quote:

Originally posted by f2:
National Velvet
Lassie Come Home
A Dog of Flanders
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

I hope you mean the version of "A Dog of Flanders" that was changed to have a happy ending. In the book, both Nello and Patrasche die on the steps of the Cathedral, just when the Art Institute is trying to find him to admit him (at last).

Did anyone mention "My Friend Flicka" (1943)? There are also some more recent remakes ("Flicka" and "Flicka 2") but I've not seen them.

I won't recommend "Snowfire" (another horse movie)--it has some of the worst acting I've ever witnessed!

flashguy

While these are not movies, some old time tv series might be a fun break

Andy Griffith
Munsters
Little Rascals

Disney's "The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit" may be more appealing to girls. Stay away from horse movies unless you're prepared for incessant begging for a pony.

I remember cracking up at Bugsy Malone.
Escape to Witch Mountain was a favorite.
The Muppet Movie.
Freaky Friday the 1976 version with Jodi Foster although the Lindsay Lohan version is good, too.

The Black Stallion, with Mickey Rooney.

Tony.

Turner and Hootch
K9
Where the red fern grows

Ok, I have another suggestion...it's a little "off the beaten path", not one that most would think of, or probably even know about.

Quite frankly, the movie isn't as good as some of the other suggestions in this thread...but there is a reason for that. This movie is a movie about kids...and it was filmed and written by kids. The movie was written and filmed by kids (with adult mentoring and supervision) from several different chapters of the Boys and Girls clubs across the U.S. No doubt about it, this is a low budget movie and has all the ear marks of one...no SFX or mind-blowing action sequences or explosions...but having said that, there is something basic and endearing about this movie. There is a Special Features section of the DVD that shows kids from the Boys and Girls Clubs helping to make the movie and, in a few cases, I'd bet watching this movie might just introduce kids to an interest in making movies and all that is involved.

The movie is set in the Summer of '81, when the Star Wars craze was raging across the country. Two young brothers who had recently moved into the neighborhood participated in the neighborhood Capture the Flag game, modified so that teams used Star Wars light saber duels to compete for the flag. As creative kids often do, cheap wiffle bats were substituted as pseudo light sabers.

The movie has neighborhood bullies, a beautiful teen girl in a bikini (think Wendy Peppercorn ) as the neighborhood crush for young boys, an "ugly duckling turns into a beautiful swan", and an adventure in the woods along the neighborhood stream, as well as a small bit of family drama when a decision is made to move...but this is a family, comedy, adventure movie...and features a few '80s songs. Think of a low budget cross between "The Sandlot" and "Stand by Me".

This is a PG movie. No bad language that I can recall, no discussions of sex or nudity, there is a scene where several kids burp and a scene where a dog unknowingly pees on a kid's head, and a low intensity fight between one of the bullies and one of the Star Wars kids.

My sense is that kids are not as critical of bad acting or low budget productions and will most likely like both the story as well as identify with some of the 'outsiders/ misfits' portrayed in the movie, and some of the challenges kids go through as they come of age.

I'd guess that this movie might appeal to the 8-14 year old age range.

I don't think this IMDB description does a good job of describing the movie, the "tragedy" mentioned is the breakage of a prized "light saber"...but I'll include the review anyways.

The Stream

Keep the suggestions coming!!!
We’re watching way to many shows with the lockdown but ohh well.

I finally broke down and signed up for Disney+

Our first show is The Adventures of Skip and Marty.

Never heard of it but it is from the 50s about a Western boys summer camp.

The boys have been on a horse kick because of the the show Spirit.

My Dog Skip {1940s Mississippi.}

Since they like horses, TV show from the 1950s, My Friend Flicka.

The Shaggy DA

if they like dogs, how about the Beethoven series?

I’ve looked at this thread for a few days, trying to think of a family movie or two that fits the bill. I thought of two.

The Bad News Bears with Walter Matthau and Tatum O’Neal. Matthau as a ex minor leaguer who coaches a kids baseball team in “a competitive California league.” Yeah, he drinks a bit, but it’s good fun and entertaining for me as well.

The Rookie is just one of my favorite movies. Period. “Based on a true story” (as they say) it’s about Jimmy Morris, a high school teacher and baseball coach in football crazy rural Texas who challenges his team to make the playoffs by promising that he’ll attend a major league open tryout if they make it. I just think it’s a great movie, and obviously, I like baseball movies.