Film

Passing It Down

One of the things I looked forward to the most when I became a parent. To show a beloved movie to my children, and share in the feeling of joy and awe, is a common rite of passage for every parent. It's the modern day version of a family heirloom.

These boys get in quite a pickle.

I’ve loved movies from a young age. It's where my passion, joy, and sense of wonder was instilled in me. I remember vividly, so many of the movies that formed me and the feeling they evoked when I first saw them— Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, E.T., Jurassic Park, The Sandlot-- to name a few.

I’ve relived these movies dozens and dozens of time throughout my life, always reigniting these feelings from childhood. What is so magical about movies is the shared experience with others, both of your friends then, but also with people through time. The transcendent nature, born from the time capsule form of the medium, is what makes movies classics. They create an ability to connect through and pass along a common experience, over generations.

This shared experience was one of the things I looked forward to the most when I became a parent. To show a beloved movie to my children, and share in the feeling of joy and awe, is a common rite of passage for every parent. It's the modern day version of a family heirloom. I'm finally hitting that stage. Last night, my wife and I let our oldest child, seven, stay up past normal bedtime to watch perennial baseball classic The Sandlot.

We’ve had it near the of our watchlist with him for a while-- 'You're killing me Smalls', is a common refrain of my wife. As with any movie, you are considering if it’s appropriate for a kid of a certain age to watch, we felt it was the right time.

Now, this whole framework I've laid out is littered with caveats and gotchas. Does the film hold up? Are today's kid's sensibilities different from mine? What is the child's personal taste? Are we as parents over indexing our nostalgia?

We needed to see this endeavor as an experiment, keeping an open mind about the reaction and results. Hope for the best, expect the disappointment.

I'm pleased to report, it went great! My son loved the movie, laughing out loud, stayed awake till the end, and is even reciting lines from the movie. It was a resounding win-- and relief-- on many levels. Not only were we sharing our memories with him, we got to experience those feelings all over again— and the movie held up for us, the parents.

I could feel him connecting with the story, seeing himself in the boys-- the hijinks, the jokes, the adventure.

Though, the true tell (and hope) will be if he wants to watch it each summer during baseball season as an annual tradition.

Overall, this was a win, and this experience gives me a positive outlook for future movies I intend to share with him. As stated earlier, I'm staying realistic that not every movie may grab him like it did for me. And he will also have his own movies that will mean something to him, like my list does for me.

Movies bring me such joy, with a selection of favorites that I adored while growing up, not only in adolescent but through adulthood. Sharing these iconic (or personal) films is something I see doing with both of my sons for a long time.

In the meantime I would be down for another watch of the Sandlot.

P.S. — For fun, here is my current list of must-watch with my son over the next five years. Let us know what is on your Pass It Down list.