Friday, November 11, 2011

Friday Night Movie Night


A month or two ago, we instituted "Friday Night Movie Night". Movies as a family were a part of my growing up that I remember fondly. My Dad would make awesome snack platters and we'd watch laser discs (bigger than records) that we checked out from the grocery store (along with the player). I must have watched The Never Ending Story like 5 billion times as a kid. I also remember thinking that the people "in" the TV could see me. We had a hot tub on the deck off the TV room and when I'd come in to change out of my swimsuit I'd turn the TV on, but stand behind it while changing into my pajamas so the people on TV couldn't see me naked.

We started movie night with episodes of The Muppet Show. Our neighborhood video store has all the original episodes from Season 1, so we watch an episode each Friday night. Technically speaking, these are not movies, but each episode is 22 minutes long, which is about Edie's attention span right now. The muppets are perfect - Edie loves Kermit and Gonzo, and we are able to enjoy the content and reminisce as well.

We've missed a few weeks because of being on Orcas or having other plans, but in general the routine is the same. Edie gets into her PJs early on Fridays, we enjoy a "treat" - in this particular photo (from our first ever "movie night") Edie is having Annie's gummy bunnies, tonight was popcorn. Edie and Jeff snuggle in the little chair, while I take over the entire couch. Tonight we watched the second 30 minutes of Peter Pan (having watched the first 30 last weekend). There are so many movies I look forward to enjoying as a family in the coming years: Mary Poppins, The Muppets Take Manhattan, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Annie... and then there are the newer movies that we've saved for watching with Edie - Harry Potter (after reading them of course!), Fantastic Mr. Fox, Toy Story.... it (re)opens a whole new category of nostalgic movies, and it's so fun to watch them through the eyes of a 2 year old.

Any suggestions for future viewings?

5 comments:

Tib said...

suggestions? I will have to email you my list (I don't think it would fit here): but just a few

age appropriate now: Ponyo, Kiki's Delivery Service

a little later: The Last Unicorn, The Secret of Nimh, Spirited Away, Howe's Moving Castle

Unknown said...

You should email chat with Peter Berkley about movies. They've been doing Friday nights with Elliot since she was Edie's age. They would be thrilled to hear you guys are up to it too! Also I insist you add Sound Of Music to your list. If you rent the DVD they have a significantly shortened version that only plays the parts of the movie that have singing! YES.

lindsey. said...

I love this. You three make for an incredibly awesome family. My fave movies from childhood include The Wizard of Oz and the Disney animated version of Robin Hood. My brother and I watched the crap out of that movie.

Sarah said...

Pete's Dragon!

Kathleen said...

Anything from Wallace and Gromit.
And you could do the Claymation Christmas this holiday season. : )

Monsters Inc. is one of my favorites. Probably needs to wait a while, though...

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Mary Poppins, ET, Flight of the Navigator, The Red Balloon, The ORIGINAL Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, The Ice Age, The Princess Bride (later...)