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Swiss Family Robinson
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Where the Kids Are
Old Yeller
Rated G
1957, Disney
The Parent Trap
Rated G
1961, Disney
Pollyanna
Rated G
1960, Disney
Swiss Family Robinson
Rated G
1960, Disney
Recently, over dim sum, a friend of mine expressed his displeasure for the current blockbuster hit, Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones. "All of its effects are there for the purpose of creating more violence," he said, shaking his head. "It's too violent for kids."
On the far side of the table, another friend's 11-year-old son adamantly disagreed. "I like Star Wars a lot more than Spider-Man," the boy said, raising his voice above the chatter. "There wasn't enough blood in Spider-Man."
In one instant, I heard two distinct analyses determining whether recent kid-friendly blockbusters are really all that kid-friendly. Their different opinions made me think twice about some of the family movies I've been watching at home lately.
There is no bloodletting in director Ken Annakin's 1960 adaptation of Johann Wyss' classic adventure, Swiss Family Robinson. Yet, I'm confident that today's kid audiences would react favorably to the film's South Seas setting and lighthearted action. The shipwrecked Robinsons are likable heroes. Their island dream house is a clever playground. Most importantly, the pirates who invade their newfound Eden are worthy foes.
In the time-tested genre of boy-and-his-dog movies, director Robert Stevenson's Old Yeller remains one of Hollywood's best. Disney regular Tommy Kirk is the Texas farm boy who befriends a scrappy yellow hunting dog with heartbreaking consequences. Old Yeller authentically captures the feel of an 1860s Texas farm. Still, its themes of family and loss are what continue to resonate today.
Both Swiss Family Robinson and Old Yeller treat kid audiences with intelligence and respect. Surprisingly, the storytelling is just as bright on the girl's side.
Some 40 years after its initial release, it's impossible not to have a different reading of Disney's family drama, Pollyanna. Yet I'm not surprised by how well the film continues to stand up.
In writer/director David Swift's remake of the 1920 Mary Pickford film, Hayley Mills plays the orphaned "glad girl" who brings cheer to the lives of her stern Aunt Polly (Jane Wyman) and the other residents of her small New England town. Mills' Pollyanna performance won her a special Oscar for juvenile performance. Smart, likable and engaging, Mills proved worthy of the recognition.
One year later, Mills exchanged her period straw hat and hair bow for 1960s fashions in a Disney slapstick comedy, The Parent Trap. Three years before Patty Duke performed a similar stunt on the TV's The Patty Duke Show, Mills pulled double duty, playing identical twins who meet at the same summer camp and team up to orchestrate a romance between their separated parents (Brian Keith and Maureen O'Hara). Mills is impressive, playing the twin sisters believably. By mixing slapstick gags and sophisticated dialogue, The Parent Trap is witty and fast-paced fun.
It's easy to forget how much of an imprint Mills made on young girls in the early '60s. She was a product of her Mickey Mouse era, yet she managed to create some substantial characters. She sidestepped fairy-tale princesses, Gidget-like beach bunnies and '60s pop culture embarrassments. Her innocent face was scrubbed clean with Dove soap and Noxzema, but she still managed to possess a feisty sense of self.
Today, Mills would star in the live-action Scooby-Doo and team up with those bland Full House twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The era of feminism is old history. Yet, I can't help thinking that Mills would have suffered in today's Hollywood climate. In fact, with a film like Pollyanna to her credit, I think Mills fared better 40 years ago.
Old Yeller grade: A.
The Parent Trap: B.
Pollyanna grade: A.
Swiss Family Robinson grade: B.
Contact Steve ramos: sramos@citybeat.com
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