Many of my favorite movies have young protagonists. I think that’s largely because children are more interesting than adults. Childhood is a time of firsts. Along with your first best friend, your first field trip, your first friend birthday party, and your first crush; comes your first rejection, your first failure, your first broken heart, and your first experiences with injustice, betrayal, and fear. This intensifies all of those things. It’s hard for many adults to remember what any of those things felt like before they became a routine part of daily existence.
The desires and fears of a child are more primal and instinctual, less intellectual and petty, and therefore more universal than those of an adult. Children cannot always relate to art made for adults, but I think any art done from the perspective of a child that is done well, should seem instantly familiar to even the most hard-hearted adult.
Experiencing this art should make a person feel like Anton Ego when he bites into Remy’s ratatouille. (From the 0:20 mark to 1:02.)
It should make you remember the experiences and feelings from childhood you thought you forgot, and feel them just as intensely as you did back then.
What I’d really like to get at in this post (and in a future post about animated films) is the difference between some of the drek that passes as children’s entertainment, and the timeless classics that children and adults either have been watching or will continue to watch for years to come. Luckily, one crudely-animated, instantly-dated-pop-culture-reference-spewing, innuendo-laden, franchise was kind enough to have its name rhyme with the category it falls under.
Here are my favorite live-action movies featuring child protagonists:
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Not recommended for most children under 9 or 10, Disney’s adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s classic novel is certainly frightening at times, but at its core has a beautiful message of the power of familial love, and magnificent performances by Jonathan Pryce and Jason Robards.
Son of Rambow
Though rated PG-13 for “Reckless Behavior and Some Violence,” I think this movie would be fine for children 10 and up. The story of two English boys from very different families who forge a friendship based on their mutual love of a bootleg copy of “First Blood.” It touches on topics ranging from religion, family, and overcoming differences; but is mostly about the magic of movies and what it means to be a true friend.
Millions
Another British film about two young boys that made me cry like a baby. “Millions” was directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire) and is about a pair of brothers who recently lost their mother. The main character, Damian, is a highly imaginative child with an encyclopedic knowledge of The Lives of the Saints, and a propensity for doing good. It is filled with wonderful visuals, and a story that deals with grief, religion, greed, charity, miracles, brotherhood, and much more.
The Kid
Children and adults alike will love Jackie Coogan as the titular kid, and the scheming he and Chaplin do together. “The Kid” is only 50 minutes long, and endlessly funny and touching, so it is a good introduction to Chaplin and the worlds of silent and black and white film.
Paper Moon
Another black and white film, “Paper Moon” stars Ryan and Tatum O’Neal (real life father and daughter) as a con man and his “daughter.” On the road during the depression, they try to sell Bibles to recent widows. Ryan O’Neal may have outed himself as a real jerk over the past few years, but he’s great in this, and Tatum O’Neal is even better as a precocious tomboy.
The 400 Blows (Les quatre cent coups)
Now that your child is used to black and white movies, and had to read the title cards in “The Kid,” why not try for a classic of world cinema, François Truffaut’s “The 400 Blows.” It is the first film in the Antoine Doinel series, and Truffaut’s first full-length. It follows Antoine on adventures getting in trouble at school, cutting class to roam the streets of Paris, listening to his parents argue about him, and eventually getting sent away. It’s funny, sad, beautiful, and feels true. Through it was filmed over fifty years ago, most children, especially boys 10-15 years old, will still be able to relate.
Small Change L’argent de poche
L’argent de poche or “Small Change” is another great film about children by François Truffaut, that is even more accessible than “The 400 Blows,” since there are children of all ages in it, and it’s in color. Very funny, very touching, very real, I cannot imagine someone not liking this.
The City of Lost Children
Another French film, this is probably my riskiest pick because it carries an “R” rating. It is frightening at times, and I believe there might be some nudity, but at its base it’s a fairy-tale. Children who are drawn to the fantastical, scary, and slightly strange will enjoy it. “The City of Lost Children” is by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie, Delicatessen) French cinema’s answer to Terry Gilliam, except Jeunet is better at sustaining storylines. It deals with scary subject matter, such as the stealing of dreams, and has plenty of nightmare-worthy visuals, but kids can handle a lot of that much better than adults often think. Watch it for yourselves first, and make your own decisions, but I think there is definitely an audience of older children who would completely fall in love with this film.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Forget Tim Burton’s version that is supposedly more faithful to Roald Dahl’s original children’s book. What I’ve learned about Roald Dahl is that the movie adaptations of his books are generally better than the books, I think the original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory exemplifies that, as does the next movie on this list, and Wes Anderson’s recent take on “The Fantastic Mr. Fox.” This is another movie that tends to scare some children and some adults, but as you’ve probably learned by now, I think children’s movies that have some scary elements to them are often exponentially better than those that try to gloss frightening things over. “Willy Wonka” remains very funny, slightly strange, and always enjoyable. Gene Wilder will forever be Willy Wonka.
“The Witches”
As promised, another Roald Dahl adaptation. “The Witches” was directed by Nicholas Roeg (Walkabout, The Man Who Fell To Earth) with creatures and special effects by Jim Henson. The main child actor is not great, but the story is, especially the beginning, which is embedded above. I think the thing I love most about “The Witches” is how frightening it is. It feels like an old Brothers Grimm fairy tale in some ways, a girl gets stuck in a painting, parents die, witches try to rid the world of all children, excellent! Once again, maybe too scary for the younger ones, but an older child interested in creepy folklore and fairy tales would certainly enjoy it.
The Spirit of the Beehive (El espíritu de la colmena)
This Spanish film is one of the most visually stunning movies I’ve ever seen. I guess I’m not sure how many children would like it, but it is one of my favorite films with a young protagonist. It is an allegorical film set during the Spanish civil war, a young girl sees “Frankenstein” at her local movie theater, and becomes obsessed with the monster. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen this, and may be the odd one out in this list, but I couldn’t make a list of movies with young protagonists without mentioning this one.
And finally…
The Secret of Roan Inish
I watched this John Sayles’ film for the first time a few weeks ago, and was blown away. If your child loves mermaids, but you’re tired of Ariel and company, give this Irish mermaid (selkie) film a try; lyrical, lovely, understated, and enchanting, you won’t regret it if you do.
