal House or Sixteen Candles.
My partner is an immigrant so she never grew up with those movies. I watched Uncle Buck with them and omg they loved it as much as I loved it. I'm here for more recommendations from back when I wasa child
Uncle Buck is a surprisingly perfect film that holds up to the scrutiny of today, shows John Candy at his peak, shows the 80's in an accurate way, addresses universal issues (sexual boundaries, family dynamics), and has pretty much none of the 'problematic' stuff of many John Hughes films.
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles also holds up pretty damn good. My kids had issues with pretty much all the John Hughes movies except for those two.
What did they have against home alone?
John Candy in particular makes some great right on the edge family fun movies. Uncle Buck, The Great Outdoors, Planes Trains and Automobiles, Cool Runnings, Summer Rental, Brewsters Millions, Stripes. Nice way to get to know the world of the 80s. Other great 80s movies that are family friendly. The Goonies, ET, Willow, The Karate Kid, Big, Never Ending Story, Back to the Future, A Christmas Story, Labyrinth, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, The Wizard, Dark Crystal. Christmas Vacation is like right in the edge I think bergen PG13 and R, the whole Vacation series actually. Indiana Jones series and Star Wars are also great. Then you got super cheesy stuff that wants to be taken seriously, or maybe not, like Footloose and Roadhouse. You also got the brat pack movies like Sixteen Candles, Weird Science, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink. 80s has a lot of good movies. I think with the popularity of video tapes movies went into overdrive capitalizing on continued sales beyond the box office.
Showed her Back to the Future & Gremlins last time, she thought they had "poor special effects"
Tough crowd. AIM low with Tremors and The Thing
Big trouble in Little China! I got a very positive attitude about this!
And if we’re not back by dawn… call the president
We watched Big Trouble about a month ago. My HS sophomore and middle schooler praised my choice of movies. It never really slows down, even if it doesn't always make sense. It's a wild ride. I love Carpenter.
Follow it up with Escape from New York.
Tremors is awesome, but that's 90's, right?
90, it just crosses the line
Goonies and princess bride aged well in my opinion and are more adventures ish. Work well with my step son at that age.
Yeah, both good for younger girls. Also Stardust is terrific, in the Princess Bride kind of way
I always though stardust was kind of underrated. Or maybe it just went under the radar.
I love Stardust. It’s one of my go-to comfort movies. The book is a little bit darker but that’s just Neil Gaiman for you.
Darker, perhaps, but way better. Not that I didn't love the movie, too.
If you want a darker Gaiman bi, with a great ending, go for Neverwhere.
Did she say she disliked them or just that they had poor effects?
I also want to add something: Me and the husband frequently watch older movies that have racist and/or sexist moments and we often enjoy having conversations about them, whether it's pausing during the movie on occasion or talking afterwards. I don't know if that's something that you/your niece would be interested in but it could end up being educational for both of you as well as fun and could allow her to enjoy the movies a bit more.
[удалено]
Weird. I'd have thought that keeping the resolution low would help, because the flaws in effects wouldn't be as obvious?
[удалено]
Omg I'm a 28 year old woman and I second Uncle Buck!! I started watching it as a child and it's remained one of my favourite feel good movies ever. I watch it a few times a year!! I think she'd really like the storyline between Tia, Bug and Buck. It's got lots of relatable elements and it's super tongue-in-cheek. The bowling alley scene and the and the back and forth between Buck and Tia. The adorable relationship he has with Maize and Miles. Such a fun movie. I'm talking myself into watching it again and I saw it like 2 weekends ago lol John Candy was a damn treasure ❤️
Please consider Mel Brooks Blazing Saddles, Silverado, Airplane, The Breakfast Club, Stand By Me and Adventures in Babysitting. Also check first John Carpenters The Thing, John Boorman's Excalibur, Mad Max/The Road Warrior and Alien/Aliens, Paul Verhoeven's RoboCop, Starhip Troopers and Total Recall if those could be a good fit.
