It’s been a great year for film, and that’s especially true when you consider the wide variety of movies you can enjoy with your family. Looking back at a few of my favorites from 2017, here are some recommendations you can watch (or re-watch) with viewers of various ages. Enjoy, and here’s to a great 2018!
Rating: PG-13, for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, thematic elements, and some disturbing images.
This is on my top-10 list of the year’s best films; it’s also my favorite blockbuster of 2017. Director Matt Reeves’ final movie in the most recent Planet of the Apes trilogy features a dazzling mix of powerful action sequences and resonant emotion, with a mesmerizing motion-capture performance from the great Andy Serkis as the ape leader Caesar. But even though the film features apes on horseback – many of whom can talk, and some of whom are funny – it definitely isn’t for the entire family. As the title suggests, the apes are at war with humans over control of the planet. That means massive battle scenes, which are rendered through incredible special effects. Woody Harrelson is chilling as the humans’ leader, the cruel (and probably crazy) Colonel, making quiet, intimate moments just as startling as the louder, larger ones. Apes are held prisoner and whipped, beaten, and forced into hard labor. And the bold, percussive score from master composer Michael Giacchino contributes greatly to the general sensation of dread and suspense. But for more mature kids – around 11 and older – it’s a spectacular, thrilling time.
Rating: R, for language, sexual content, brief graphic nudity and teen partying.
Yes, it’s rated R, but just hear me out on this. Lady Bird is an excellent choice for the teenagers in your house – especially teen girls – and maybe even viewers around 12 if they’re ready for material that’s a little more mature. It’s definitely one of the year’s best films, and it may even end up winning the Academy Award for best picture in a couple of months. Writer and actress Greta Gerwig makes her smart and insightful directing debut with this semi-autobiographical, coming-of-age story. Two-time Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan does some of her best work yet as a high-school senior named Christine who insists that everyone call her Lady Bird. She can’t wait to fly far away from the mundane trappings of suburban Sacramento, California, for the bright lights and intellectual heights of New York City. But first, she must find out who she is and what kind of place she hopes to occupy in the world. There’s frank talk about sex, and we see Lady Bird awkwardly lose her virginity. There’s also teen partying – drinking and smoking – as well as language throughout. But Lady Bird is so funny, sweet and true, I can’t recommend it enough for the young people in your life who are struggling to navigate their own adolescent angst.
