My Side of the Mountain (1969)

Why it's here:
We were familiar with this classic and often recommended 1959 novel and were interested to see its (only?) adaptation

Specs:
About and hour and a half. Rated G

Our family's rating (on a scale from 1- 10):
A solid 7.

More about the film and our reaction to it:
We were all curious how well they managed to adapt the story given that there are very few characters and the whole movie centers on a boy's running off to the wilderness. The solitude was dealt with by creating a raccoon character with whom the boy (Sam) could convey thoughts and experiences.

Our impression of this movie was mixed, and similar to the way we felt about Born Free. It is good and solid, but really not amazing or spectacular. It feels very much like a 60s-era nature film and reminds me of shows like Wild Kingdom I used to see on TV.  We give it a solid recommendation for families who wish for a beautiful and wholesome movie to enjoy together.

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Funny Girl (1968)

Why it's here:
For the chance to see and hear Barbara Streisand, who shouldn't be overlooked as a major film star. She won an Oscar for her role for Funny Girl - which was also her first screen role.

Specs:
2 1/2 hours; color
Set in the 1920s

Our family's average rating on a scale from 1-10:
8.0. In fact, every one of us rated it an "8."

More about the film and our reaction to it:
You expect teen and preteen boys to enjoy certain kinds of movies. Abbot and Costello pictures, the On the Road series, the Maltese Falcon....  But, when they love a movie like Funny Girl -- detailing the life of stage star Fanny Brice -- that simply speaks volumes to the QUALITY of a motion picture. It has to be a great film if it won over people who are so far out of its target demographic. And it was. [In fact, my husband, who was working in his study and had not planned to watch, came in to see it; it hooked him from the next room].

Barbara Streisand and her incredible voice and performance are the undisputed anchor for this movie. She is so watchable. Everything else -- from the plot, to supporting performances, cinematography -- is  a support to her charm, comedy and talent. We also enjoyed seeing Omar Sherif again, this time in a very different role from where we saw him last (Lawrence of Arabia).

The film is long, but, again, it speaks to how well made and solid it is that we didn't mind. We watched it over two nights and were all anxious to sit back down and enjoy the second half.

It is clear that we are now deep into the modern-era 60s! We've seen, in this festival, many films dealing with marriage and divorce, but this one felt like a first, in that the marriage ended (sorry spoilers!) for reasons that are distinctly depressing: people who love each other, where neither is at fault, cannot make a go of it for reasons of pride and introspection. Though set in the 20s, the film is stewed in its (present) time; It feels like a 60s flick. Parents should be aware of some very sexy bikini style costumes on full display in an early musical number! Those costumes were certainly not period appropriate.

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Planet of the Apes (1968)

Why its here:
My brother, again. Its lucky he told us to watch it though, because I had the impression, shaped by years of inferior sequels that have diluted the franchise, that this movie would be cheesy and dumb. The amazing thing is, the original Planet of the Apes is a FANTASTIC film.

Specs:
Almost 2 hours. Color.

Our family's average rating on a scale from 1 - 10:
8.0

More about the film and our reaction to it:
This movie is still compelling and powerful and only just slightly affected by 60-s era cheesiness. As everyone knows, it tells the story of a small group of astronauts who have been traveling in space and are about to return home. Their space ship crash lands, while they are in stasis and when they come to, and disembark, they find themselves in a strange place. It is a good half hour into the film before you first realize (along with our astronauts) that they have landed on a planet that is ruled by apes. And what's more, on this planet humans are present, but as primitive beings that can not speak and have no power.

Because everyone is familiar with the franchise, the retelling of these plot details may have lost some of the chilling effect it would have had in 1968. "Yes, we get it; how very odd for the tables to be turned in this way," you're thinking. "don't bore me."  But you'd be wrong.  Because this movie is so very well made, the unfolding of this troubling story is very disturbing and the realization of what these poor astronauts have come upon is highly unsettling.

As amazing as the plot themes still manage to be, the production itself is half the reason to watch.  The acting is incredible. The special effects (including the simian costumes/makeup) are impressive. The scenery and cinematography are evocative and gorgeous; and the musical score stirring.

The ending (which I wont reveal) is still a mind-blowing experience if you can manage to watch the film without first having it spoiled - which I would strongly recommend you attempt.