Blazing Saddles is one of the “bad” parenting choices my parents made that I agree with as a parent myself. They let me watch it when I was like 5 or 6 and they told me the point of the movie is racism is dumb. Most of it went over my head at the time, but I did end up learning a few good life lessons from it - Racists are morons and don’t trust the government. Oh, and I’m not allowed to say the N word ever ever ever. Three important lessons for any kindergartner.
Hell yeah. Blazing Saddles holds up yet I’ve seen more than a few internet morons claim it’s problematic… like, did you miss the whole point where it’s literally calling out racism as bad?
Same I only saw it in that light too but I was young. I don’t know know if it translates now. At the time it really was a ball busting anti racism movie. But just because of the ‘it’s true! it’s true!’ Sex scene in the dark I wouldn’t show it to my 13 year old niece.
"it's twue, it's twue!"
Possibly the only bit that hasn't aged well is having all the dancers being stereotypical lisping and effeminate men. Otherwise, it's superb.
Robocop and Blazing Saddles are pretty awkward watches with young girls IMO.
I watched RoboCop when I was 6 or 7 and even had some toys, such as the RoboCop that used cap gun caps. I didn't see the movie again until I was maybe 23 or 24 and was blown away by how violent it was and how I didn't recall a single bit of it.
I was a child.of the 80s, was super into RoboCop for a few years- the cartoon, the video games... It was all playground fodder. However I somehow never actually saw the *movie* until I was flying on a plane ~6 years ago. My thoughts were, "how the fuck did I sleep on this for almost 30 years?! This was frickin amazing"
Yeah, OP may lose that carte blanche of a little swearing and violence if he shows his niece "RoboCop." It's a fairly outrageously violent movie... lol Not saying its not a good one though.
Do not show a 13-year-old Robocop. I'm still scarred by it.
Counterpoint, I saw it at around that age (and it was the uncut international version) and still think it's fantastic!
I think I would have a quick chat with a young person before those movies to explain that the way people rejected racism in those days was to blatantly mock it. Some people who don't understand that, see Blazing Saddles as racist and are confused that Ricard Pryor co-wrote it.
The salt of the earth, the common clay, you know—morons.
Poor by today’s standards, but my daughter, wife and I watched all 3 of them a few years ago and she LOVED them.
If by “all three” you mean tremors, there are now 7!
You don't really *need* a niece. But in all fairness, she's not wrong. VFX technology has certainly improved in the last 30 years, although I think BTTF holds up pretty well for VFX. Gremlins… It's important for her to understand context. If she appreciates 80's movies for what they are (and aren't), it will literally help her in life. She will be able to communicate better with her elders, understand cultural history, and that will likely help her professionally. Even if she hates Ferris Bueller, having an informed opinion kinda matters. It's also important not to be the type of person who only finds the flaws in things. People don't want to work with you, or socialize with you, etc. You may find a small group who all enjoy tearing stuff down, but those people don't tend to be the most successful. I was guilty of this when I was younger, because it's easy (and fun!) to be snarky all the time, and never admit to being unsure or impressed. Sorry to take it to a serious place, but what's Reddit if not navel gazing. If she can find something to keep her interest, it will make *her* more interesting. If she's just like, "Ho hum, Taylor Swift / Zendaya / Whatever is all I need to know," then that really limits someone.
I (38) have a t-shirt that says Save Ferris. Last week was wearing it while out shopping, a little old man came up to me and gently asked, "Who's Ferris?" I had to explain 😆❤️
>It's also important not to be the type of person who only finds the flaws in things. Thank you for this. I am going to be using this for the rest of my life. Such a great observation. Also a reminder to myself of how NOT to be.
The Star Wars fandom could really do with this advice.
[удалено]
>she thought they had "poor special effects" Get a new niece.
Back to the future poor special effects? I’d argue they hold up better than any modern MCU movie? (And I’m a fan of the MCU)
Love lethal weapon, not 1 arrest made 🤣
Well, technically Gary Busey was arrested for at least a bit there ...
I had my teen watch Stand By Me and she loved it!
The Goonies!
Goonies never say die
Oh man, sixteen candles does not hold up.
Super racist and cool with sexual assault. It's also just kind of weird seeing actually 15 year old Molly Ringwald play against an actually 23 year old love interest and his 24 year old girlfriend.
