Gone With the Wind (1939)

Why it's here:
I went back and forth on this a long time. GWTW is one of my favorites and I knew it intimately. I wasn't sure whether it would be too tense for the boys, too racist, too long, too romantic. . . I just wasn't sure. Ultimately, I thought, why not just put it in the player and see.

Specs:
4 hours long. We recommend watching over two nights. There is a perfect stopping point at intermission. Glorious Technicolor

The film is set in the Civil War era.

Our family's average rating (on a scale of 1-10):
8.75, making it our second favorite film in the festival.

More about the film and our reaction to it:
One of my favorite anecdotes to share with people about our film festival has to do with this film. After having watched over 30 years of film and about 40 titles, when we got to Gone With the Wind, we were all astounded by its quality. You just can't realize the full power of a film sometimes if you haven't placed it in the context of what comes before. GWTW is simply an amazing landmark film, so grand in scope and sweep, so extraordinarily beautiful to look at and with such a big story, that we could not help but be very impressed. Had I simply popped this in to the player back in May and asked my family to enjoy it "cold", I doubt whether they would have been able to.

As it is, we loved learning about the Civil War, the genteel South just before war hit, and the protracted period of Reconstruction after it. GWTW allows you to see the toll of war on people in a powerful way. Beloved characters die, people lose their land and struggle simply to eat. Characters make hard choices and undertake ruthless acts that they might not have ever done before the war. Babies are born, people struggle with love, and life goes on. We were all deeply moved by the drama. There is cruelty and kindness in relationships and some pretty tense, grown-up themes. But my kids loved the movie, because it is so brilliantly made.

The film is long, but I can't say that it is "too long", because the pacing is so good and so strong throughout that it ends up feeling just right. We couldn't wait to cue it back up the second night. The Technicolor is beyond breathtaking. This has to be one of the most beautiful films ever made. The costumes and landscapes are rich, but not too jarringly colorful. Scenes are muted, with wonderfully appropriate lighting. The film is stuffed with extras and deep acting as well as richly scored. It has massive spectacle value.

As for parent concerns: there are several scenes of violence - two of the most intense come when a soldier's leg is amputated and when Scarlett shoots a man in the face. There is a fair amount of implied sexuality - and allusions to a woman of ill-fame, though nothing overt is shown. And, there are multiple issues of racism. Obviously, the picture deals with the Civil War, there are issues of class, wealth, snobbery, and ruthlessness.  But none of these is necessarily as problematic for family viewing as the problem of unfamiliarity with slower-moving, lushly dramatic story telling. We got a lot of value out of GWTW, but another family without the backdrop of experience with classics might not.

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Ninotchka (1939)

Why it's here:
We wanted to include something by Greta Garbo, the iconic, elusive figure of the silent era who transitioned well to talkies despite her accent. We went for this one, an unusual Garbo comedy.

Specs:
Almost two hours, black and white.

Our family's average rating (on a scale of 1-10):
7.0
Noteworthy that everyone in the family rated it a "7."

More about the film and our reaction to it:
This is a funny story that is well-acted and enjoyable. The word "solid" comes to mind. It wasn't our favorite; it wasn't remarkable; but it is very good and fun to watch. Garbo is funny as the wooden Russian who comes to Paris to check up on the sale of crown jewels that has been delayed. Ninotchka is a comedy/romance about the clash of cultures and ideology that ensues -- which is deepened after she falls in love.

Garbo's performance here must have been the prototype for Seven of Nine in Star Trek Voyager. They share the same clueless, deadpan, lack of emotion and humanity. It is a nice performance.

The plot is a bit hard to follow, but it doesn't matter. The charm comes down to the very nice comedic performances and to the great contrast between stark Bolshevik ideology and the lush Paris lifestyle.

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Mr Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Why it's here:
An American government lesson wrapped inside a wonderful film.

Specs:
Just over two hours, black and white. Available on dvd.

Our family's average rating (on a scale of 1-10):
7.5

More about the film and our reaction to it:
The movie starts out funny, then graduates, slowly, to a story that is tense, a bit unsettling and very powerful. We liked all the phases of the film, especially the fantastic and earnest performance of Jimmy Stewart.

Stewart plays Smith, an innocent and idealistic youth-leader with a strong local following who, for odd reasons, ends up being called up by the governor of his state to replace the state senator who has died unexpectedly -- at a very sensitive time. A pork barrel measure regarding a dam, is about to go to ballot and the powers that be needed the deceased senator to get the measure through. Now, they are simply hoping that Smith will act as a puppet and not cause trouble.