The movie is tense and very unsettling, rendering it perfect for the tween to grownup set. I wouldn't recommend it for those much younger as the power of the story will be lost on them while the details that make it incredible are unlikely to be those best appreciated by kids.

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The Love Bug (1968)

Why its here:
I remembered having watched the Love Bug as a child. But its turns out I was wrong. I'd never seen this film -- but probably one of the 1970s sequels. haha. In any case, I thought the boys would get a kick out of the VW Bug in its starring role.

Specs:
1 1/2 hours. Color.

Our family's average rating on a scale from 1 - 10:
6.5

More about the film and our reaction to it:
Solid, enjoyable film. Totally appropriate for family viewing and basically unobjectionable all around.  Kind of like Flubber or the Elvis film we saw, it is good to have a familiarity with these well-known films that are part of the American cultural experience.

The story weaves together a down-on-his-luck car racer and his funny roommate, with a villainous car dealer and his spunky employee, a sweet and stubborn Volkswagon and a gorgeous cross country motor race in California. (As I write this, its starting to remind me of The Great Race, too. Between the two of them, even though we rated The Great Race a bit higher and it is probably better cinema, families are much more likely to enjoy this one.)

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2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Why its here:
An iconic film of such stature that it just had to be included in the festival.

Specs:
2 1/2 hours. Color.

Our family's average rating on a scale from 1 - 10:
We had a definite split of opinion on this film in our family. Two of us rated it in the "9s", and two of us gave it a "6"! Our average was a 7.63.

More about the film and our reaction to it:
This has to be the film with the biggest split of opinion our family has seen in the festival.  My younger son and I were blown away -- mesmerized by every bit and dying to see it again in order to figure it out better. Truth is, I'll admit that, though we loved it, we didn't actually understand it. Its just that we were OK with that. For us, it was an all-consuming visual and auditory experience that we couldn't resist. [It is not surprising that he and I are also the family members with the greatest affinity for silent films. This movie is not heavy on plot, action or dialog, but rather, like silent movies, is more about images and introspection.]

On the other hand, while my husband and older son appreciated parts of the film, they could not love it. They were irritated by its lack of sense and only drawn in during certain parts -- like some of the climactic scenes involving Hal and other escapades out in space. We have heard no end of the following dialog: "Open the pod bay doors, Hal." "I'm afraid I can't do that, Dave" in our house since we watched it. There is no question that at times, they were spellbound, but overall, they were frustrated with the ending and the lack of plot.

Aside from the split of opinion, I think we could all agree that it was clearly an effective bringing-to-life of the director's vision and was extraordinarily well-made. For example: I had not seen the film before. We put in the dvd and sat back to watch. About 15 minutes in to it, all of a sudden it dawned on me that, having been made in the 1960s, the ape-men I was seeing were simply extraordinary. They couldn't have been actual non-human primates (and obviously weren't cg), yet they looked and moved so realistically, I could hardly believe I was watching human actors made up as ape-men. Yet that's what they were. I learned later that Kubrick had hired an expert mime to be in charge of the choreography/movements of these scenes and the primitive humans were all played by mimes. Details of care and deep thought come through in every moment of the picture.

Depending on what you and your family value and enjoy, those details and that vision may be enough to blow you all away, or you may be bored out of your minds, or even hate it. So while we aren't going to particularly recommend 2001 for families, I do suggest you consider it!

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Barefoot in the Park (1967)

Why its here:
Robert Redford and Jane Fonda are enough of a reason. But add a funny Neil Simon play, and this one is not to be missed.

Specs:
1 1/2 hours. Color.

Our family's average rating on a scale from 1 - 10:
8.0. We all gave it an "8"!

More about the film and our reaction to it:
We were all highly charmed by this film about the challenges of a young married couple. Their personalities are quite different, but they are passionate about each other. It feels very much like a play turned movie (which, of course, it is), with most of the action taking place in the newlywed's apartment. Although the story has depth and heart, it also has enough silly comedy moments that it appealed to everyone. In particular, the mother/mother-in-law and the telephone installation/repair guy gave us a lot to laugh at, is did the recurring joke about the many flights of stairs needing to be scaled to reach the apartment.

Both lead actors here show why they deserved stardom. They are not just beautiful to look at, but overflowing with charisma and interest. Their performances, and an excellent supporting cast, really make this film great.

