Back to School Treats

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The plotlines diverge from there, but the similarities haunt the film. I also quibble with how many kids' films aim to show kids that, yes indeed, moving to a new place will be the worst thing that could possibly happen. Classes are run by bullies, teachers are dingbats, principals blame the wrong people, and normal kids are either absent or cowed. At least neither "Hoot" nor "Fried Worms" has the family turn tail and run, as they did in the remake of "Cheaper by the Dozen." But still, thousands of kids do move every year, and most of the time it can be an adventure, not the kid equivalent of nuclear winter.

Material Girls

I saw Material Girls out of respect for the talents of director Martha Coolidge, and I'm sure she'll find her footing again soon.

It's about two Idiot Rich Girls who live on the Party Circuit, a la Paris, Nicole, and Lindsay, but who lose all their money and have to get a clue. Unfortunately, the script is never deeper than the characters (played by Hilary and Haylie Duff), it's clear from the outset who undermined Daddy's company, and the plot doesn't thicken as much as it congeals. The infamous Party Circuit looks dreadful from the get-go, and the Rich Sisters never lose the ewwwww factor--too rich, toot thin, too brainless--even when they have to figure out they've been duped. There are exactly two Upstanding Poor Guys, so the romantic factor isn't exactly a mystery either.

I couldn't help thinking that, even though the Duff sisters have themselves eschewed the club life, just the fact that Hilary went from a thin, curvaceous size 6 in "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" to a skeletal size 0 in "Material Girls" means the zombie culture got her. The whole film makes you think that somehow, unfortunately, for these characters, and for young Hollywood in general, the ewwwww factor has won.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

This film has caused more parent frustration than any movie I've heard of recently. Many parents want to see the film themselves, it seems funny, and the kids like Will Farrell from "Elf" and "Kicking and Screaming." And, as I've noted in this very column, PG-13 can mean many things, some kid-friendly, some not.

So how about "Talladega Nights"? It succeeds on its own terms, which is as a message movie that is rude, crude, and socially unacceptable. For many people, this is not a bad thing. This movie is for them. Or for you, if you just want to see a dumb, rude film, and you're not responsible for the language or moral fiber of anyone you've brought along.

I know one family that brought a group of boys aged six to 11, and they stayed through the whole thing, albeit cringing. Another dad brought four girls, ages 7 through 9, and left half-way through. The fact is, the movie purposefully and delightedly goes a step beyond what anyone wants young kids to see and hear. I think Will Farrell and Adam McKay could have replaced a few very specific body-part references, could have just toned the whole thing down one notch, and still pleased the gross-out crowd without horrifying parents. (Please note, I'm talking about parents of pre-teens here). But, it was their movie to make. If you have kids who want to see it, I'd look for the network version several years down the line.