But they weren't banking on Smith's deep commitment to the honor of the role and the integrity of the political process. Smith wants to do something important. Unfortunately, what he wants to do conflicts directly with what the powerful forces in his state expected of him. Luckily, Smith has the help of Saunders (played by Jean Arthur) a woman who despite living in a man's world, is a real politico who knows how to work the system.

The kids were fascinated with the political theater -- and the movie, knowing that it is providing a special glimpse into our government, plays that up to the hilt. We had a lot of great conversations about power and politics and techniques like filibusters. The film is beautifully filmed with a sense of love and respect for our Capital, even though the story is rooted in the harsh realities of politics.

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Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Why it's here:
We have seen this movie many times before and we love it. Because we watched the 1922 Douglas Fairbanks version in the festival, it seemed only right to nod to Errol Flynn (again) as well.

Specs:
About an hour and a half, gorgeous Technicolor. Available on dvd.

Our family's average rating (on a scale of 1-10):
8.33

More about the film and our reaction to it:
The Robin Hood story is such a compelling one and has to be one of the most frequently adapted tales ever. I haven't seen every single adaptation out there, but can still say with certainty that Errol Flynn's version is the best. :)

The level of intensity and violence is checked with a good deal of humor and joyous bounding through the forests, so that it feels good to watch. The audience is left in no doubt that times are difficult and people are facing harsh conditions (both political and financial). These themes aren't glossed over, but the overwhelming impression is that of good-hearted people doing the right thing and overcoming adversity while still retaining their good cheer. For these reasons, it makes great family viewing, especially for families who want to experience Robin Hood but aren't going to go the PG-13 (i.e. the Russel Crow, British TV series, or Kevin Costner) route to the story.

Even for those who do enjoy the more graphic modern versions of Robin Hood, there is still a great deal to love about this early one. For starters, this is one of the best early examples of a  Technicolor film. It is absolutely breathtaking to enjoy in vibrant color. Then, there is the great energy and joy with which the Robin Hood story is told. There is a deep talented cast (including Alan Hale, Claude Rains, Olivia de Havilland, and Basil Rathbone). But probably best of all, is Errol Flynn's exuberant star-turn as Robin. Flynn is a compelling presence. He makes Robin cheeky, smart, confident and exciting.

There is a reason this is a classic - it is an extremely well made film.

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Bringing Up Baby (1938)

Why it's here:
We'd seen this film before and knew it was fantastic; we included it in the festival to enjoy it again and to help spread the word.

Specs:
About an hour and a half, black and white. We found it on VHS tape from the library. Oddly there was a long waiting list for the title. So clearly others have good taste too!

Our family's average rating (on a scale of 1-10):
8.5

More about the film and our reaction to it:
This is truly a great movie!  Laugh aloud funny throughout, it is fast-paced, silly and surprising. It benefits from Katherine Hepburn in a ditzy role and Cary Grant in a nerdy one. The two are always good together and this film showcases their individual and collective appeal to tremendous advantage. The whole cast is deeply talented and everyone seems to get into the absurdness of the film.

The plot turns on the paleontologist David (played by Grant), seeking a huge donation from a Mr. Peabody, and tracking him to a golf club where David instead encounters Susan (Hepburn). As she blazes into his space, playing his ball and crashing, then taking, his car, David realizes he is seriously in over his head and wants only to get away. But for her part, Susan falls in love quickly and does all in her power to keep him around. When her brother sends her a beautiful tame leopard ("Baby") they all end up at Susan's aunt's country home attempting variously to keep track of the leopard, find David's "intercostal clavicle" dinosaur bone, deny David's identity, and stay out of the crazy house, or the big house. It's good stuff.

One of the more amazing things about the movie is the beautiful leopard "Baby," played by Nissa who seems really quite gentle and reportedly got on splendidly with Hepburn - who clearly was not afraid of the cat. The movie made use of optical effects (split screen and rear screen projection) and puppets in order to portray the cast interacting with Baby. These effects are really well done and never distracting.

It is extremely family friendly a picture -- kids (and grown ups) are bound to enjoy it. My kids were laughing fit to burst and we can't wait to watch it again. We recommend it highly.

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Heidi (1937)

Why it's here:
Shirley Temple was one of the biggest movie stars ever. And Heidi is a classic and well-loved children's story. It seemed like a winning combination.

Specs:
An hour and a half, black and white. (Also available in "colorized" on the dvd we watched.)

Our family's average rating (on a scale of 1-10):
7.38

More about the film and our reaction to it:
I was pleasantly surprised by the film. Shirley Temple (here at about age 9) is a consummate performer and, though precocious, is not irritating at all. She is actually cute as can be, and her relationship with her grandfather is quite moving.

