GRADING THE MOVIES

How many times have you taken the kids to a movie only to find out too late that the material in the movie wasn’t suitable for the entire family? That has happened to me in the past. When Amanda and I went to see the movie 50 First Dates with Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler, I found myself trying to explain several scenes in the movie to my 11 year old daughter.

The average movie review may not provide enough information to help parents decide whether a particular film is appropriate for their youngster(s) or family. I highly recommend "Grading the Movies" on the Internet as a source of family-friendly reviews. Each movie review begins with a "report card" that assigns an overall letter grade to the film, along with additional grades assessing violence, sex, language, and drug references. This website also grades video games and pop music.