Inspiring Movies for Tweens
Source: Tween Parent Staff
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When we think of summer during our preteen years, hopefully, we conjure up memories of sun, fun and the highlight (of course) being a break from school! Perhaps we're reminded of heading to the ice cream stand or possibly the county fair. We might think of summer camp, fireworks, barbeques, long days with friends and family togetherness. Although, when it came to movie entertainment (and rainy day/night activities), we were likely to be limited to what was playing at the local movie theater. Not bad, but little choice.
Long before the current crop of Disney fare, tween concert footage and re-packaged TV shows, there existed a treasure trove of delightfully inspiring classics. We have a great opportunity to introduce our pre-teens to the wonder of the inspirational movie of years past.
It's our good fortune that through the non-profit work of the American Film Institute, we have a wonderful compilation of inspiring movies, which we've further culled to come up with a tween-appropriate list. Many existed prior to the MPAA rating system*, so use your judgment (and the links we provide below to obtain further detail) to decide the appropriateness for your pre-teen's temperament and interests (since along with inspiration sometimes comes sadness, misfortune and bullying!). But thankfully, most films end on an upbeat note, or at least with an outstanding message.
It's a Wonderful Life, 1946; appreciation for our lives (suicide contemplation), 8+
To Kill a Mockingbird, 1962; racism and prejudice (wrongful accusation of rape), 12+
Rocky, 1976, PG; underdog boxing tale (violence, some alcohol), 10+
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, 1939; political underdog (some alcohol), 8+
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, 1982, PG; kids relationship with an extra-terrestrial creature (near death, some alcohol, some profanity), 7+
The Grapes of Wrath, 1940; class issues (violence), 12+
Breaking Away, 1979, PG; bicycle race classic (violence, profanity, smoking), 10+
Miracle on 34th Street, 1947; tolerance of differences, 6+
Apollo 13, 1995, PG-13; mission to moon drama (profanity, alcohol, smoking), 12+
Hoosiers, 1986, PG; sportsmanship (profanity, violence), 9+
The Bridge on the River Kwai, 1957; World War II honor and sacrifice (war violence, alcohol, smoking), 11+
The Miracle Worker, 1962; overcoming handicap limitations, 10+
The Diary of Anne Frank, 1959; strength of young girl in holocaust drama (suffering, tragic ending), 12+
The Right Stuff, 1983, PG; heroic astronauts (profanity), 10+
The Pride of the Yankees, 1942; baseball player role model (violence, profanity, smoking), 8+
National Velvet, 1944; sexism and tenacity (alcohol), 6+
High Noon, 1952; classic western (violence, alcohol), 11+
Field of Dreams, 1989, PG; dreams, family and baseball (references to drugs, alcohol), 12+
Gandhi, 1982, PG; standing up for religious principles (violence), 12+
Casablanca, 1942; love, betrayal, sacrifice (violence, alchohol), 10+
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, 1967; inter-racial marriage and a generation gap (alcohol), 12+
Star Wars, 1977, PG; classic sci-fi (violence), 8+
Gone with the Wind, 1939; civil war epic (violence, negative stereotypes, alcohol), 10+
On Golden Pond, 1981, PG; family and aging (sexual reference, profanity), 9+
2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968; introduction to cosmic mysteries (characters in peril, some death), 12+
For additional information related to films:
Check out these other article movie related articles on tweenparent.com:
Has Your Tween Seen "On the Town"?
Has Your Tween Seen "Guys and Dolls"?
* In the United States, the Motion Picture Association of America, through the Classification and Rating Administration, issues ratings for movies. The system was instituted in November 1968 and is voluntary; however, most movie theater chains will not show unrated domestic films and most major studios have agreed to submit all titles for rating prior to theatrical release.
