I wanted a fun mother/daughter movie for Kiki and I to watch together. I picked up Uptown Girls. Every preview I saw billed this as a happy little comedy. For a comedy it was on the bittersweet side. This would not have been a problem except that the little girl’s dad is in a vegetative coma. For Kiki the whole concept of “human vegetable” was completely new and it sucked all the fun right out of the movie. Also new concepts were the idea that things can be repossessed if we don’t pay our bills and obsessive/compulsive hypochondria.
Kiki now lists this movie as the saddest movie she has ever seen. We spent 90 minutes after the movie was over talking about all the issues and gently shifting Kiki into happy thoughts. On the upside I was able to point out to her how much luckier she is than anyone in the movie. They all had loads of money, but Kiki has so much family that the chances of her ever being left all alone in the world are just about zero. Kiki liked that thought. At one point she asked why anyone would ever make a movie so sad. I answered that some people have been through things that sad and they need this movie to see that they can survive sad things.
Remember, Uptown Girls is a comedy. The issues in it that rocked Kiki’s world were only passing plot points as far as the movie was concerned. I’m going to be more careful about movie choices for Kiki for awhile. Yes she does need to know about some of this awful stuff that is in the world, but I’d like her to have basic knowledge before she gets sideswiped by living it through fictional movie characters. I’m thinking Fried Green Tomatoes and Awakenings are out for a while here.
As a “chick flick” movie conneseur, I have to say that I heartily endorse rethinking those movies. It’s my opinion that things like Fried Green Tomatoes, Uptown Girls, Bridget Jones, How to Lose A Guy In 10 Days, Honey, Coyote Ugly, and other similarly themed things are mainly drama that just happen to have funny parts, and the reviewers who classified them had to go with “comedy” because there wasn’t a “chick-lit” category for the movies. There is for books, and that’s where you’ll find the book version of these same stories.
They’re not about the humor, they’re about wrapping you up in how good and how bad things can be in the persons life. It’s supposed to be an emotional rollercoaster of a sort, and if she was bothered by Uptown Girls (which I thought was actually a realy good movoe) she probably wouldn’t be fond of the entire genre for now. I don’t even know why they list it as comedy and not drama or something, but hey. That’s the movie industry for you, I guess.
Anyway, something similar (that’s also precursor, aka chick-lit for pre-teens) and much less extreme are the things like Sweet Valley High, Babysitters Club (they did at some point make a bunch of movies or shows of some of these) and to be completely honest, I can’t think of any non-animated movies that’d fall into the “good for girls night” category when the girls involve a sensitive 11 year old. 😛 Maybe give Netflix Teen Comedies section a browse?
As a “chick flick” movie conneseur, I have to say that I heartily endorse rethinking those movies. It’s my opinion that things like Fried Green Tomatoes, Uptown Girls, Bridget Jones, How to Lose A Guy In 10 Days, Honey, Coyote Ugly, and other similarly themed things are mainly drama that just happen to have funny parts, and the reviewers who classified them had to go with “comedy” because there wasn’t a “chick-lit” category for the movies. There is for books, and that’s where you’ll find the book version of these same stories.
They’re not about the humor, they’re about wrapping you up in how good and how bad things can be in the persons life. It’s supposed to be an emotional rollercoaster of a sort, and if she was bothered by Uptown Girls (which I thought was actually a realy good movoe) she probably wouldn’t be fond of the entire genre for now. I don’t even know why they list it as comedy and not drama or something, but hey. That’s the movie industry for you, I guess.
Anyway, something similar (that’s also precursor, aka chick-lit for pre-teens) and much less extreme are the things like Sweet Valley High, Babysitters Club (they did at some point make a bunch of movies or shows of some of these) and to be completely honest, I can’t think of any non-animated movies that’d fall into the “good for girls night” category when the girls involve a sensitive 11 year old. 😛 Maybe give Netflix Teen Comedies section a browse?
You’ve got it exactly right. We’ll be sticking to Aquamarine and Sleepover type movies for awhile. There are plenty of issues in the teen comedies that she needs to come to terms with before she’s ready to deal with bigger stuff.
You’ve got it exactly right. We’ll be sticking to Aquamarine and Sleepover type movies for awhile. There are plenty of issues in the teen comedies that she needs to come to terms with before she’s ready to deal with bigger stuff.
Wow. A loaded day for a girl staring at the razor-blade slide into puberty …
On a totally different note — how is she with pierced earrings now? I have several pairs, mostly largish dangly things, that I’m getting rid of because I’ll never wear them. Would either of you like them?
Wow. A loaded day for a girl staring at the razor-blade slide into puberty …
On a totally different note — how is she with pierced earrings now? I have several pairs, mostly largish dangly things, that I’m getting rid of because I’ll never wear them. Would either of you like them?
Kiki is very interested in dangly earrings. Sure send them to us. Thanks!
Kiki is very interested in dangly earrings. Sure send them to us. Thanks!
Court Jester – Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, and Angela Lansbury! Frothy girly fun, with theatrical swordfights in.
Court Jester – Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, and Angela Lansbury! Frothy girly fun, with theatrical swordfights in.