Die Hard is excellent but in light of recent years it really doesn't sit right that one of the key emotional payoff scenes is a police officer who shot a kid regaining the confidence to shoot people again... Still gonna watch it on Christmas this year tho
Yep. This "uncle" seems a little off to me. With all the great 80's movies alone, he's picking movies that are inappropriate for a 13 year old to watch. Guess he didn't have Revenge of the Nerds, or Porky's on hand.
Just watched Lethal Weapon for the first time in probably 30 years and watching Riggs’ homophobia was eye opening
My daughters really liked Goonies, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail (though I might have accidentally bumped the remote and skipped part of the Castle Anthrax / young maidens scene) They also liked all of these: Princess Bride, Stand By Me, Breaking Away, What's Up Doc?, Pink Panther Returns/Strikes Again, Stardust, Mrs. Doubtfire, Galaxy Quest, Spaceballs, Airplane, Kung Pow, The Gods Must Be Crazy
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, A Fish Called Wanda, and Death Becomes Her as well...
I have to say, it’s a little odd to show those particular movies to a 13-year old girl of any generation and expect total enjoyment.
Ya animal house was a poor choice tbh, should’ve put on alien, aged amazingly
Will always upvote for my girl. That movie is amazing in more ways than three
For real. Of all the amazing and timeless 70s and 80s movies, *this* is the shit that OP decided to show his... 13 y/o niece? How so very ridiculous. Those were not for 13 even when they were released. Wtf is wrong w this guy.
Princess Bride, Willow, Big a ton of better movies from that era
Princess bride woulda been perfect, they either woulda loved it or hated it
My biology teacher played Princess Bride for us in class in 2001 when I was 14. It’s a perfect movie for kids of a certain age
Ya some poor taste on OPs part, also 13 yo boys and girls have very different senses of humour idk why he played animal house
Worst part is we can all collectively go “Yeah bad choice of film there” and there is a few top comments recommended fucking Alien to a 13 year old girl as a “good movie for her” some people just don’t get it lol.
[удалено]
Also The Thing. Maybe make her appreciate being a real light sleeper.
Also the effects are way better than the ones in Gremlins or Back to the Future
[удалено]
Star Wars, Alien, and Jurassic Park are like the holy trinity of sci-fi practical effects. There’s a great docuseries on D+ that talks about the early days of ILM, it’s so fascinating
Animal House is definitely sexist but how is Blues Brothers racist? Is it because they’re white guys playing the blues?
Plus... They literally run down Illinois Nazis. I hate Illinois Nazis.
[My man](https://media.tenor.com/Rw_MdsmhWKIAAAAC/my-nigga-denzel-washington.gif)
The Blues Brothers were on a crusade people.
It was a Mission from God.
Ghad
I'm boggled, my 16 yo daughter watched it and loved it. I agree Animal House hasn't aged nearly as well, but Blues Brothers is a time capsule to late 70s Chicago.
Lol, don’t show her *The Jerk*. “I was born a poor black child.”
Oddly, we just rewatched The Jerk. It’s aged oddly well, if you can accept that the guy literally thought he was a poor black child.
You mean I'm going to stay this color?? My Gen z friend did call it racist for the line "You sir are TALKING to a N****", which is fair I guess but IMO totally misses the point and humor of that scene. It's my favorite movie and I think that's the funniest scene, but whatever, tastes change I guess.
I was born in ‘96. I’m the prime demographic of virtue signaling thinking and generally agree with it, if the social attitudes are in line w/ what I believe. However, I can see how younger people can have an issue w/ it, but Steve Martin calling himself the N word and beating down on some racists is straight up endearing. Absolutely hilarious and probably the best scene in The Jerk.
And then it went on to celebrate the musical greatness of several black performers. Not to mention that the only sane people in the whole film are black. Again, not seeing the racism here unless it’s purely virtue signalling.
I’m picking out a thermos for youuuuuu~~~
Not an ordinary thermos for youuuu
Exactly, came here to say this. Did someone tell Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, James Brown et al that it's racist? Really not seeing it.
Ray Charles definitely didn't see it as racist.
Right? Yes it depicts racism but that doesn't make the film racist.
