Parents' Guide to Blink

This compassionate chronicle of the Pelletier family's adventures offers what so many traveling families on YouTube can't: stakes, meaning, and gorgeous cinematography. The global expedition captured in Blink has a purpose and a ticking clock: Parents Edith and Sebastian are preparing their children for a life without sight. The kids, as young as they may be, understand this and are learning to accept their diagnosis and eroding vision. So while the family is reveling in their adventure, they're also grieving a future that will be different from what they previously anticipated. Directors Edmund Stenson and Daniel Rohar don't do anything to manipulate viewers' emotions, but when the kids ask questions or discuss their fate, parents who watch the movie are likely to feel tears rolling down their cheeks.

And sighted kids who watch may come away with a greater appreciation of their ability. They may look around with a deeper awareness of their environment, taking it in and thinking about what it would be like to have this sense removed. Additionally, as many parents can confirm, kids aren't always appreciative of international travel. The Pelletier family show you the key. There are no museums, churches, or ancient ruins on their agenda. Instead, the family creates a checklist with input from everyone and then dives into experiencing remote areas up close, staying with locals, and filling their days with action, animals, and nature. (And, yes, they're definitely privileged to be able to do all of this, even though they tried to follow a $200-per-day budget.) For families who watch together, Blink may remind you to be grateful for everything you have, especially time spent together.