How To Know If The Latest Movies in Theaters Are Right For Your Family - Best Kids' Movies 2019

A trip to the movies can be a fun family outing provided the movie is “family friendly.” Parents who have gone to great lengths to monitor what their children watch on TV can have all their efforts upended with a movie that might be deemed “for the family” but in reality contain questionable material. Does this mean families should stay away from movies in theaters? Not at all. There are some proactive measures to take to know if movies are right for the family.

The Rating System

The Motion Picture Association of America has created a rating system that most parents are familiar with. Movies in theaters with a “G” rating would probably be safe. What about PG? These are movies where parental guidance is suggested. That is because they could contain adult themes, profanity, violence and even glimpses of nudity. That doesn’t sound like a family friendly feature! The rating system can provide a baseline of information about the content of a feature that can inform a parent’s decision about whether it would be appropriate, but it might not be comprehensive.

Online Reviews

All movies in theaters will be reviewed. Before the Internet, these reviews would be available in newspapers and magazines. Today, there are literally dozens, if not hundreds, of reviews for every feature spread out all across the Internet. These reviews can let parents know what the movie is all about and might even highlight sequences that would be cause for concern.

There are also numerous movie review websites that are “parent-centric.” These sites know what kind of restrictions parents are on the lookout for and will happily provide those detailed reviews.

Ask Other Parents

A popular family film, such as the ones put out by Disney and Pixar, will always attract big crowds on opening weekends. The parents who were on the “front line” of watching these films will happily share their feelings. A post on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the query about the content of a particular feature is sure to generate a lot of information that parents can use to judge for themselves if the film is appropriate.

Advance Screening

Thanks to movie studio marketing, there are always film releases that generate a lot of buzzes. That buzz can sometimes make its way down to children who now want to see the movie that everyone else is going to see. It might make sense for a parent who is unsure to go see the movie for themselves. That is always the best way to determine if it is family friendly.

The only drawback is that it could mean the parent will have to see the movie twice: Once on their own and once with the family. Of course, there are plenty of movies where a second screening would be welcomed!

The hope is that parents won’t ever be surprised by language or questions raised in a feature. Even some animated films can generate conversations that parents aren’t quite ready to have with their children. The more parents can find out about a feature, the more informed their decisions will be.

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