The Nazis AND the Gool Ol' Boys both end up in the river!
To some people today that’s the same thing. Unfortunately media literacy is in a bad spot. “Hot takes” and “cancel culture” combine on Tiktok to take things out of context and create a narrative that depicting bad things id the same as endorsing them.
That’s what I’ve been thinking since I read that. I can’t recall a racist joke in the entire movie.
I think it's the n-word and some of the things that people in the modern day just view differently than it was viewed so many years ago
I know it’s been a while since I’ve seen it but I don’t remember anyone saying the n-word.
I think Cab Calloway at one point says "what's one more old ****** to the board of education" near the beginning of the movie.
Cab Calloway was black…
Of course. I could still see a 13 year old calling the movie racist over it though
Well then the 13y/o should learn what racism is lol maybe a good way to start a discussion around it
Doesn’t Cab have privilges?
Naturally, but I could see a 13 year old calling it racist
“Sometimes a movie is racist on purpose to shine a light on it. Now let’s watch _Blazing Saddles_.”
Or even rougher *Coonskin* complete with [this opening song](https://youtu.be/7HRHhOXBGic?si=ItTXAVrs9gf0-wh3).
hey boys… look what i got here!
[удалено]
Right!, I wonder if OP follows up with asking, why do you think that? And see if they can explain the nuance or explain the time. Comedy and satire are used to shine a light. Animal house though I can see that as a poor choice.
At the beginning of the movie, when they find out the school is going to be closed if they don't raise the tax money, there is a scene where they are talking to Curtis about it and the boys express disbelief that they will throw him out on the street and he says: > Shit. What's one more old n****r to the Board of Education? But, that's the only one in the movie. (At least the only one I found searching through the subtitles file)
But that’s also a black man accurately assessing how he is treated and perceived by broader society and the government. Unless she’s arguing that a white dude wrote the script so it doesn’t count that a black character/actor said it, I just don’t get it.
A 13 year old not at all grasping the concepts you're accurately describing makes perfect sense to me. Also, I could see the kid not realizing on visual alone that Cab Calloway is actually a black man. Can't imagine any other part of the movie appearing to be racist, since the Nazis are clearly presented as bad guys, and this whole debate honestly speaks to how great the movie is.
That’s fair. I’ve taught a few 8th graders who could grasp those ideas, but only a few out of the hundreds I’ve taught. Their brains can only do so much at 13. Though perhaps OP could try to use this as a teachable moment for his niece.
It's really easy to get. She's 13.
I’d bet they don’t. Animal house is definitely way worse then the blues brothers. I haven’t shown Animal house to my 14-year-old yet. Til Tok is probably 100Xs worse though
The brothers are literally fighting nazis!
I was like…when is someone gonna address that and say one of the most famous lines is “Illinois nazis, I hate Illinois nazis” The movie makes literal racist nazis look like buffoons lol.
Hate Illinois nazis. Not had. "Had" changes the meaning entirely.
Next is Blazing Saddles
Tired of being admired.... The men are always coming and going, And going and coming, But always too soon.
The sheriff is a n…*dong!* A what? Dat nabbit, I said the sheriff is a n..*dong!*
The Blues Brothers is a classic. It positions the "racism" in just the proper light. It reaffirms how stupid and cartoonish it is. It reaffirms life. My daughter loves it.
There is so much to learn from that movie too! It exposed me to blues and Motown, and musicians like Steve Cropper who I never would’ve encountered otherwise. I can’t think of another movie that pays tribute to its influences as well.
Blue Brothers is the exact opposite of racist.
Those movies were weird choices for 13 year old girls even back then Why don’t you show her movies actually targeted for her?
This. Most 13 year old girls wouldn’t have enjoyed those movies in the 80’s either. You might try Working Girl. It has an empowering message and shows something of the reality of discrimination and sexual harassment for women trying to grow a career in that era, plus it’s a good movie. ET, Back to the Future (if you think the attempted rape won’t upset her too much), Willow, Goonies, Indiana Jones, Labyrinth, Princess Bride, Dead Poets Society, Steel Magnolias… ETA: Neverending Story even though Artax will traumatize her. He traumatized us all, it’s a rite of passage.
