If you have got a tween or teen in your house, it’s worth adding these movies to your summer watch list.
I don’t know about you, but one of my very favourite things to do with my own children is to curl up on the sofa and watch a good movie.
And while we love seeing new movies that are just out, often we watch older ones, one from when I was growing up in the late 80s and 90s, and I love how much my kids love these movies. Because so very often, while the fashion might be different and the haircuts out of style, the themes of many movies are universal, and as timely today as they were 30 years ago.
One of these themes, and one I think it is so important to educate tweens and teens about, is bullying, the the devastating and tragic consequences this can have.
Movies are often a great conversation starter, and as a natural transition into talking about this big and very heavy topic, I personally love these four movies.
Watch these 4 movies with your tweens
1. The Karate Kid (1984)
Another classic movie that I loved myself and a child, and that my tween son now is equally obsessed with.
The Karate Kid follows American tween Daniel LaRusso who moved to China when his mum gets a new job there. Starting a new school, Daniel is almost immediately targeted by bullies. But having encountered the elderly Mr Miyagi, who works as a handyman in the building Daniel and his mum move into, Daniel soon starts to learn karate from him.
As the story moves forward, the tween learns from the elderly Chinese karate champion that self-defence and standing up for yourself has as much to balance and controlling your emotions and loving yourself as it has to do with throwing punches, and the friendship that grows between the two is also such a sweet lesson in community care and what we can learn from each other, regardless of age and ethnicity.
2. About A Boy (2002)
In Nick Hornby’s About a Boy, we meet 12-year-old Marcus who lives with his mother, who we learn suffers from depression (and even has a suicide attempt early in the movie, so this one might be best suited for slightly older tweens and teens).
Marcus is relentlessly picked on by his classmates over his quirky clothes and hair and mannerisms, but things start to change when he meets eternal bachelor – and immature philanderer – Will, and after a few twists and turns, the two form an unlikely friendship.
In an effort to help the boy, Will initially encourages Marcus to appear like the other kids, but what we learn is that Marcus is unique because he is somewhat defiant of his bullies. It is also evident that Marcus is willing to take the abuse and isolation at school because of his love for his mum, and wanting to support her.
In the end, thanks to both Marcus’ friendship with Will, and also his mother’s decision to open up and lean on her friends and community, as well as giving Marcus more freedom to be himself, it all pays off in the end.
Having watched the movie with my own children, I love how it made us talk so much about mental health, and friendships and just how important it is to have roots and people in your community who are there for you.
3. Bridge To Terabithia
Yet another movie based on a novel, and another one I loved watching with my own kids.
Bridge To Terabithia is based on a book by Katherine Paterson, and follows the adventures of two ten-year-old misfits. Artistic Jess is initially suspicious of new girl Leslie, but he soon recognises a kindred spirit in her, and the two create an imaginary world in the woods near their homes called Terabithia.
And as their adventures become ever-more elaborate, Jess and Leslie’s lives change for the better, but change is up ahead, and they learn that their idyllic escapades can’t last forever.
I love how the movie makes you see the world from a child’s perspective, and how it lends itself beautifully to some talks about love, loss and imagination.
4. Wonder (2017)
My daughter and I had read the book by R.J. Palacio before we watched the movie, so we knew we were in for a beautiful treat, but honestly, every parent and every child should watch this immediately, it is a beautiful film about inclusion and friendships and fitting in – and for parents, it also has so many lessons on letting our kids out there in the world, trusting them to manage, and trusting our communities to care for them.
In short, Wonder follows Auggie Pullman, a young boy with facial differences, who is starting mainstream middle school after having been homeschooled by his mum up until now – out of fear over how other children will see and treat him.
Starting school, Auggie struggles at first, feeling uncomfortable as the kids point, stare and whisper, before eventually making a friend in Jack. The perspective keeps changing, and we sometimes see the world through Auggie’s friend Jack’s eyes, as well as his sister’s and his school bully, Julian.
As the movies goes on, we get to learn more about why Julian is the way he is, and why he really bullies Auggie – behaviour he has learnt from his parents and how they treat others. There are also other beautiful lessons on teaching kids to look past physical differences and be an upstander (someone who stands by the target of a bully even when it’s not the “cool” thing to do), as well as lessons for parents on how important it is when you have a child with special needs to not forget your other children need your attention too.
