The Recipe for Excellence in Children’s Films

Peter Rainer’s piece on the importance of good children’s films (“Where’s the Joy, Magic in Today’s Children’s Movies,” Calendar, Feb. 9) speaks to a most important subject, but does not sufficiently go into the genesis of the problem.

When Rainer says, “There is no such thing as a good children’s film that is also not a good film for adults,” he is right on the money. Any good librarian will tell you, “Show me a children’s book that an adult cannot enjoy, and I’ll show you one that a child will not enjoy.”

Unfortunately, what we dole out too frequently today to our youngsters is sex and sadism, plus an occasional sickly syrupy concoction that passes as children’s entertainment, visual fare that allows them to sit there like non-reacting sponges.

As is sometimes the case with contemporary children’s literature--where some authors are sure they know how to adapt their ideas to the average child in a given age bracket--motion pictures for children are guilty of oversimplification.

It is ridiculous to start out by saying, “I will now make a picture for children.” You must make it for yourself. There is no necessity to talk down; one would prefer to have children reach up.

There are many filmmakers who have a sincere desire to make artistic films for adults but are told there is no market. I reject this. There is a market, but we must educate our audience. The education must start with our youngsters.

The situation is analogous to the child who is brought up with good books and music. As he gets older, chances are his tastes will grow in the direction which had its initial inception in childhood. Music and literature are art forms, and so is film. The education process is no different. There are many who will say that film is only entertainment, but so are music, literature and art. Entertainment and art are not mutually exclusive.

Some pseudo-intellects in my industry look on children’s films as something not worth wasting time on. To them, I would say: Film is first and foremost a visual art. A good children’s film generally contains a basically simple story that can be told very visually with a minimum of dialogue. When dealing with this area, the filmmaker can make the most sophisticated use of his medium, and use film visually.

There is no reason the children’s film cannot be as artistically handled as the adult’s. It all goes back to this: to paraphrase Gertrude Stein, a good film is a good film, period.