You're Invited to Mary-Kate and Ashley's Party

These direct-to-video productions from the late '90s feel very low-budget by today's standards, and their saccharine nature may wear thin on parents. As far as entertaining kids, though, they still manage to do the trick, thanks in large part to the delightful twin stars at the helm. For all the notoriety that would follow them in their older years, these movies are a testament to Mary-Kate and Ashley's exuberance and genuine talent in front of a camera, particularly in their younger years.

Even though there's no real point to any of the stories -- aside from celebrating the hostesses' unrestricted access to every whim, it would seem -- they're fun to watch and will appeal to kids' imaginations. These are no run-of-the-mill parties, after all; they usually involve some jet-setting, shopping trips, and lots of input from friends. Naturally it's tough to rein in the sense of excitement such productions may inspire, but these elaborate versions of simpler events such as slumber parties and campouts provide a good opportunity to point out to your kids the differences between real life and what we see on TV.