Before you get stuck with a niece, nephew, or godchild and freak out over your complete lack of shared pop culture reference points, we’ll let you in on a little secret: Modern children’s entertainment isn’t meant for children at all. It’s actually for adults who want to ignore their young ones for 90 minutes by distracting them with singing, flatulent animals voiced by Ashton Kutcher who are trying to get them addicted to diabetes-inducing cereal on the side. This is why most movies of this kind suck, too; it’s a brain vacation for you, which is made easier if you can totally ignore the proceedings.
But this is a lose-lose situation for all parties. You miss the opportunity to see something worthwhile, and younger generations will never know entertainment that rises above spastic pandering. If only there were movies silly and fantastical enough to be enjoyed by kids, yet inspired and well-made enough to keep the grown-up’s smartphone away …
Luckily, the Brattle’s renowned love of quality children’s entertainment (see: The Bugs Bunny Film Festival, Adventure Time marathons, and BUFF’s Saturday Morning Cartoon special) continues with Kids’ Movies Not Just for Kids, running from Friday 4.18 to Wednesday 4.23. The series begins with two consecutive days of Hayao Miyazaki double features of Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. Dig deep enough with each and you will find layers of beauty and philosophy beneath the surface, but with a surface so gorgeous, you won’t need to.
Following Miyazaki is the other giant of children’s movies as art, Jim Henson. But there are two sides to his legacy: the unabashed fun of the Muppets (Mon 4.21: Muppet Movie, Great Muppet Caper, and The Muppets Take Manhattan), and the challenging, dark themes of Labyrinth and Dark Crystal (Sun 4.20). Though “scary” and “dark” are words that critics may use to advise parents against showing taking their kids to see a movie, we applaud any and all efforts to treat children with enough respect to scare them.
On both Tuesday 4.22 and Wednesday 4.23, you can bring your little ones to Spike Jonze’s sensitive and imaginative adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are (if Her didn’t turn you off from Arcade Fire forever, that is). Preceding each Monday’s showing will be a retrospective of an oft-forgotten voice in animation history, the great innovator John Hubley. On Wednesday, meanwhile, you can help your tweens kick their Fred habit with our generation’s favorite manchild in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.
Maybe your kids will thank you for opening their eyes. Maybe they’ll hate you forever. Screw it, you sat through three Chipmunk monstrosities. It’s your turn.
[FRI 4.18 – WED 4.23. BRATTLE THEATRE, 40 BRATTLE ST., HARVARD SQ., CAMBRIDGE. SHOWTIMES AND TIX, VISIT BRATTLEFILM.ORG]
