Halloween gives kids a thrilling opportunity to act out their dreams and
pretend to be characters with great power. But it can also be scary and
even overwhelming for the littlest trick-or-treaters. An introduction to
the holiday with videos from trusted friends can help make them feel
comfortable and excited about even the spookier aspects of the holiday.
Kids ages 3-5 will enjoy "The Bear in the Big Blue House: Halloween" as Bear
and his friends carve pumpkins and work on their costumes. It shows kids
that some things may look scary, but they are just pretend. "Barney's
Halloween Party" has a visit to the pumpkin farm, some ideas Halloween party
games and for making Halloween decorations at home, and some safety tips for
trick-or-treating at night. They will also get a kick out of "The Busy
World of Richard Scarry: First Halloween Ever," which is Scarry, but not at
all scary!
Kids from 7-11 will enjoy "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" and the
silly fun of "Scooby Doo Hassle at Dracula's Castle" or "Scooby Doo's
Headless Horseman of Halloween." They will also like "Halloween Tree," an
animated version of a story by science fiction author Ray Bradbury about
four kids who are trying to save the life of their friend. Leonard Nimoy
(Dr. Spock on the original "Star Trek") provides the voice of the mysterious
resident of a haunted house, who explains the origins of Halloween and
challenges them to think about how they can help their sick friend. The
loyalty and courage of the kids is very touching.
New in theaters: The only PG movie scheduled for release before November is
Disney's "Max Keeble's Big Move," in theaters October 5. It has not been
screened for critics as of this writing, but it looks like a lot of fun for
kids from 9-14. Originally titled "7th Grade Heart Attack," it's the story
of a nerdy outcast who gets the courage to speak up and to take revenge on
his enemies when he finds out he is moving to another city. Then he finds
out that he is not moving after all and has to deal with the consequences
of his actions.
DVD alert: Families with DVD players should keep an eye out for classics
that are just now being released on DVD for the first time. All-time family
classic "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" is out with added goodies
like updates on the children who appeared in the movie. Another family
favorite, "The Princess Bride" is romantic, funny, and exciting, with a
gorgeous musical score and wonderful lines of dialogue your family will
enjoy throwing into all kinds of situations.
A couple of older classics scheduled for release next month might have some
appeal to families with girls from 9-17. There have been many movie
versions of "Little Women," but most people agree that the 1933 version
starring Katherine Hepburn has the best-ever portrayal of Jo March, the
headstrong but sensitive character based on author Louisa May Alcott. "Now
Voyager," one of the biggest hits for Bette Davis, is the story of Charlotte
Vale, a repressed and unhappy young woman from a wealthy family who, through
therapy and love, finds meaning in her life and finds herself. It is
especially worthwhile for families to discuss Charlotte's final decision, to
give up some of her own happiness to help someone else.
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