Family Film Recommendation.

[Aristus]

For those of you with young children who would like a great movie to watch with them and are tired of the bland Disney pap that keeps getting churned out, let me make a recommendation for you.

For my grandson's third birthday,I bought him the video of a charming, stop-motion animation film called "The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix" It's a Norwegian film made in 1975, and dubbed into English by a Canadian production company in 1981. My brother and I watched it when we were kids and fell in love with the film. It's the story of an eccentric bicycle repairman and automotive inventor who has his prized inventions stolen by an apprentice and used to make a world-beating competition racer. Our hero decides to build a car to beat it, and accepts the funding of an Arab oil sheik who admires his inventions. The race caps the movie and is a lot of fun.

The film is captivating, with wonderful characters (The Arab oil sheik might be a bit un-PC, the way he is depicted, but his character is warm, kind and smart, so that helps.) The stop-motion animation is a bit crude by Harry Selick standards, but that's okay. The race cars are fantastic; so much so that my grandson calls the film his "fancy car movie". The music is also thoroughly enjoyable. Pick up the video, if you can find it. I got mine off eBay for $30, but Amazon is selling brand-new copies for $140! I think they will be releasing a DVD of it soon. Hope you and the kids love it!

[ElsewheresDaughter]

1. "Holes"....my recommendation

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. Among current movies

I think that children over 10, especially girls, would enjoy The Whale Rider, although they might need a little background information about the Maoris.

It's about a young girl, maybe 12 years old, whose deceased twin brother was supposed to become chief of the clan. She is smart, brave, and resourceful enough to become a chief, as well as having a strong affinity for the traditional culture, but her grandfather, the current chief, is adamant in insisting that a girl can't be chief.

He therefore puts all the first-born sons in town through a traditional training course to see which one is best qualified for the position.

But his granddaughter just can't stay away...

Anyway, this is a film that is fine for older children and teens, and yet sophisticated enough for adults.

[DS1]

3. Monsters, Inc.

Very creative.

[GCP]

4. "Fly Away Home" with Jeff Daniels and Anna Paquin

A girl and her sculptor dad bring up a gaggle of orphan geese babies and teach them how to migrate using an ultra-light aircraft to lead them south.

http://us.imdb.com/Title?0116329

"The Wrong Trousers" - stop-motion claymation adventure by the same team who made "Chicken Run"

http://us.imdb.com/Title?0108598

[Aristus]

5. Kick for the evening crowd.

:kick:

[Ein]

6. Milo & Otis!

good for any setting.

[WindRavenX]

7. "My Neighbor Totoro"

By the great japanese animator Miyazaki.
Kids love it, adults love it. He's simply one of the greatest animators of all time.
Another film of his, Kiki's Delivery Service, is also a good movie :)