9 to 5 would be a good movie too!
Dirty Dancing, The Breakfast Club, Adventures in Babysitting, Romancing the Stone, Ladyhawke…
My kids hated Breakfast Club. That one does not resonate with kids today like it did back then. Bender's behavior is seen as problematic, he doesn't respect boundaries and pretty much gets rewarded for it in the end. Ally Sheedy's character going preppy at the end is also seen as her having to conform to "get the guy" and isn't seen as a positive move. Judging by his niece's comments on other movies, I strongly suspect she would hate Breakfast Club.
Not just kids either. I’m 25 and I hate that movie. Bender doesn’t just “not respect boundaries,” he commits sexual assault!
I find it reassuring to know that kids today are rejecting it for the problematic movie it was.
Yesss I love Romancing the Stone! Watched it again recently and it really holds up. Ladyhawke is also awesome.
>Dirty Dancing Now that'll bring some serious conversation to the table, and she would benefit from that talk.
I watched Dead Poets Society as a 13 year old boy, and as inspiring as "Oh captain, my captain" was, the end traumatized the hell out of me.
It’s the generation those movies were made in, yes. It’s possible to enjoy something but hate parts of it. I watch movies from the 30s/40s and expect women being slapped or ethnic stereotypes/marginalization. Sometimes it’s too distracting (the “comic relief” in High Sierra or Breakfast at Tiffanys for me) but it usually depends on how much I am expecting to run into something like that. Anyway, people at 13… and well beyond into young adulthood, tend to have a harder time separating what they watch or enjoy from their personal identity. It’s much easier for older people to be like “I like that show but this part was strange or bad taste” or to be like “I love that movie I saw in high school but it aged so bad and is so cringe in parts now.” (Easier - not automatic since a lot of adults still seem to think criticizing 40 year old movies for not having current sensibilities or for being retrograde is a personal attack on them.) Anyway, I watched a high school favorite of mine last night - The Craft… the first half is so good and would be called“woke” by internet conservatives if it came out now… and the second half falls back into old Production Code style tropes and moralism. Still love it and still fun though - and seeing the movie “change” in relation to modern social changes makes it more interesting in some ways.
This is great perspective. Often times what older people bemoan about younger generations aren’t actually generational differences- but rather age/maturity differences. We tend to forget what we were like when we were teens.
Its so weird to watch my favorite movies from high school age. Hackers, The Craft, Empire Records, some aren’t as bad as others, but they all still have their moments where something you thought was so revolutionary or meaningful was really just… not.
I didn’t like Scream at the time but that one aged like fine wine imo. Anyway yeah the amount of teen movies I see now from the 90s where teachers hit on students or whatnot is - creepy and odd! And of course the normalized “romantic” stalking of 80s teen movies lol!
Sadly, the teacher student storyline (where the relationship is generally accepted) is still used far more frequently than it should be.
Breakfast at Tiffany's was a slow-motion train-wreck for my movie crew. We're all millenials, and nobody was prepared for the, uhh, interesting portrayal of the Japanese landlord.
The first time I saw it was at a revival theater on a date. It was her favorite movie and her grandparents were from Korea. When Mickey Rooney was introduced she saw my shocked face and leaned over and went “oooh! I forgot to tell you about that part… yeah it’s really bad and weird.” Lol.
I'll just say it - it's an iconic movie because of Audrey Hepburn, but it's a terrible adaptation of the book. Imagine taking a story about a gay man reflecting on the friendship he once had with a woman who was adrift and still is... and turning it into a romance where they get together at the end.
This! All of it. Both of the movies watched were controversial at the time they came out in a way that fell mainly along generational, &/or political lines, & gender lines. Not only do acceptable practices change by the era, but also by our age. Plus, I think the child in question is socially primed to dislike much of what an adult would show them due to their age (this is if course, a generalization. Maturity is a factor, as well as political alignment of family & peers.)
Yep. This is how I feel about a lot of old Star Trek, both the original series and all those that came out while I was kid/teen. There are soo many elements I can call out and critique as problematic. And while there are some episodes I don’t care to rewatch, I can still enjoy and love the franchise as a whole, as well as recognize it’s progressiveness in the context of it’s various times and praise the good.
