As a seasoned film critic with a lifetime of movie-watching under my belt, I must say that this young lady has a discerning eye and an impressive knack for articulating her thoughts. Her unique perspectives on movies, shaped by her own experiences as a 13-year-old battling anxiety and her love for the arts, make her a refreshing voice in the world of cinema.
Over the course of her summer vacation, my 13-year-old daughter casually mentioned the number of movies she’d already watched since school ended. As a family that loves consuming content, this wasn’t surprising, but it sparked an idea in me about how to make her viewing experience even better. I began jotting down our movie nights and quizzing her on everything from timeless classics to the upcoming 2024 releases. We managed to watch 30 films together, and I couldn’t be more thrilled with her favorite selection. Needless to say, she wasn’t a fan of Madame Web.
Family movie nights have always held a special place in our household, and with our daughter now old enough to watch a variety of content, it’s truly fascinating to listen to her take on different genres spanning various decades. I must admit, I didn’t expect it, but among all the films she watched this summer, it turned out that the classic ’80s comedy “Airplane!” was her favorite pick.
My Teen Screamed In Laughter Watching Airplane!
Regarding teenagers (and children in general), you can never predict what they might say next. I presented her with a list of movies we’d watched, and for a moment, I contemplated how to react if she suggested something like “The Garfield Movie”. Fortunately, she opted for the 1980 film “Airplane!”, and when I inquired about her choice of an older movie, she explained:
Older movies are better.
Be still my heart.
She enjoyed the constant stream of jokes, which weren’t excessively crude. It’s clear she has a knack for dark humor, considering the numerous moments that left me saying “What the Freak!” in the movie Airplane!. However, it was the scene where stewardess Randy played a song for sick girl Lisa, accidentally dislodging her IV, that truly won her over. My daughter erupted in laughter and tears, which is exactly the response you’d want.
We needed to clarify a few points to her, such as who Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Barbara Billingsley are, but the abundance of laughter that didn’t rely on pop culture understanding far outweighed this.
Superbad And The Truman Show Made Up The Rest Of Her Top 3
Prior to watching “Superbad”, a film from the 2000s often considered one of the best, there was debate about its suitability for a 13-year-old due to its mature content. I initially argued that it was acceptable, but soon realized my error in judgment. The humor is quite explicit and the main characters aim to provide alcohol for a party with the intention of pursuing girls named Jules and Becca. Despite my misgivings, my teenager found it enjoyable.
During Seth’s crude sketches, there were more shrieks than expected. When Jonah Hill’s character had a period stain on his trousers, she might have reacted with a terrified slide onto the floor. Although she found numerous reasons to dislike Superbad, she genuinely appreciated McLovin and his cop-accompanied night out. In the final analysis, was Superbad excessively inappropriate for her? Her response: Was Superbad too indecent for my taste?
Yes, but it was worth it.
It’s worth the effort, indeed, to have numerous discussions with you on topics such as teenage boys, school events, and why it’s distasteful at its best to manipulate someone’s affection through alcohol.
Regarding “The Truman Show”, it caught me off guard that something more intense ranked among her top favorites, but she expressed her affection for the film, one of Jim Carrey’s finest, which depicted viewers in bars and homes watching Truman’s every action. In simpler terms, she enjoyed this aspect of the movie.
Existential crises make for good TV.
She enjoyed observing how Truman’s world fell apart, and she appreciated the unpredictability of the unfolding events.
Madame Web Was The Only Movie My Teenager ‘Hated’
Now we’ve got to get into the Madame Web of it all.
1. Coyote Ugly (bar-themed movie)
My 13-year-old daughter devised a personal rating scale ranging from “Favorite” to “Detested.” A single movie landed in the ‘Detested’ category (coincidentally marked in red and double-underlined). She found the narrative unengaging and disliked all the characters. She particularly disdained the climax where Dakota Johnson’s character commented on the takeout the teens had ordered, saying “Bless you” to Anya before she sneezed. To be honest, she considered it incredibly annoying.
What I found interesting about my teen’s strong reaction to this film was the fact that she didn’t know how badly the film was getting panned. I had read Madame Web’s negative reviews and mentioned it wasn’t supposed to be great, but that’s never stopped us from enjoying a clunker. (To that point, my daughter ranked Tarot and Abigail as “So Bad It’s Good.”) I may be biased, but I think the girl’s got good taste.
We Saw Twisters; My Daughter Is Not A Glen Powell Fan
She may agree with the general consensus on Madame Web, but when it comes to Glen Powell, I think she’s in the minority. After watching both Twisters and its predecessor, she claimed to hate the romance stories in both (that’s fair) and described Powell’s character as “standoffish and a jerk,” despite his well-intentioned motivations. (I promise my teen hasn’t been on Reddit.) She also thought Anthony Ramos was under-utilized, which is not a surprising statement, coming from my Hamilton– and In the Heights-loving theater kid.
Inside Out 2 May Have Hit Too Close To Home For My 13-Year-Old
I believed my 13-year-old daughter might identify with Riley from Inside Out 2 due to her similar age and struggle with anxiety, which she consented to share, however, the cringe factor was overwhelming for her. She expressed that it was simply too uncomfortable for her.
Are the Riley segments significant, yet do most adults perceive teenagers as nothing more than awkward nuisances or troublemakers?
I said maybe that’s how adults remember feeling during their own teen years, but she remained skeptical. She was still all for the representation and thought Anxiety as a character was portrayed well.
Quick Hits From My Teenager
With numerous films at hand, finding the time to watch them all proves challenging. Here’s a brief summary of our cinematic experiences during the summer season:
- Coyote Ugly: “Good movie, but the romance, ugh!”
- Trap: Multiple forced viewings of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concert film did not negatively affect her opinion of this movie. She called it “Fine.”
- The Garfield Movie: “Daddy issues propaganda,” she spits out, then bursts into giggles.
- Bad Boys: “I didn’t like some parts of it.” She felt so bad for Marcus’ wife that she couldn’t enjoy the humor, which I found sweet and hilarious. She ranked it “Meh,” did not continue the series.
- Donnie Darko: “Ooh, that was a good one. Love and fear, gang. Spread it.”
- Mamma Mia!: I cannot get her to stop saying, “Is that ABBA?!”
- Billy Madison: “So cringe, but so good.”
It’s been fantastic to follow our summer of movie-watching, as it’s been an enjoyable experience discussing these films with my teenager. She often provides a unique and occasionally surprising viewpoint on movies, whether I’m watching them in the theater for the first time with her or they’re films I’ve watched numerous times throughout the years. I wholeheartedly recommend this to any parent.
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2024-08-30 20:37