Introducing My Kids To Classic Cinema

I have a teenaged daughter and a tweenaged daughter. For the most part we get along swimmingly, but I do realize that this will (probably) come to an abrupt halt in the coming months or years. Communicating with them is only going to go downhill from this point, which is why I decided to show them the John Hughes masterpiece "Ferris Bueller's Day Off".

Why Ferris Bueller? Because it is one of the movies that I use to communicate with them. It's only fair that my children have some idea of what I am talking about when I say "You're not dying. You just can't think of anything better to do."

I've been known to try something new, fail epically, and look right at whomever happens to be near me and say "Never had one lesson" a la Ferris playing the clarinet. Usually my kids look at me as though I've grown a second nose, but I bust a gut because people, that is some funny stuff.

Occasionally I will be explaining something extremely intricate which requires complete and utter concentration on my childrens' part (like the proper way to remove an avocado pit), only to look up and see their bored faces. Naturally, this makes me say "Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?" or the ever popular "Anyone? Anyone?".

Up until a few days ago, my kids had no idea what I was talking about nor did they understand why it was so funny to me. I made them watch Ferris Bueller with me, which (fortunately for all involved) they loved. Now they get me. We can have entire conversations in which they don't look at me as if to say "Huh?".

(At least not yet.)

And as an added bonus, they think Ferris is a righteous dude.

(Fifty points if you caught the Grace quote.)

My girls dug Ferris so much that I've since introduced them to Uncle Buck, Sixteen Candles and National Lampoon's Vacation. After viewing what is clearly classic cinema, my kids and I now have a common language. And that common language is John Hughes.

Classic cinema. Introduce your kids today. You won't regret it.


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