I happen to be taking a look at Aaron West’s Criterion Blues blog and noticed his recent posting of his Adolescence and Childhood film list that he submitted for the upcoming Countdown over at Wonders in the Dark. I have been participating in WitD’s annual Countdown series for a few years, actually since it first began and thought wow, why haven’t I done this before. So I am borrowing Aaron’s idea (it’s possible some other participant(s) has done this in the past, if so, I am unaware) and posting my own submission.
As mentioned, this year’s countdown is on favorite films about Childhood. Now these are not children or young adult films pumped out by Disney or whomever. They are films that are about childhood or have a significant role by a young person. This, as usual brought up a lot of discussion between participants (emails were flying!) on just what constitutes a film about childhood, and where does childhood end and adulthood begin. In others words, just because there is a child in the film, it does not qualify as a film about childhood. My own thoughts, and what I used as a guideline were childhood ends with the end of one’s high school years, generally seventeen. My second guideline was there had to be a significant role by a young individual that was important to the storyline. Subsequently, you will find a film like Shane, a western whose plot is more about the Van Heflin, Alan Ladd and Jack Palance interplay than the young boy. But the young boy’s role is an important part in the film. We see much of what happens through his eyes. You will also note that I included Mildred Pierce which I don’t believe anyone else submitted. Mildred Pierce, a film about childhood? Well, Veda, played by a thirteen year old Ann Blyth, is significant to the story, and we all know about how young vile, uncaring, self-centered teens who believe the world revolves around them can be and Veda is a poster girl for vile.
Anyway, whether one agrees with my choices or not, below is my submission which will be tabulated with all the other entries. A final list will be compiled with a review by one participant posted each weekday until the complete list of 60 films are revealed. The Countdown will started sometime in June.
1-Au Revoir les Enfants
3-Forbidden Games
4-To Kill a Mockingbird
5-Cinema Paradiso
6-Night of the Hunter
7-Shoeshine
8-The 400 Blows
9-The Fallen Idol
10-Little Fugitive
11-Murmur of the Heart
12-American Graffitii
13-Boyhood
14-Hugo
15-Jeremy
16-Lacombe, Lucien
17-E.T.
19-Bicycle Thieves
20-Hope and Glory
21-Rebel without a Cause
22-Wild Boys of the Road
23-City of God
24-A Christmas Story
25-Stand By Me
26-Lord of the Flies
27-Empire of the Sun
28-Paper Moon
29-The White Ribbon
30-The Spirit of the Beehive
31- The Kid
32-Dead Poet’s Society
33-The Wanderers
34-Billy Elliot
35-Oliver Twist
36-The Window
37-River’s Edge
39-If…
40-Deep End
41-Little Manhattan
42-Beast of the Southern Wild
43-Rumble Fish
44-East of Eden
45- The Outsiders
46 – Little Miss Sunshine
47 Walkabout
49-Badlands
50-Teacher’ Pet (Out Gang)
51-Heavenly Creatures
51-The Secret of Roah Inish
53-Cooley High
54-A.I.
55-The Curse of the Cat People
56-Shane
57-How Green Was My Valley
58-Juno
59-The Miracle Worker
60-Mildred Pierce
That is a beautiful list and we share a number in common, notably an appreciation for Malle films. He really had a sensibility of exploring childhood. This was my first contribution to the list series, but most certainly not the last.
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Thanks Aaron! Malle tackled a variety of subjects, but childhood seemed to the thread that synchs many of his films. I thought about adding “Pretty Baby” to my list.
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Great list – we share many entries, and it was your list the inspired me in that monumental email chain to submit my own. I will probably also be following suit and publishing my list on my blog when it gets closer to WitD’s kick-off of the countdown.
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Thanks David! I saw your list in Sam’s emails and as always an excellent list of entries. Look forward to your posting.
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[…] Click here to see John Greco’s fabulous list at Twenty Four Frames. […]
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A very great list of course and one I was thrilled to have for tabulation!! Amazing how much our tastes coincide John!! And what a spiffy presentation here!
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