Jaws, Footloose for kids?

[la79al]

The drive in near our house is showing Jaws and Footloose this weekend. I kind of want to take the kids (9 and barely 7, the 2 year old doesn't count). DH says that not only is Jaws incredibly boring but it would end up being a horror movie for the girls. We do go to the beach pretty frequently, next trip coming up in October. What do you think?

 

[JaxDad]

I think you should skip Jaws before the beach trip. Why risk it?

 

[sk!mom]

I think your DH is correct. Jaws is boring when compared to what we are now used to in movies. They also might be scared- not sure about that since the technology used is so outdated.

The music and themes in Footloose seem too mature to me and I'm definitely not a mom who censored much. To me it's a good one for preteens or young teens say the 11-15 crowd, Barely 7 seems too young.

 

[lorimay]

Jaws ruined many a summers for me as a kid......
We did beach vacations every summer and after seeing that movie, my sister and I sat on the sand or went to the pool.
We were 13 & 16.
You may want to pass for a couple more years on Jaws.
Footloose, I don;t think that would hold their interest just yet. My grandkids are 7 & 9 and wouldn't like it at this point.
We can barely get my 7 yr old granddaughter into the surf of the ocean right now she is so afraid fish.

 

[Mizzoufan]

I'd pass

 

[sunshinehighway]

I don't think they'd be interested in either of those movies at those ages.
Jaws is one of my favorite movies. My nephew was around 11 when he told me Jaws was boring. "Three guys still on a boat talking for 2 hours" is what he said about it. He's now my second favorite nephew (I only have one ).

 

[soccerdad72]

I agree with the others - I think kids at that age will be bored with either of the movies. At worst, Jaws will scare the crap out of them. At best, they'll have no interest in it.

 

[aprilchem]

Commonsense Media rates both of those movies at age 13+. I'd wait.

 

[Kogo Shuko]

I would definitely avoid Jaws. That would be too old for them.

I think the majority of what is going on in Footloose will fly over their heads and ultimately be too boring.

 

[rastahomie]

Both of those movies would bore preteens to tears.

 

[piglet too]

My daughter has loved Jaws (and Jurassic Park) since she was 4, requested it more than Disney movies for a few years. That said, you know your kids and know what type of things scare them.

 

[Jennasis]

Jaws is a childhood beach trip ruiner.

 

[IAHFTPT]

I'd skip Jaws for sure if it were me.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

Commonsense Media rates both of those movies at age 13+. I'd wait.

One cannot go by those people at Commonsense - more like uncommon sense.
Yes to Footloose, no to Jaws if you ever want them to go in the water again!

 

[powellrj]

I think the kid would be bored.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

When I was that age, horror movies like Jaws had a huge impact on me. I was smart enough to know they weren't true, but they scared me for years nonetheless. Had I seen Jaws then, I would not have been able to enjoy the ocean again until I was an adult. Is that unreasonable? Totally. But it's true. And I'm an educated, intelligent person!

I have two kids now, 8 and 11. One of them I think would be like me. I had to practically throw a fit myself to keep my husband from letting them see Jaws recently. He doesn't understand.

I think mine are too young for Footloose. Maybe at 12.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Jaws was the first scary movie I was allowed to see...on TV, with Dad and uncle, who had been left in charge of four kids while the wives were out. - I've always loved it! (I think I was about 10.)

That said, you know your kids. Either they'll compartmentalize it as fiction...or it will completely ruin their beach trip.

I haven't seen Footloose in a long time. (Actually, I'm not sure if I've ever seen all of it, or just caught bits on TV?) But from what I remember, I don't think it would interest that age.

Personally, I'd look for a different first drive-in experience.

 

[monsterkitty]

Jaws came out when I was in 6th grade. That summer we went to Hawaii for a swim meet. I refused to step one foot in the ocean because I was terrified!

 

[Allison]

I wouldn't.

 

[ELKA]

I would hold off on both movies, as Footloose was more of a teenage movie.

Jaws on the other hand, was gory as well as a horror movie. I think if I hadn't seen the shark being towed to where they were filming for the day, maybe I would have been scared of the ocean. I was never afraid of water nor what was there in it with me. We had to see the movie on opening night and were scared as any in the theater, but we were also excited to see places that we had seen the summer before.