Houdini

As a portrait of a self-made man who won fame and glory as a result of his own hard work, daring, and talent (not to mention a hefty dash of showmanship), Houdini is a winner. It's the type of historical drama that parents will want kids to see (those who are old enough to not get upset and cry while watching Houdini struggle near death under the frozen surface of a river, that is). It's also twisted and bizarre enough that kids will want to watch. Houdini's escapes start out as simple jailbreaks and keep getting more and more dangerous until he's plummeting off bridges and getting buried alive.

Parents also will appreciate that Houdini (the real man and the on-screen one) is a man who loved and stuck by his wife, played by the charming Kristen Connolly, whom audiences may recognize as the Final Girl from The Cabin in the Woods. Houdini paints a realistic portrait of a long-lasting marriage, one that isn't perfect but endures nonetheless. The focus here, though, is mainly on Houdini as a tortured artist who wanted more, more, more -- until the very end.