My darlings and I are studying the Civil War, and one of them asked me if there are any good movies about the Civil War. I named the Ken Burns film, obviously, and Glory, and then I also mentioned Gone With the Wind."What's Gone With the Wind, Miss Eyre?"
I had to explain that it's quite an old movie told mostly from the perspective of white Southerners, and that while it's considered a classic American film, they might find some of the language and characterizations upsetting and therefore it was a film they should watch with an adult who can talk to them about it (i.e. NOT ME). After all, a lot has changed in this country in the seventy years since Gone with the Wind was made. But I first saw it in middle school myself--read the book in middle school, too--and some of my babes could handle looking at the movie through a more contemporary lens.
That said, I explained, there's a lot to like--beautiful color and costumes, great acting, the terrible and awesome Rhett Butler, etc.
"So if you like old movies," I concluded, "maybe you'd like it."
"Oh, yeah, I like old movies," said one girl confidently. "I just saw that Sherlock Holmes movie the other day. The one with the guy from Iron Man in it? That was good."
Posts
