With most of us trapped indoors for the rest of the winter we have plenty of time for self-assessment. If that process has us setting goals to be a better post-pandemic self, our attitude might just rub off on our kids. For films to drive home the message, you can try the following.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The Princess and the Frog - 2009, Rated G
This oft-overlooked Disney animated film stars its most hard-driving heroine. Tiana is a young Black woman in New Orleans a century ago, with a passion for cooking her late father’s recipes and a burning desire to open her own restaurant. To that end, she’s working double shifts to save the necessary cash – only to be turned into a frog after kissing a fast-talking amphibian. Disney combines a jazzy soundtrack with solid messages about hard work and persistence to create a film that can serve as a launch pad for discussions about future goals. (Parents should note that there are some scenes involving a witch doctor and evil spirits that could frighten sensitive youngsters.) Streaming on Netflix and Disney+.
- Overall Grade: B-
- Violence: C+
- Sexual Content: B+
- Profanity: A-
- Substance Use: B-
Warner Bros.
Stand and Deliver - 1988, Rated PG
Can math be a catalyst for personal transformation? It can when the teacher is Jaime Escalante. Arriving at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles in 1982, Escalante is determined to make his students stretch academically. When he announces that he’s going to teach AP Calculus, his fellow teachers are incredulous – but Escalante’s students prove that unrelenting effort leads to achievement and bolsters self-esteem. The inspiring true story behind Stand and Deliver could be just what your tweens and teens need to encourage them to push through the challenges of remote learning in a pandemic. Available to rent on YouTube, Vudu, Google Play, iTunes, and Microsoft.
- Overall Grade: A
- Violence: B
- Sexual Content: B+
- Profanity: B-
- Substance Use: B+
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Cool Runnings - 1993, Rated PG
Derice Bannock is devastated when a fellow runner bumps into him, eliminating him from Jamaica’s national track team. But Bannock isn’t going to give up: he decides to capitalize on his running speed and compete in bobsled in the 1988 Calgary Olympic Games. There’s just one problem - bobsled is a winter sport and Jamaica is a tropical island with nary a snowflake to be seen. Based on real events, Cool Runnings is a light-hearted sports movie which, after a slow start, serves up plenty of comic moments along with messages about staying focused and refusing to quit. Streaming on Disney+.
- Overall: A-
- Violence: B
- Sexual Content: A
- Profanity: B-
- Substance Use: A-
Warner Bros.
Chariots of Fire - 1981, Rated PG
The 1924 Paris Olympic Games are on the horizon and two British runners are locked in fierce competition to represent their country. Harold Abrahams is a student at Cambridge, where he uses his athletic prowess to push back against the not-so-subtle anti-Semitism that surrounds him. He’s undefeated until he goes up against Eric Liddell, a Scottish runner with an awkward gait who runs for the glory of God. One of the greatest sports films ever made, Chariots of Fire, not only celebrates grit and tenacity, it also encourages innovation and stands as a real life example of moral courage. Available to rent on YouTube, Vudu, Microsoft, iTunes, and Google Play.
- Overall Grade: A
- Violence: B+
- Sexual Content: A-
- Profanity: B+
- Substance Use: C+