Reforming Hollywood

Yesterday Bard asked if she and I could have a movie night, just the two of us. Since I try not to plan anything on Sundays, our day was open and I thought it would be a great idea. I asked Bo if he was up for taking Sweetheart, Monet and Houdin bowling, and he was so inclined.

So Bard and I headed to the only things we really have near us: Movie Gallery and Wal*Mart. We have a local grocery, too, that rents DVDs for .99, but you can only keep them one day and the selection is pretty limited. Alas, life in a small town. If these Amish would just get gas-powered DVD players, the demand would increase and we'd have better selections.

We loaded up on all of the nasty snacks we'd need: Doritos, Fritos, Cheetos and whatever other "O" junk we could find. IBC Rootbeer, which doesn't end in "O" but Bard likes it, and some nacho cheese sauce.

But here's the thing: to have a movie night for girlies, it's essential to have a good movie or two. Can I just say that such a thing is quite rare? We scanned the racks of the Movie Gallery and found pretty much nothing.

I don't understand this.

We walked around the store twice before we decided on Little Black Book and First Daughter. I wasn't exactly comfortable with Little Black Book, but since I'd seen it, I at least knew what to expect. I haven't seen First Daughter.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the biggest blockbuster hits the ones that whole families can enjoy, like Secondhand Lions, Shrek, and Robots? Aren't those the ones that families flock to see, buy all of the action figures and purchase their own copies when they come out of DVD? Aren't those the universally appealing films? The most popular? The highest grossing?

Isn't this why movies like Napolean Dynamite, which is a very low-budget film, end up gaining such national attention? Because it appeals to everyone? Well, okay. Not everyone. I do know some unenlightened people who don't "get it," but I'm still praying for them. ;-)

So why are these family-friendly movies so few and far between?

"I don't get it," I told my Bard as we headed home. "You would think there would be more universally appealing movies, more family-friendly films with real meaning and less nudity, language and sexual references. I mean, after all, who wants to sit in the room with their mom and watch naked butts?"

"Well, when I grow up," Bard said, "I'm going to reform the movie industry. I'll become a director and make more family-friendly movies."

I realize that not everyone DOES sit in a room with their mom to watch movies. I understand the appeal of movies that are more gritty, and I can even justify a few of them, but overall, it seems that high-quality films can be made without the grit.

So here's to the next generation, to kids like Bard who don't want to shove garbage into their heads, who want parables that leave them feeling better, braver, more encouraged. Here's to my daughter and her hope for the future, her goal of taking integrity into Hollywood.

I, for one, am pulling for her.