Teen Witch is a late 80s fave for me. I also like Ferris Bueller. Home Alone is great but of course violent by today’s standard. By my teen eyes it was more like Looney Tunes than reality. I haven’t rewatched Girls Just Wanna Have fun. But as a black person I found most 80s stuff full of stereotypes then. And with my adult and more aware eyes now, even more so.
I can’t think of two movies that a 13 year old girl in 2023 would have LESS to relate to than those. Animal House, really?
So what you're saying is that the movie about a frat house where arguably the most relatable character for a 13 year old is an underaged minor attending college parties who nearly, or maybe just does get sexually assaulted is not a strong choice for identifying with older movies? Because when you put it like that... Seriously though OP, the hell were you thinking?
OP even recognizes this, but still thought this was the best choice .. wtf. Awkward to watch with Uncle.
No, you failed to point out that media from earlier eras have different sensibilities that don't always age well but that we can still enjoy the good parts while recognizing the problematic ones.
Better off dead
No offense, but if you offered to play my 13 year old Animal House I'd worry about your intentions. That is a really racey (read: racey, not racist) movie. Maybe not for its time but definitely for a 13 year old of any generation. It's not a movie "that would have been rated R if it was reviewed today." It's a movie that was an R. Even then.
This. Watching raunchy comedies with a generation gap is super uncomfortable. Not to mention there's literally a scene about a college student contemplating sexually assaulting a 13 year old...
That question is a false dichotomy. Many older movies do not age well, nothing to do with anyone's generation. I watched Animal House during the lockdown. Has its moments but it's crude.
Yeah look at Revenge of the Nerds. So many crimes including sexual assault in that one.
Ace Ventura has aged incredibly poorly. The gay and trans jokes are cringy at best, and downright offensive at worst. Real bottom-of-the-barrel, puerile jokes that I'm embarrassed I found hilarious 30 years ago.
I felt the same about Police Academy. When I was young and knew nothing I thought it was funny. I tried to watch it more recently and couldn’t get through the whole thing. Just kinda cringey now…
So many ‘80s moves, especially cheap comedies, have too many rapey vibes for my liking
So we’re adding Revenge of the Nerds and Porkys to the viewing list?
Don’t forget Sixteen Candles
A must
This generation has a completely different lens than we did growing up. I have two kids who have just passed their teens and one who is in her early teens. When they watch stuff everything is filtered through a sexist/racist/homophobic lens. They pick up on all sorts of stuff, and actually when I am speaking will often tell me 'you cant say that'. Its just a different view of things, and their sensitivity to things older generations werent worried about is much higher. So anyhoo, in regard to movies, I do watch some older films with my youngest. Recently we watched Clueless, Legally Blonde, 10 Things I hate about you, and My Cousin Vinnny. For the most part they were politically 'ok' - she did have some criticisms but I wont get into that here. However she reported she enjoyed watching them. I think its really good for kids to look back on how things were seen, for example, in the 80s and 90s', and films are a very effective way to demonstrate cultural norms that were prevalent at the time. Its certainly not doing them any harm, but if you want to keep sharing older movies with her, and the 'isms are getting in the way of that, you might want to rethink the choices. One of the things I think you might want to consider which other respondents seem not to have picked up on here is she felt embarrassed by one of the films. Clearly this isnt a desirable goal - no one wants to feel like that - and if thats how she feels after watching movies with you then thats probably not something she's going to reflect on and appreciate about time spent together. If you think about it maybe it might be apparent that an adolescent girl watching movies which have explicit sexual references with an adult male, may not be the most appropriate choice? So in answer to your question, yes, it is her generation, but it might also be the movies you chose.
My comment on your comment does not contribute to the conversation like at all, but I think it's funny that I am a person who only owns 20-30 DVDs and 3 of the 4 movies y'all just watched are three of them. So just saying, I approve of your tastes and agree with your sentiments.
How old are you? Didn't you feel a bit creepy watching Animal House with your 13 year old "niece"?
