Some people say Hollywood is dying. As the pushing of political agendas in movies has ballooned, the quality of production (and sometimes profits) has deflated. From the standpoint of basic writing, storytelling, and visual effects, many new releases seem, to me, several notches below films from even just 10 years ago. Add to all this the recent strike, which just highlights the crisis that Hollywood faces.
If you, too, are disappointed with the failures of modern cinema, maybe it’s time to return to some of the tried-and-true titles of the past. Here are a few recommendations for your next family movie night.
‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ (1938)
Once upon a time, heroes were simply heroes. They weren’t tormented by their pasts or acting on mixed motives or using screen time to be wisecracking bad boys. They were simply noble-hearted, brave, and handsome. Robin Hood (Errol Flynn) is one of these classic heroes. Full of depth, complexity, and realism? Probably not. But all of us—and children in particular—still need characters of untarnished goodness and heroism swashbuckling their way through our imaginations.
This award-winning film is from a less cynical age, a less morally ambiguous time (although one could debate whether Robin Hood’s acts of theft are justified or not, but I won’t go there—that would be taking the film more seriously than it’s meant to be taken). There’s no question here about who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. On top of that, this rollicking film is just a lot of fun, made all the more enjoyable and impressive by the blessed absence of CGI or other modern artificial sleight-of-hand. All the effects are practical, and the stunts are really performed.
‘The Big Country’ (1958)
James McKay (Gregory Peck), a New England sea captain, is a fish out of water when he travels to his fiancée’s massive Texas ranch in the 1880s. The rough men of the ranch question McKay’s strength, toughness, and masculinity, saying he isn’t up to their way of life. Worse yet, an old family feud between McKay’s fiancée’s family and a neighboring ranch family flares up and turns bloody. McKay alone strives to resolve it peacefully.
This Oscar-winning film has it all: well-drawn characters, fine acting, sweeping cinematography that captures the Western mythos, exciting action scenes, and meaningful themes, particularly about the nature of true masculinity. Most of the men around McKay are either mere brutes or stoic, self-righteous show-offs. Yet McKay, the only true gentleman (and therefore true man) in the story, never takes the bait of having to “prove” his manliness to others. Instead, he proves it to himself by overcoming challenges when others aren’t looking and by quietly holding on to virtuous behavior and self-restraint when everyone around him is acting irrationally. The accusations of cowardice don’t unsettle him. And the climax of the story reveals that he’s, in fact, no coward. The film lives up to its title: It’s big in scope, big in action, and big in message.
‘Ben-Hur’ (1959)
In this Oscar-winning film, Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) lives in Jerusalem as a Jewish prince in the first century. When he’s betrayed and sold into slavery by a longtime Roman friend, he burns with the desire for revenge. His escape from slavery and adoption by a Roman consul give him the chance he has been waiting for.
The days of sprawling, Biblical epics coming out of Hollywood are long gone. But we can still revisit those glory days with megalithic 3.5-hour films such as “Ben-Hur.” Younger viewers (especially boys) will enjoy the adventure of it, with bombastic naval battles and high-stakes chariot races, while older viewers will appreciate the spiritual transformation in Judah’s character arc and its connection to the life of Jesus Christ—even if it isn’t the subtlest of spiritual awakenings ever put on screen. Although the historical accuracy of the film is a bit lacking at times, the spectacle remains impressive, especially for the era, and it offers something for everyone: romance, history, action, and religious themes.
‘That Darn Cat!’ (1965)
If you’re looking for something a little less intense than epics about ancient Rome or family feuds in the Wild West, consider this lighthearted comedic thriller. A kidnapped bank teller places her wristwatch around a cat’s neck with a call for help scratched into it, then lets the feline loose. Sure enough, the irrepressibly imaginative and exuberant Patti Randall (Hayley Mills) sees the watch on her cat and begins to connect the dots. Patti manages to finagle her way into an FBI office and convince them to investigate the lead by trailing the cat on his nightly rounds. The only catch is that the FBI agent assigned to the case is allergic to cats. Chaos ensues.
This one was a family favorite in our home when I was growing up—at one point, I had the thing pretty much memorized. The cat’s name is “D.C.” for (Darn Cat), and I remember, as a child, never understanding Mills’s line, “Daddy used to call him something much worse, so we shortened it to ‘D.C.’” I finally understand that one.
This is a quirky film, that’s for sure. It’s funny and family-friendly and has just enough suspense to keep things exciting without becoming too intense for children. Writing objectively about a film that was so much a part of my childhood is a challenge, however. It’s like trying to give an analytical assessment of your grandma’s cookies. They were just there—a warm, delightful backdrop to childhood memories.
‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ (1946)
George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) is a frustrated, worn-out small-town banker and family man who reaches rock bottom one Christmas, and he contemplates the unthinkable: suicide. An angel is sent from heaven to rescue him both physically and spiritually by showing him what the world would be like had he never been born.
This movie might be described as the essence of cozy, small-town, Norman Rockwellian America, set against a joyous Christmas backdrop. Of all the titles on this list, this one is probably the most well-known to readers already. But when was the last time you actually sat down and watched it? If a hot-chocolate-fueled viewing of “It’s a Wonderful Life” isn’t already one of your yearly Christmas traditions, you might want to make it one.
But the film goes beyond mere hot chocolate and nostalgia. It grapples—in a relatively lighthearted way—with some serious questions about growing up, dreams, marriage and family, corporate greed, the local community, the purpose of life, and the value of the human soul. It offers a moving montage of the stages of life from childhood to middle age, in which everyday moments take on a glimmer of meaningfulness and the normal trials and triumphs of an ordinary life take on an almost heartbreaking importance and magnificence.