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Batman (1966)

Why its here:
My brother made me do it : )

Specs:
1 1/2 hours. Color

Our family's average rating on a scale from 1 - 10:
6.4

More about the film and our reaction to it:
I'm not ashamed to admit it: I liked this film. There, I said it.  In fact, our collective rating would have been much higher had my husband not given it a "5". To enjoy this film, you have to accept it on its own terms - which are campy 60s hipster fluff. If you can do that, then you will probably like the movie too. (My husband, obviously, could not.)

Please do NOT attempt to show this film to modern kids without first disabusing them of any notion that it will be 'like' modern superhero movies (i.e. Batman, Spiderman, Iron Man). It couldn't be more different. It is intentionally cheesy.  Flat and slightly absurd, with silly dialog and special effects, it is hard to describe to someone who never saw the 60s TV show.  Having the right expectations is half the battle.

The film is an exploded episode of the show, with all your favorite villains making an appearance. Robin's iconic "holy [fill in the blank], Batman" makes several appearances: my favorite, "Holy heartbreak, Batman."

Is is groundbreaking meaningful cinema? No. Is it a silly and fun treat? Absolutely!

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Born Free (1966)

Why it's here:
I remembered it fondly and wanted to share with my family.

Spec:
Hour and a half; color

Our family's rating on a scale from 1 - 10:
7.0

More about the film and our reaction to it:
I remember being really blown away by this movie as a child. But now, after many many years, it felt rather weaker than I remembered -- strained on plot and a little too long. Its central message was incredible, but felt buried under other layers of plot that didn't always make sense. But still, this is a GOOD film. The cinematography and locations are still mind-blowing and the lion "actors" were incredible. For these reasons the film grabs your attention and holds on to it even when the plot diversions get to be a bit much.

Just like the underlying story, the actors are fine but not great. In fact, everything about the picture feels solid. We all responded to it in about the same way and its one of those rare films where we all gave it the same rating -- a "7." Chances are that your family, too, would enjoy it.

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The Great Race (1965)

Why its here:
A chance to see Tony Curtis (who is fabulous here) and Natalie Wood (who we hadn't seen since she was a child in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir). This was supposed to be a fantastic epic comedy.

Specs:
Color. Nearly 3 hours.

Our family's rating on a scale of 1-10:
6.75

More about the film and our reaction to it:
It may be a great race, but its only a good movie.  The Great Race is hampered in part by the fact that we've seen this movie, twice, before. Perhaps wishing to ride the success of Around the World in 80 Days and Its a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, this film canvases much the same metaphoric and literal territory, in glorious technicolor and at over 3 hours in length.  Problem is, the others did it better. There was plenty of time for my mind to wander and I found myself getting bored - a rare occurrence indeed during our festival.

The performances are strong and the film generally very well-made and entertaining, but the plot lacked focus and well, just dragged on. What is it with these 60s epic films?! Lawrence of Arabia, Its a Mad ... World, My Fair Lady and now The Great Race have all clocked in at 3 hours + and included intermissions. We are ready for something short!

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Viva Las Vegas (1964)

Why its here:
Seriously? Of course I wanted to include an Elvis film. The only decision was which? Viva Las Vegas is generally regarded as one of his best and has the bonus that we got to see Ann Margrock, of Flintstones fame (that's Ann-Margret to the rest of you.)

Specs:
Short! Not even an hour and a half and color. We could not get a hold of this movie anywhere and were going to have to rent it from Amazon (yikes!), when luckily TCM happened to play the flick on a Sunday afternoon that fit right in to our plans. Worked out great.

Our family's rating on a scale of 1-10:
6.75

More abut the film and our reaction to it.
Personally, I feel a little sheepish giving this film a "7" since it is not a strong film, really. It's absurd and far-fetched, weak on plot and cheap-ish on effects, BUT, it is a very entertaining and enjoyable film. Its simply fun to watch and that makes up for all its shortfalls.  A movie like this is wonderful because it knows just what it is and doesn't try to be anything bigger.

I am not a huge Elvis fan, but I've always found it so cool that he was both a major performing artist and film actor. OK, maybe he wasn't a great actor, but he made 31 films! and that's nothing to sneeze at. Elvis is nothing if not entertaining and charming and Ann-Margret is the same. Together they carry this senseless film and make us root for them.