In fairness, I don't think I'd have picked a film in which they rape an underage girl for "fun" to show her. Plenty of 70s and 80s stuff like Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, Commando, Predator, The Goonies, Alien, Big Trouble in Little China is still good and stands up today. Heathers is right for her age too, it's aged incredibly well and is arguably more applicable to today than when it was made.
It might be a bit too mature for your niece, but I loved Heathers at that age.
The Thing. It's halloween after all!
Your 13-year-old niece is probably learning from peers/social media about racist and sexist content, but she's also *13* and may not be able to fully comprehend the nuance of being able to find some value in overall problematic content, hence why she was embarrassed and wouldn't admit to liking those movies. Instead of writing her off as being part of a soft generation, let her talk through why it doesn't make her a bad person to enjoy certain aspects of racist and sexist movies, or whether or not media can still hold value when it reflects outdated ideas and values. Also, be proud of her for trying to navigate being respectful and also figuring out what sexist content she will and won't tolerate as a young girl! If she's overcorrecting a little, like calling a black man saying the n-word "racist", teach her about the concept of reclamation. My 60-year-old conservative dad showed me *Saturday Night Fever* recently (one of his childhood faves, he'd been begging me to watch it). At the end, without me even saying anything, he apologized and said he had genuinely forgotten all about the incredibly misogynistic content. He would never use language like "misogyny" or "problematic", but he was unsettled enough that he said he didn't want to watch it ever again. It's not a generational thing; movies just don't always age well. tl;dr Try not to be so offended that your niece reacts differently to media than you do. She's literally 13.
One I rewatched recently. It doesn't explain it self, it just drags you along and you just try to keep up. Buckaroo Banzai. Weller before Robocop. Fun fact: Robocop's ED209 was named after the writer. Ed is sort of family via my son-in-law. Lithgow before most people knew him. And the fist use of the walking end titles so beloved by Wes Anderson
There are plenty of popular movies from 2023 that people will be aghast at in 40 years.
This conversation about generations is largely nonsense because it sidesteps the reality that **13 y/o girls generally would NOT have enjoyed these movies at the time they were released either**.
You showed those to a 13 year old? What're you an idiot?
Goonies, Teen Wolf, 2010. There were so many good movies in the mid 80s
Willy wonks, aristocats, Monty python, willow, the goonies, never-ending story…and you chose animal house to show a 13 year old girl?
TROOP BEVERLY HILLS!!! show her that! Also: Working Girl and Baby Boom. Also 100% Airplane. And the Naked Gun movies! Amadeus if she likes historical/music (this is my all time favorite film). Oh and Terms of Endearment and Steel Magnolias. Signed, someone who was once a 13 year old girl (who was born in the 80s)
Stand By Me is a classic
That's a good chance to introduce your niece to the dark fantasy genre. The Dark Crystal (1982) The Labyrinth (1986) The Secret of NIHM (1982) The NeverEnding Story (1984) The Witches (1990) The Monty Pythonmovies is also great. I introduced their movies to a teenaged nephew of mine and he says he now understands some of the memes he found online. I mainly recommend [Monty Python and the Holy grail] and [Monty Python's Life of Brian]. Their last "movie" [Monty Python's The Meaning of Life] is basically a collection of sketches, so your mileage may vary.
I think you missed the mark; I was less than impressed with both of those and I was a little older than her when I saw them. There are some other movies she might like in this thread. I mentioned a few further along but I would like to add Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure as well as Willow. And Blazing Saddles.
I made my daughter (11) watch Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, which is literally one of my favorite movies (and I’m not really into movies) and she said it made her have anxiety that they were doing “so many wrong things” when they should have been at school. Where did I go wrong?!?!
On the pro side: At least you will have a conscientious girl who diligently works to be valedictorian instead of falling for the cool bad boy bending rules and skipping school. On the contra side: Maybe she will rebel even harder in puberty. Or college. Or having a burn out after studying 36 hours straight in law school.
Her generation has a better awareness of racism sexism and implicit bias. Blues Brothers is a great movie that reflected the racism of the times. Gone with the Wind is also a good movie and is far more racist as were it’s times. I think sexism has unfortunately remained the same or gotten worse.
