A COLUMN BY Dick Rolfe Chairman, THE DOVE FOUNDATION
Fifteen Summer Movies Made the Grade
This past summer was a
milestone in family-oriented films. From James, And The Giant
Peach, released in April by Disney, to Tom Hanks' directorial
debut, That Thing You Do, distributed by Twentieth Century
Fox in September, moviegoers with conservative tastes had fifteen
wholesome choices. The only thing that impressed me more than the
number of family films during the summer was their collective
high quality.
Flipper was a special treat. I expected a bland, childish combination of the original TV series and Free Willy. To my delight, the engrossing story depicted complex and even crude characters without resorting to portrayals of outrageous behavior.
There was a good selection of clean movies made for Generation X'ers and Baby Boomers, too. The Spitfire Grill, Dragonheart, The Phantom, Alaska, Emma and That Thing You Do were all rich in production quality. They contained poignant moral messages glorifying virtues like loyalty, integrity and unconditional love.
Films like Harriet the Spy, House Arrest, First Kid and D3: The Mighty Ducks were typical summer family fare, combining slapstick humor and conflict with a fleeting moral message, sometimes at the expense of adult authority figures.
A few releases had difficulty reaching their targeted audiences. Walt Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, with all its fine points, tried too hard to deliver something for everyone in a single film. This fantasy remake of the Victor Hugo classic was criticized for being too macabre for preschoolers. And, the "happily ever after" ending found in virtually every Disney animated classic was missing.
The Adventures of Pinocchio was also a box office disappointment. It was a skillfully crafted film, truer to the original Italian fairy tale than Disney's earlier release. However, this version was better suited to adults and teenagers because of the intense live action scenes, which proved too scary for young children.
James, And The Giant Peach, an intricate claymation film by The Nightmare Before Christmas' Tim Burton also fell below financial expectations.
The last three films had one thing in common. They were classical stories wrapped in well-produced packages. They were simply promoted to the wrong audiences, and their novel production styles didn't attract enough moviegoers to make a decent profit. Hopefully they will be redeemed when they come out in home video release.
The best Dove Family-Approved movie for the summer, and perhaps the entire year, is Fly Away Home.
Most of these films will be in your local video stores before the year's end. This is an excellent second chance for you to see them, while casting your votes for good, clean, family-oriented movies.
Hollywood studio heads recently announced plans to release 30% fewer motion pictures in 1997. Stock up now, while there's a good selection of movies on video suitable for family viewing.
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Dick Rolfe is Chairman of The Dove Foundation a nonprofit organization whose mission is to encourage and promote the creation, production and distribution of wholesome family entertainment. For more information about wholesome films and videos, write: 535 E. Fulton, Suite 1A, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, or call (616)454-5024.
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Updated by: Scott RolfeCopyright © 1996, The Dove Foundation. All rights reserved.