Now for a brief rundown on the silliness. Elvis plays a rock & roll race car driver who has come to Vegas to compete in the Grand Prix. He meets his rival driver in the first few moments, clashes with him, gets angry and insulted then proceeds to hang out with him genially for the rest of the film. He also meets Ann-Margaret when her car breaks down, but she gets away before he learns who she is and, assuming she's a show girl, he spends the whole night (along with his enemy) searching for her by going to all the clubs. He finds her the next day at the pool of the hotel he's staying at, teaching swimming lessons. She doesn't like him and pushes him in pool. This causes his big wad of cash, that he was going to use to buy his race car's motor, to float away, so he gets a job at the hotel. One of our favorite bits is their first date, where these two broke kids both have a day off from the hotel, so they go dancing at the university, then motorcycle riding, then fly around in a helicopter, then go waterskiing. Those things don't cost money, right?

She alternately hates him and loves him -- the hate seemingly connected to her fear that he will die in a car crash, yet still finds room in her heart to introduce him to her dad (William Demerest who is very charming here) who plays a pivotal role by the end in helping Elvis compete (in the race and with his daughter). Somewhere in the midst of all of this, Elvis and Ann-Margaret also compete head on in a talent competition (where they both win ridiculous prizes) and have the opportunity to perform some dozen or so song numbers. I lost count. Given that this has been out for about 50 years, I won't consider this as a spoiler if I tell you that at the end Elvis wins the race! and then the director decided the movie was over so cut to a scene of the leads getting married. And the film ends. Boom.

Its not great cinema; it's Elvis cinema. And you just have to go with it.

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My Fair Lady (1964)

Why it's here:
We'd already seen all the more family oriented big musicals from this era, so we branched out.

Specs:
almost 3 hours, color

Our family's average rating on a scale from 1-10:
7.75

More about the film and our reaction to it:
The movie is of course fantastic! But, it is not as well-suited to family viewing as, say, Mary Poppins or the Sound of Music. The ideas are more complex and there are no kids or youth-centered points of view. It is strong on the subtle brilliance of the underlying ideas, which makes it a tremendous film, but may not become your kids most beloved of musicals. Luckily there is plenty of humor and fantastic performances which mitigate against the tremendous length of the film.

We loved the first part, but I do think spirits were dragging by the end and we were all glad to see the credits roll.

Much is made of the backstory of the making of this film... for instance how Audrey Hepburn was chosen for the role rather than have Julie Andrews reprise her theatrical performance, ... of how Hepburn, though she trained heavily, was not allowed to sing her own songs, ... of how Cary Grant was offered the lead role and said "not only will I not do it, I will not even go to see the film if Rex Harrison is not cast," ... of how Harrison was trepidatious of Hepburn's acting chops but came to feel that she was the best co-star he'd ever had.  The film and its making are just so ... interesting for some reason. It seems the film has an iconic status almost outside of its value as cinema. I guess then to be culturally literate, you need to see the film :)

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It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)

Why it's here:
Because we love comedy and, since this is the 60s, we were looking for anything to lighten the mood.

Specs:
Epic comedy - 3 hours long; color

Our family's average rating on a scale of 1-10:
8.0

More about the film and our reaction to it:
This is a funny, funny, funny, funny movie. Still. Yes, it's from 1963, but it is hilarious and an extremely well-made film that, though dated, holds up very well. In fact, it feels like you are actually watching the birth of modern comedy take place before you. This film is at the roots of Monty Python and Airplane! and much that came after.

If this gives you any indication of how much we liked the movie: the running time is 3 hours. We watched it twice this week.

The barrage of great icons of classic comedy in the film is nothing short of breathtaking and the humor ranges from silly, to irony, to absurd, to slapstick. But there's more -- The film also goes beyond the sidesplitting fun with a real plot and what seems like a true/honest purpose. I think this accounts for why the film still feels solid and relevant 50 years later.  It starts with a speeding car on a mountain road, and then several strangers who come upon the driver who lies dying after having crashed. The dying man discloses the location of a huge sum of money and a chase to find it is on -- complete with police secretly following. The film is simple - but simply well-made too.

So many scenes from this film have clearly inspired Hollywood movie making to this day, and I found myself constantly thinking: "I've seen that before". From the car chases, the money raining down from on high, the slow fleeing on a bicycle, the deadpan control tower guy trying to talk hapless accidental pilots down, the police operations-center scenes, the hardened cop on the line between good and bad, the guys all in traction at the end, and on and on and on this film includes many moments that have become quintessential in comedy.

