Over the years we’ve found it interesting to hear from kids about what movies they enjoy. Like many parents, we’ve taken our kids to movies or rented a DVD and then been surprised at the reactions we get.
So we recently talked with a bunch of kids to help understand what movies kids love. We asked them to think about their favorite movies and then tell us what they liked about those movies. As is often the case when asking children about their opinions, the first reaction we got from most kids was about the last movie they saw. After hearing about the latest movie we kept listening and asking a few questions. Throughout all of our conversations, we found four main recurring themes that tended to cut across kids of all types and ages.
Funny Characters – Kids love funny and memorable characters. This was the biggest factor for many kids in whether they like a movie or not, even more important than the overall story. Of course, kids really enjoy thinking about and re-creating a world that is inhabited by their favorite characters so it’s really not a big surprise that this was the biggest recurring theme that we found.
Animals – Kids love animals, especially talking animals and animals that have a big role in the plot of a movie. Movies with dogs and horses also rank as very popular.
Kids Who Go On Adventures – Our conversations with kids often went into elaborate detail about the fun adventures that they see in movies. Similar to reading a good book, we found that a child’s imagination can be quickly awakened from watching a good movie where kids take the lead on a great adventure.
Good Guys Win – Movies that are very memorable for kids often have a stark contrast between good guys and bad guys…and the good guys ALWAYS win a decisive victory. Although that type of an ending is also appealing to adults, it especially resonates with kids.
As we work to find great movies for members of Movie Club 4 Families, we always keep these main themes in mind.
One great example of a movie that hits all four of these themes is
The First of May. This movie is about a boy who has bounced between foster families for years; he makes friends with a grandmother figure and then runs off and to join the circus. It’s a very heartwarming movie with a great adventure and lots of fun.
The First of May is one of the movies included on the Free Trial DVD from Movie Club 4 Families.
Sign up today to get this great movie, along with 3 other movies, for Free.
And, as always, all movies you receive from Movie Club 4 Families will be appropriate viewing for the entire family.