Because we collectively fell in love with Buster Keaton after watching a couple of his features and realized we needed to sample some shorts too. We ended up watching them all -- and, although we'd recommend the whole pile, we think the best ones for families are The High Sign and The Scarecrow.
Specs:
Length varies, usually about 20 minutes, all black and white silents.
Our family's average rating (on a scale of 1-10):
7.17 The Scarecrow
7.5 The High Sign
More about the film and our response to it:
Buster Keaton shorts are awesome -- especially the ones that were under his complete creative control. From 1920 to 1923, Keaton made almost 20 short comedies -- starring in, writing and directing them. He had the kind of creative genius that is hard to explain to modern people because we are so inclined to be condescending about the past. I don't speak of his genius in that remote, distant way people speak of things that are good for you, but in a way that honors vibrant, real, accessible brilliance that is still profoundly good.
These films make perfect family viewing because they are funny and because kids of any age can appreciate the amazing physical comedy of Keaton. Almost all his films have an upbeat positive feel, even though his characters are often down on their luck. The message, if you can call it that, is usually to keep plugging away despite adversity. His comedy is never mean-spirited and although it's called "slapstick", isn't the kind of poking in the eye, hitting with pie sort of antics we've come to associate with that word. There is a clear intelligence and subtle irony that plays throughout these films.
The two we're singling out are The High Sign and The Scarecrow. They may not be his best, artistically speaking, but they are both very funny, easy to watch, and include really cool intricate mechanical devices that will capture your kids' imagination and make them want to start building stuff.
Iconic shot:
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