All in all this has to be one of our most loved films of the festival so far and we highly recommend it for families!

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Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Why it's here:
Well, I'd, of course, heard of the film. But never seen it. In researching for the festival, this title came up again and again as one of the best films of all time. When I learned that Obi Wan Kenobi (Alec Guiness) was featured in the movie, I couldn't resist.  (The boys found him entirely recognizable by his voice, if not so much by his look, as this was 15 years prior to Star Wars.)

Specs:
Nearly 4 hours! Shot gorgeously in color.

Our family's average rating on a scale from 1 - 10:
8.13

More about the film and our reaction to it:
What an incredible, remarkable, film. Wow. Just wow. We can't say we loved it. We loved LOVED the first half. Its hard to imagine better cinema ever than the first half of the movie.  For us, the second half felt long and less compelling. More of the psychological and political depth and drama emerges in ernest in the second half making it less suitable for children -- unless they are the more mature type, readily engaged with that type of material.  There are several unsettling scenes of violence - mostly implied or not graphically shown. Other disturbing ideas will go over younger kids heads.

Our main character, Lawrence, as well as many (most) of the others -- and, come to think of it, the civilizations they represent -- is ambiguous: siting neither on the moral right or hated wrong, but somewhere in between. Although Lawrence's character flaws were foreshadowed in the beginning of the film, it was easy to forget them as we joined him on his amazing journey into the Arab world.  The film allows you to just plunge viscerally into that world. The cinematography is so gorgeous that "visceral" is the only word for it. You truly experience this land on an unimaginable level. My husband and I agreed that we have never seen such a beautifully shot film, ever. It was stunning.

We watched over two, well, really three nights. The first we were spellbound and in love with this film. We stopped just before intermission. The second night just didn't click for us in the same way. We put the film on and watched for another hour or so then found we were all just drifting and losing interest. So we put off the last half hour until the following night. Did I mention this film runs well over 3 1/2 hours long? Still, I wouldn't let that discourage anyone from seeing it who is interested. The film is glorious.

My hesitancy to recommend it for families lies in the fact that I don't think most modern kids would get into it the way mine did. If your kids are good with more serious themes in film and with disturbing and ambiguous truths, then go for it.  But its probably best to ease into classic film first before taking on this one.

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The Absentminded Professor (1961)

Why its here:
For some simple light-hearted fun.

Specs:
1 1/2 hours, black and white

Our family's rating on a scale of 1-10:
7.25

More about the film and our reaction to it:
This may not be a major moment in cinematic history, but its good. Really enjoyable and simple fun. We'd definitely recommend for family viewing.

This is the story of flubber. And some bad guys. And a good (absentminded) guy who is also a scientist, and of course his shaggy dog... whoops, that's a different movie. Only there is a dog here too. And he is in fact shaggy. But most of all, it's the story of a flying Model-T Ford and really, that's enough.  Don't expect anything more. ... And set your high modern production standards down at the door as you pick up your suspension of disbelief and just sit back and enjoy this fun movie.

As a side note, it was great to see Nancy Olson again, who we'd enjoyed so much in Sunset Blvd., in a very different kind of film.

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Inherit the Wind (1960)

Why it's here:
The double pull of a courtroom drama and an education-related theme. Had to pick it.

Specs:
2 hours

Our family's average rating on a scale of 1-10:
6.67

More about the film and our reaction to it:
We knew the famed Scopes "monkey" trial was the inspiration for the film, but we learned later that the film is actually a very accurate portrayal of the real-life events: the clash of famous lawyers, the climatic "placing the prosecuting attorney on the stand as the defense witness" move, the testimony from the bible, the odd twist of verdict and many other features of the film that screamed like cinematic licence to us, were actually real.

One of the pieces of the film that was so frustrating to me as a lawyer is that legal issues never seemed to come out - it all just felt like grandstanding and bluster. A good courtroom drama is hard to pull off. It has to be dramatic; but it should also be rooted in well-reasoned legal issues that carry a certain truth to them. This one didn't cut muster. The idea of a court trial dealing with a teacher who stands up and teaches according to his principals is such a good one for kids, but, truly, we wouldn't recommend this film broadly for families, simply because it does feel very dated and overblown.

We all agreed though that Spencer Tracy is a fabulous actor and we were glad to have another chance to see him in a courtroom drama. Unfortunately though, the last one was Adam's Rib (1949) and I can't say we liked that film any better.

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