The story, which starts out as a very affirming tale of warm family bonds, as Heidi overcomes gruff grandpa's barriers, becomes surprisingly tense part way through when Heidi's aunt kidnaps her and Heidi is forced to live with a rich family and kept from her grandfather. I'm sorry to say that we were not familiar with the plot of the story, so I can't speak to how closely this follows the book, but the movie is dramatic, nerve-wracking and at times a bit frightening. I was certainly surprised by its intensity, having expected something much more juvenile.

And I might be mistaken, but I think there is only one musical number in the whole movie. It doesn't view at all like a musical - and is almost more like an adventure story. And therein probably lies its continuing appeal. The scenery is beautiful -- even in black and white. (In fact, we actually started viewing the colorized version first and hated the artificial look it gave to the scenery. It really was better in its original form).

This is a good story that all but the youngest and most sensitive in your family are likely to enjoy if they keep an open mind.

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My Man Godfrey (1936)

Why it's here:
We added My Man Godfrey after watching The Thin Man. We wanted to see more William Powell. And I remembered how much I'd loved this film years ago, especially the charming performance of Carole Lombard.

Specs:
An hour and a half, black and white. Available on dvd. I got it from my local library.

Our family's average rating (on a scale of 1-10):
8.25

More about the film and our reaction to it:
This is a really funny movie. Actually, just reading the premise on IMDB makes me chuckle: "a scatterbrained socialite hires a vagrant as the family butler." I mean, seriously. That's some good stuff. This is a "screwball" comedy, probably a better example of the style than It Happened One Night - the action is fast-paced, the dialog witty, the characters do silly, absurd (screwbally) things and you sit back and watch in a bit of a daze.

Carole Lombard was such an enormous talent. Here she is ditzy and very sweet and also reeks of "substance", even though she plays and airhead. She is an interesting mix of qualities and I found myself really mourning that she had died young and deprived us of her incredible comedic talents. There is an interesting backstory here between Lombard and William Powell (who plays the butler with whom she falls immediately in love - as does pretty much every other woman in the household). Although they were divorced in real life, Powell actually recommended Lombard as the perfect woman for the lead in the film! Talk about amicable. And they have a great chemistry. Incidentally, Lombard was then married to Clark Gable and I told the boys the story of how after Lombard died in a plane crash, Gable was distraught and joined the air force himself.

But, back to the movie...This was my husband's clear favorite in the festival. The acting is just astonishingly excellent throughout all the main and supporting roles. (We especially loved Lombard's parents. The mom, played by Alice Brady, is the funniest character in the whole movie and Eugene Pallette as the dad is sweet and sympathetic.) The dialog is hilarious and though it contains serious messages about the depression and snobbery and class divisions, it doesn't hit you on the head with them.

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San Francisco (1936)

Why it's here:
I had seen this movie years ago and found it exciting and powerful. The depictions of the San Francisco earthquake are so realistic you have to remind yourself that they aren't actual footage of the event. Very evocative.

Specs:
2 hours, Black and white. I couldn't find the dvd anywhere so we had to rent it on Amazon.
The film is set in 1906.

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

More about the film and our reaction to it:
Unfortunately, the film wasn't quite as good as I'd remembered. But it's still well worth watching. The problem is that it can't quite decide what it wants to be: a rough and tumble Gable male-bonding film, a romance, a musical, or a disaster film. It does all four very well, but your family isn't likely to respond to all the parts equally. In our family, for instance, the music numbers were too many and too long, the dramatic romance also was a bit much. But, once the earthquake happened, well then we were riveted. Families should know that the story is very sad. This is a disaster film and people are shown screaming for lost family members and mourning their dead. Although it has a religious-themed uplifting ending, it will likely inspire some tears.

San Francisco is a lush epic of grand scale and as such provides large scale entertainment value! The scenes of the earthquake are simply incredible. It had to have been a very expensive picture to make judging alone from the number of buildings brought to rubble.

One of the best parts of the movie is its talented cast. MacDonald (as Mary Blake) and Gable (as Blackie Norton) reportedly had trouble getting along off camera, but you would never know it from their chemistry in the film. They have to overcome their class divisions and a variety of misunderstandings in order to find each other, but they are appealing and sympathetic and you want it to work out for them. MacDonald had an incredible voice and belts out the tune San Francisco so many times that we have that permanently scored in our memories now. The film also benefits from Spencer Tracy's touching performance as the priest who is both Blackie's childhood friend and a pillar of support to Mary.

Though the film is long and gets bogged down a bit at times, it is excellent viewing.

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