Handpicked by Our Editors

Matilda
Age 8+
5

Matilda

Why We Recommend It

Clever Matilda handles bullying kids and berating adults with fantastical solutions that bend slightly dark and surreal.

Read our full review
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Gone With the Wind (2009, Rated NR)
Parents Need to Know...

that this epic drama, which is widely considered one of the top movies of all time, would never be rated G by today's standards. The film centers around the Civil War-torn South and includes several scenes of war-related violence, such as ... read more

Age 10+
Gone With the Wind
5
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Bonnie and Clyde (2008, Rated R)
Parents Need to Know...

that this was one of the first movies to get the newly minted R-rating. There are lots of shootouts and a violent finale in a hailstorm of bullets that was compared by commentators to the Vietnam War (yes it was) for graphic bloodshed -- ... read more

Age 14+
Bonnie and Clyde
4
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El Cid (2008, Rated NR)
Parents Need to Know...

that violence here includes men killed by swords and arrows, a (briefly shown) crucifixion, and horses fallen in combat. A fiance plots murder against her husband-to-be, and there's a brief hint of royal incest. There's a conflict between ... read more

Age 11+
El Cid
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The Jazz Singer (2007, Rated NR)
Parents Need to Know...

that this 1927 film -- the first "talkie" -- features Al Jolson performing in blackface, a practice that was popular in its day and may need to be explained to younger viewers and put into context. The use of blackface is certainly ... read more

Age 10+
The Jazz Singer
3
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The Pride of the Yankees (2007, Rated NR)
Parents Need to Know...

that this film, about baseball legend Lou Gehrig, is free of extreme violence or sexual references and Lou himself is a role model for his humility and work ethic. Young kids may be disturbed by Gehrig's illness and the talk of death, ... read more

Age 8+
The Pride of the Yankees
5
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The 400 Blows (2006, Rated NR)
Parents Need to Know...

that the 12-year-old boy at the center of this French-language drama is a budding juvenile delinquent who lies, steals, smokes, swears (in subtitles), and repeatedly runs away from home. The plain, unsentimental filmmaking style neither ... read more

Age 13+
The 400 Blows
4
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The Ten Commandments (1956) (2006, Rated G)
Parents Need to Know...

that there are potentially nightmare-inducing elements for small children, such as the Ten Plagues (which do not spare children and innocents). While essential parts are faithful to the biblical narrative, much of the late parts of Exodus ... read more

Age 9+
The Ten Commandments (1956)
4
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Bright Eyes (2005, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know...

that Shirley's mother dies in a car accident halfway through the film. Plus, Joy and her parents are mean and manipulative toward her. Shirley remains happy despite losing both parents, which may be confusing to kids. Shirley also ... read more

Age 8+
Bright Eyes
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The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (2005, Rated NR)
Parents Need to Know...

that morning-after nightmares about sex and unplanned pregnancy are at the center of this comedy, even though the scandalous material is presented within the boundaries of good taste (and old Hollywood's strict censorship code, though ... read more

Age 12+
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
5
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The Women (1939) (2005, Rated NR)
Parents Need to Know...

that this old-fashioned comedy will be appreciated most by filmgoers who delight in the culture, charm, and artistry of old movies. It will not be of interest to most younger kids. Divorce is a core plot device and a young child is shown ... read more

Age 13+
The Women (1939)
5
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Roman Holiday (2004, Rated NR)
Parents Need to Know...

that there's nothing very objectionable in this film. There's a scene in which the princess tries her first cigarette and another including a frenetic brawl on a barge. Both the male and female leads are good role models by the end of the ... read more

Age 9+
Roman Holiday
5
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Gaslight (2004, Rated NR)
Parents Need to Know...

that this classic suspense movie from director Alfred Hitchcock has some tense and scary scenes, but no violence or gore. read more

Age 12+
Gaslight
5
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Little Women (1949) (2003, Rated NR)
Parents Need to Know...

that this 1949 movie is adapted from Louisa May Alcott's classic story of family love and boasts a top-notch cast. The father of the main characters is off fighting in the Civil War. One of the main characters dies from illness, though it ... read more

Age 9+
Little Women (1949)
4
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The Great Dictator (2003, Rated G)
Parents Need to Know...

that there is a depiction of fascist thuggery, concentration camps, and violence directed against the "non-Aryans" (Jews, primarily; no specific mention of gypsies, Catholics, Poles, Slavs, etc.) of Europe. Chaplin's approach is way ... read more

Age 10+
The Great Dictator
5
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The War of the Worlds (1953) (2003, Rated NR)
Parents Need to Know...

that this movie is apocalyptic in its nature. The film deals with an attempt by Martians to invade and colonize the planet. Much of the film focuses on alien-on-human violence and the aliens' attempts to eliminate Earth's human occupants. ... read more

Age 14+
The War of the Worlds (1953)
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Treasure Island (1950) (2003, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know...

that there is much PG-worthy violence in this Disney outing, including fatal shootings and stabbings, and some of the pirates, when threatening the life of young Jim Hawkins, might seem truly nightmarish to very little viewers. Jim ... read more

Age 7+
Treasure Island (1950)
4
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The Thrill of It All (2003, Rated NR)
Parents Need to Know...

that like many of the Doris Day classics, this is a great movie with a misogynistic message: A housewife gets a job despite her husband's wishes but ultimately returns to her life at home. The problem lies not in her decision but in the ... read more

Age 10+
The Thrill of It All
4
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The Thief of Bagdad (2002, Rated NR)
Parents Need to Know...

that Jaffar kills the sultan of Basra, the princess' father. The scene is not graphic, but it's disturbing; the sultan walks willingly into the arms of a magic statue that strangles him. read more

Age 8+
The Thief of Bagdad
2
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A Christmas Carol (1951) (2002, Rated NR)
Parents Need to Know...

this adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic may be too frightening and dramatic for younger viewers. Serious themes are the center of this film: A man is forced to relive his greatest agonies; and there are two heart-wrenching deathbed ... read more

Age 7+
A Christmas Carol (1951)
5
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Sunset Boulevard (2001, Rated NR)
Parents Need to Know...

that this movie is one of the finest American films ever made, and a must for fans of ruthless black comedy. The humor is too sophisticated and the mood too dark to offer preteens much entertainment, but mature teens will appreciate this ... read more

Age 13+
Sunset Boulevard
5
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His Girl Friday (2001, Rated NR)
Parents Need to Know...

that while there's no sex or bad language in this film, you do see a character jump out the window to her death and many characters pull guns on one another. There's also a considerable amount of underhanded behavior. For instance, Walter ... read more

Age 12+
His Girl Friday
5
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