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 Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 10:53 pm Post subject: |
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| DougRed4 wrote: | I know I showed them to my kids very young, but I don't know the exact ages. In retrospect, and while I very much appreciate the desire to protect one's kids (and find that admirable), I think the more important part is to make sure you're there to discuss troubling scenes with kids afterwards. Another thing that is there, for those that need it, is the fast-forward button. If you know your child has trouble handling certain stuff (and I agree that each child is completely different), you could always fast-forward over that scene with Anakin getting horrifically burned, etc.
This discussion (especially Cheshire's last post) reminds me of this, which - especially if you haven't seen it before - will give you a chuckle:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCjMGOvMghY |
Binks hates puppies, binks killed grandma, ....  I've never seen it before, but that was hilarious!
Drom, good luck on becoming a teacher. From experience, it isn't 'easy' to truly be a good teacher, but it is worth it if you are! From your example, it sounds like you are on the right path for that!
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Whill
Dark Lord of the Jedi (Owner/Admin)
Joined: 14 Apr 2008
Posts: 10435
Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA, Earth, The Solar System, The Milky Way Galaxy
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| Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 10:57 pm Post subject: |
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Drom, you'll be an awesome teacher!
| cheshire wrote: | I said it mostly tongue in cheek, and I hope it didn't come across wrong. And if so, I'm sorry.
Though yeah, I showed my kids ANH when they were 4 and 5. It worked well enough, though some of the intricacies of the plot went over their heads. They thought it was all about the rescue of Leia and the rest after that was mere denouement.
I showed each of them ESB individually before they went off to kindergarten. I was hesitant to do so, but I knew that going off the kindergarten increased the likelihood of plot spoilers, and I wanted to be present when the children had the full realization that (and spoiler alert for everyone here) Darth Vader was Luke's father. In the end, that backfired. The carbon freezing chamber was REALLY scary for the younger child, though Luke's hand being severed wasn't an issue. Though the reality of the statement didn't quite sink in. My eldest was left with the impression that Luke somehow had two fathers. One that Vader had killed, and the other was Vader. (I mean, hey, we're already suspending our belief for rubber puppets moving spaceships... WHY NOT!?!?) So, they had a lot of processing to do.
They got to see RotJ together shortly before the release of TPM 3D in theaters. It was a little rushed, I'll admit, as I wanted to show them the redemption part of the story a little later. But I thought they may never get a chance to see a SW film in the theater, and it wouldn't make sense to not have the whole story before seeing how it began. I prepped them by showing them sections of From Star Wars to Jedi: The Saga Behind the Saga, particularly at how the monsters from Jabba's palace were created, how the cast was costumed, and how the rancor was really only 18" high. I was kind of frightened by the Jabba scenes when they came out in the theater, and maybe I was projecting... but I thought if they saw the reality behind the fantasy it would make it an easier sell. That worked. They'd asked to see the making of again after that, now that they had the fantasy in the forefront of their minds, but things went well.
Then they saw TPM in the theater. They must have been 6 and 7. They loved it. They wanted to see it again and again on video, and I acquiesced. They would ask me questions on plot holes I couldn't answer, but that's fine. However, in the end, their exposure to RoTJ and TPM wound up being a good thing. Last year our dog died. Well... he had bone cancer and it'd metastasized everywhere before we'd found it. So, we made him comfortable as long as it was humane to do so. I told the kids that the dog would probably die soon, and yadda yadda yadda. I gave them as many answers as they had questions, but didn't volunteer too much info. After he'd been euthanized, one of the girls asked, "What did the vet do with his body?" And you just don't tell a 6 year old, "Ever heard of an incinerator?" Instead, I drew parallels for how Jedi show respect for their fallen comrades and how the Jedi do their funerals. That answer seemed pretty useful to them.
I showed them AotC just recently. they must have been 7 and 8 at the time (our eldest just turned 9). The Clone Wars tv series is on, and I thought it was reasonable to give them the movie background. They handled it well, though I'm still hesitant to show them RotS, as it has some REALLY intense scenes, and I know my youngest will not handle it particularly well. I get the sense that it will frighten the ever loving crap out of her to watch Padme die of... of... well, whatever. And I think the killing younglings thing will probably be too much for her, particularly as Anakin is still a good guy in the cartoons. I don't think she'll much understand that transition. Especially since both of them currently have a hard time distinguishing between the Rebellion and the Republic.
I'll be previewing EVII when it comes out, and am withholding judgement until that time. |
Thanks for sharing all this Chesh. I'm reluctant to show the making-of material to my son at all because I don't want to destroy the magic of the fantasy. Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain! You know? But I can see how that might make the monsters less scary. That's good food for thought because I honestly haven't even thought much about the monsters. I've been obsessing over things like sons having their mothers die in their arms or seeing the smoking, charred skeletons of their parents.
BTW, the medical droid doesn't know anything about the will to live. Padme was killed by the Dark Side (which the droid also didn't understand). And I'll be happy to spackle all the perceived plot holes for you and your children. 
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