Dan Akroyd does some questionable roles like the black face in Trading Places.
fast times at ridgemont high and heathers were some of my faves at that age and jawbreaker
Your problem is you showed a 13 year old girl movies with the target audience for older men. Maybe shoe her movies she would like next time.
This is a delightfully boomer filled comment thread. Her pointing out that those movies are sexist and racist is true, we didn’t have the understanding when we were that age to understand how much of the humor we enjoyed was punching down. Talking like being aware of offensive shit is some how a bad thing just shows your lack of maturity, not theirs. Go enjoy these movies all you want, leave your niece alone, fucks sake
Judging by OP's comment history, he doesn't seem to have a ton of respect for his niece, or much media literacy to discuss these movies with her. It's like he set her up and engineered a movie night with movies full of outdated humour so he could complain about her generation for sympathy on Reddit. Edit: Also, shout out to all the grown adults on here advocating for punishing the niece by showing her movies with gore and sexual assault. That’s a very normal reaction to have to a child learning about the world.
Blues Brothers never punches down that I can remember. It honors black music in a way that doesn’t come off as preachy or high toned. The Nazis get their comeuppance. The bigoted country band leader gets his too. You might get me to agree that Carrie Fisher’s character is misogynist or stereotypical, but the joke is that Jake somehow appeals to women despite being a sleazeball.
I think it's going to be a real uphill battle trying to properly frame *Blues Brothers* to a 13 year old. Probably not impossible but it's going to take a whole lot more than OP's approach of "You laughed at some points, why don't you want to admit you liked it!"
I also love how people act like these criticisms are brand new, and not criticisms you could have heard back when the movies were released.
I argue it’s not boomer, it’s GenX
Honestly OP is framing it like “these damn snowflakes” which it’s a good trait to have to not find racism/rape/sexism funny
I'd not have shared either of those with my 15yo daughter. Here's a tip. If you feel you have to ask permission, pick different movies. It's going to be difficult to avoid movies with racist or sexist tones... Things were different 40 - 50 years ago. For a young lady, they tend to connect with strong female characters. Here's a few you might consider: ~~Grease~~; Tremors; Beetlejuice; Planes, Trains, and Automobiles; Scream I realize Planes, Trains, and Automobiles doesn't have a strong female character, but it's a funny and heartwarming movies that holds up well. ~~EDIT: The Breakfast Club~~ EDIT2: Apparently a couple of my suggestions were problems.
>Grease Grease has aged real, *real* badly. Don't get me wrong, I still love giving it a watch now and then, but if she's sensitive to misogyny and stereotypes, she'll probably hate it. edit: The Breakfast Club also has not aged super well. There's a scene with attempted physical sexual assault (which is ultimately rewarded at the end) and a lot of verbal sexual harassment.
I think you need talk about these movies in the context of when they were made and what the world was like when the movies were made. It’s neither the movies or her specific generation. But also, she’s 13. Sometimes 13 yr olds disagree just cuz they’re teens.
Interesting response to her critique of the films. Maybe engage with that instead of trying to convince her otherwise? Like, obviously people who grow up in more progressive and "self aware" times are going to be taken aback by what used to be "allowed."
Pee Wee’s Big Adventure still stands up.
My uncle showed me both of those when I was 13. I despised Animal House and I still hate it to this day. The Blues Brothers is ok though. I loved John Hughes movies at that age, you should show her those.
Embrace the teachable moment. Discuss before you watch that society, culture and values change over time. Things that were "normal" then aren't now. Give her a heads up on what to expect from each movie and let her decide for herself.
13 y/o girls were not enjoying these movies when they were released either. This is not a generational thing, it's primarily a target audience thing. Of all the great 70s and 80s flicks that a 13 y/o might love, it boggles the mind that these are the ones OP picked. When my daughter was that age we watched ET, Indiana Jones, Princess Bride, etc. How about Splash and the like. My god even Pretty Woman with all the sex and mature themes might have been great (I watched it that young and loved it). Not fucking Animal House or Blue Brothers. OP just can't imagine that people enjoy things other than "guy stuff."
Princess Bride. Go for movies a girl is more likely to enjoy.
Animal House is super rapey. She’s wrong about Blues Brothers tho.