I’ve always had a passion for movies, and I dreamed of the day when my entire family could enjoy a film together. My husband, Mike, has been eager to share his beloved ’80s classics with our three kids ever since they first watched a few episodes of that animated show. “Seriously? The whiny kid again?” I chuckled, telling him our daughters weren’t quite ready.
After they graduated from shows like Jessie and iCarly, Mike declared it was time. “I’m introducing the girls to real cinema, starting with Star Wars.” He looked at me, hoping for a wave of excitement.
“I’m not sure they’re ready for that yet,” I replied, trying to recall just how intense those movies were.
“What about The Goonies?” he suggested enthusiastically.
I snickered, “No way, that won’t hold up.”
“Goonies? It’s a classic! They’ll love it!” he insisted as he mimicked Sloth’s famous line, “Baby Ruth.”
I took a breath and figured I’d roll with it; sometimes you just have to let things unfold. We gathered the girls and explained we were going to watch a movie from our childhood.
“Wait, you had TVs back then?” asked my youngest, Chloe, wide-eyed.
“Very funny. Yes, we did have TVs, and we watched movies. This one’s called The Goonies. Dad adored it. You’ll love it too!”
Our middle child, Ava, shot me a dramatic eye roll.
As the movie began, the bubbly title appeared, prompting them to shout, “Goonies!” “What’s a goonie?” they wondered.
“A goonie is someone who feels out of place,” Mike explained.
“Were you a Goonie, Dad? Did you not fit in?” Chloe asked, patting his shoulder.
“No, I wasn’t a goonie. Just watch the movie,” he replied, a bit flustered but excited.
I chuckled as Josh Brolin popped onto the screen in his iconic sweatsuit.
“Why’s he dressed like that? Did he have surgery or something?” Chloe asked.
After about half an hour of polite watching, Mike turned to me, grinning. “See? They like it. Right, girls?”
No response.
“It’s good, isn’t it?” he pressed, his hope visibly deflating.
Three sets of curious eyes shifted from me to him. “Actually, Dad, it’s kinda boring,” they said.
“It’s okay, girls,” I chimed in. “How about jumping on the trampoline instead?”
“Sorry, Dad. We just like movies that aren’t from the olden days. You can keep watching,” they bolted out of the room before we could persuade them to stay.
A few weeks later, we tried again to connect through films from the “olden days.” This time, we ordered Back to the Future, popped some popcorn, and squeezed onto the couch.
“So what does ‘Back to the Future’ mean? Shouldn’t it be ‘To the Future’ or ‘Back in Time’? You can’t go back to the future, right?” asked our oldest, Lily.
Mike sighed, “Can we just watch the movie, girls?”
They settled in, fidgeting but trying to maintain their silence.
However, this time, the nostalgia hooked them. They loved Marty and the high school antics. I had forgotten how much sass was in the dialogue, but since I’d already allowed them to watch Pitch Perfect, I figured they could handle it.
Mike shot me several gleeful glances as we cheered through the Back to the Future trilogy together. By the end, the girls were clamoring for more “old-time” movies. We even snagged the Star Wars trilogy from Blockbuster during their closing sale. They binge-watched Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back in one go. When Mike was at work, the girls couldn’t contain their excitement and watched Return of the Jedi without him, which thrilled him and bummed him out at the same time.
There’s something uniquely magical about connecting our childhood favorites with our kids. While we may never recreate the childhood friendships we missed out on, sharing these films feels like a special playdate through time. Maybe they’re ready for Can’t Buy Me Love next…
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In summary, sharing childhood favorites with our kids can be a delightful adventure filled with surprises. It can create a special bond, even when they don’t always appreciate the classics!