You know how sometimes it is difficult to find a movie that both you and your kids enjoy watching together? They have something in mind that you cannot bear the thought of, or vice versa, and compromise is required. Have no fear! The solution may be hiding in plain sight; but you have to be open-minded. What, you may be wondering, is she talking about? I am talking about the classics.

I have, since childhood, been a huge fan of old movies. Because of this, I own quite a few of them, and my children have been exposed to them from an early age. My second daughter’s first movie in a theatre (she was three years old) was Singin’ In the Rain. She and her older sister had already seen it countless times at home, and they were thrilled when the opportunity to see it on the big screen presented itself. It has everything that most children, and many adults, want in a movie: humor, snappy dialogue ("Call me a cab!" "Alright, you’re a cab."), action (the sheer physicality of Donald O’Connor’s performance of "Make ‘em Laugh" is amazing), romance (but not gushy stuff) and great costumes. Lest you think of Singin’ In the Rain as a "girl movie," allow me to point out that both my husband and four-year-old son also enjoy this picture. Fun for the whole family!

Another classic that our entire family enjoys is Billy Wilder’s comedy Some Like It Hot. When I first introduced the girls to this film they were five and four years old, and I was unsure how they would respond. While there is action, of a sort, it is heavily character and dialogue driven. Also, it is filmed in black and white, which can take some getting used to. I needn’t have worried. They thought that Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis were "really handsome and funny" as men, and totally hysterical as "women." (The pair play out-of-work musicians who, in a desperate attempt to hide from a bunch of gangsters, join an all-girl band.) As if those characters were not enough to keep them entertained, Marilyn Monroe’s "Sugar Kane" adds a delightfully ditzy element that prompted my younger daughter to rename a favorite stuffed animal Sugar. This is a film that is repeatedly recognized as one of the funniest movies of all time, and for good reason. It is also acceptable for all ages and genders of viewers who enjoy smart, and simultaneously accessible, humor.

My third recommendation may be a bit more of a stretch for younger kids. My oldest daughter was about eight and a half years old when she first saw the Preston Sturges film The Lady Eve, and she really liked it. It even inspired her to borrow the title for an art project at school. A few conversations were required after viewing the film to clarify several aspects for her (this served as her introduction to the idea of con artists), an unforeseen bonus. The Lady Eve is not a mindless comedy, and I was pleased that she was thinking through the laughter. This is another black and white film rich with clever dialogue and ridiculous situations. A very young, and remarkably beautiful, Henry Fonda plays the naive heir of a beer -- excuse me – ale fortune. Barbara Stanwyck is the worldly-wise, but not entirely jaded, con artist with whom he falls in love. The picture follows the pair from the cruise ship where they meet, to the Connecticut home built by said ale fortune. It is full of deception, misunderstanding, confusion and prat falls that are so well designed and executed that it is a pleasure to watch from beginning to end.

So many of these gems from the past, glory days of Hollywood exist that I cannot possibly share them all at once. Suffice to say that there are plenty of options available for families willing to try something a little off the beaten path of recent cinematic history. Trust me, it is worth a try. Who knows, you may just learn something new, and enjoy a few laughs while you’re at it.

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Sue Harvey

Sue "Mom on Film" Harvey is a mother of three who shares her passion for film with bi-weekly, family-friendly movie recommendations.

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