My poor daughter toughed it out as long as she could... - The Tale of Despereaux (2008) Discussion

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

I took my young daughter (6) and she loved it, but I suspect she is a little tougher than most. By 5 years old, she had already seen all the Harry Potters, Spidermans, and Star Wars films (thanks to her older brother.)

reply

[–] Bladerunner 15 years ago

Trust me, that's not a smart thing to do. My brother was always letting his boy watch movies that were too old for him, scary stuff, and at the time he was fine. Later, he began having nightmares and can't sleep in his own room. They took him to a counselor and he told them that this often happens with little children who are allowed to see scary stuff. At the time they seem fine, they love it, but later when they develop the ability to think abstractly, they begin to conjure up all kinds of scary stuff based on things they've seen.

There is a reason why movies have ratings and why little children should be protected from that stuff. You aren't doing your daughter any favors, trust me. The innocence of a child is something that should be protected as long as possible, because they have the rest of their lives to deal with the horrors of this life. Just my two-cents worth...

"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus

reply

[–] CoffeePops 14 years ago

I believe that would depend on the child. Just like in the story mice are timid, Despereaux, however, was brave. I've been seeing gore and horror films since I was 18 months old. And I'm just fine, can't even remember the last time I had a nightmare. Same with all my brothers. In fact the only people I know who are scared crazy of horror movies and have nightmares are the ones who aren't used to them.
But that's just in my experience.

Be happy & peaceful,
CoffeePops

I will tear you apart.

reply

[–] Bladerunner 14 years ago

I'm sure there are some children who have different experiences, but why roll the dice that way? Gambling with your child's well-being? It's similar to drug usage. I know some people who use drugs and never get addicted, but does that mean they should encourage their children to do so because they turned out "okay"?

I have met more than a few children who developed nightmares because they were allowed to watch horror flicks and the like. My wife is a psychologist who runs into this frequently. It's not about being scared at the time, as I said many children love them when they are young. You're right, it doesn't happen with all children. But some, many in fact, develop nightmares and become frightened to sleep alone. The fact that you and your brothers didn't experience this just means that you and your brothers didn't experience this, it doesn't mean that it doesn't happen with many kids.

A child's well=being should never be gambled with.

Thanks for your kind and friendly response. Hope you have a nice holiday.

"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus

reply

[–] spazz1622 13 years ago

I know I keep commenting on old posts but really. Really. Did you just compare watching a "dark" G rated film to DRUG USAGE??? Are you out of your flipping mind?? XD!!!

reply

[–] Bladerunner 13 years ago

Uh, no, I did not compare the drug *usage* with kids watching "dark" movies. Do you have trouble reading and comprehending words? The only person who is out of their "flipping mind" is you - tossing up straw men, purposely misrepresenting my arguments so you can feign righteous indignation. Yawn.

Try reading what I wrote again and understanding this time. I did NOT say that drug usage was the same to watching a "'dark' G rated film". What I was comparing was the truism that some kids can watch scary movies and not have any (noticeable) negative reaction just like some people can use drugs and not get addicted. The only similarity is in the phenomenon that not all people have the same reaction when exposed to either thing.

Next time try ramping back the ostentatious histrionics and respond to what I write, not something you make up in your head. And enough with responding to old posts, huh?

"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus

reply

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] a_howes83 12 years ago

You say that it's "similar to drug usage". In what sense is that not comparing.

Not that I particularly care, but really.

reply

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] spazzout0138 11 years ago

Wow. Congratulations. You are one of the most pretentious sounding posters I have ever seen on IMDB, and that is quite a hard list to make.
No.
Really.
You should feel proud of that accomplishment. Honestly.

And you are perhaps the most pretentiously ridiculous sounding posters, but I'll have to look back on other nominees first before I can give you a definite answer on that one.

And finally, you rank, at least, among the top ten of the 'dumbest' posters, simply with your comment of 'and enough with responding to old posts'.
Oh, I mean that is just rich. Really. If you didn't want people replying to you a year, two years, three years from when you posted, why post at all? Or why leave the post up? Why not delete it? That's the beauty of the internet, it's all rather immortal. People are going to continue watching the movie years from when its made, and continue coming to IMDB to research a bit more about it years from when it was made, so what makes you think people are going to follow your timeline of when replying to you is appropriate? I mean, look at me, this is almost two years late, isn't it? It's almost like stepping from a time capsule! You must have completely forgotten about this thread by now, but that doesn't matter, because your footprint lives on, even almost two years later, to make such an impression. It's kind of amazing, but that is deviating from the original point.

Please! Keep on keeping on, because I thought this was a tad fascinating, and it granted me a good laugh, so I thank you, and I'd hate to see that come to an end!

reply

[–] Bladerunner 11 years ago

So, your significantly intellectual response to a two-year-old post is to say that I'm "pretentious and the dumbest"? Why didn't you just say, "nanny-nanny-boo-boo you're a poop head?" That would have at least accurately reflected the maturity level of your post. You say nothing about the content of my post, just that I'm "pretentious" and "dumb" and drone on about non-existent awards you're handing out, but I'm "dumb"? Forgive me if this sounds pretentious, Spazz, but getting an award from you for being pretentious and the dumbest is like getting an award from Pol Pot for being rude. It's rather like the pot giving the kettle an award for being black, but by all means keep those little hands busy fashioning a shiny trophy if you can stop laughing from the intense humor of it all. I'm glad it humored you so, because I can assure you that wasn't my response to your drivel, which consisted of eye-rolling and a yawn.

"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus

reply

[–] lanis_cupus 11 years ago

Trust me, that's not a smart thing to do. My brother was always letting his boy watch movies that were too old for him, scary stuff, and at the time he was fine. Later, he began having nightmares and can't sleep in his own room. They took him to a counselor and he told them that this often happens with little children who are allowed to see scary stuff. At the time they seem fine, they love it, but later when they develop the ability to think abstractly, they begin to conjure up all kinds of scary stuff based on things they've seen.

There is a reason why movies have ratings and why little children should be protected from that stuff. You aren't doing your daughter any favors, trust me. The innocence of a child is something that should be protected as long as possible, because they have the rest of their lives to deal with the horrors of this life. Just my two-cents worth...

I nominate this for post of the century.

You can force a child to grow up quickly by exposing them to certain kinds of materials. And in some ways, by doing so, you actually DO give them an advantage over other children. But the potential downside is far too great. FAR, FAR too great.

Out THERE?...with the bees...and the hail...and the A-bombs! -Bobby Hill

reply

[–] rgrant543 15 years ago

Are you saying that your Son controls your family?

does he control the moral and family values also?

let me guess he tells you what your allowed to do and not do in your own home
I'm willing to bet.

unbelievably, no wonder this world has gone to crap.

reply

[–] BakedCarbon 15 years ago

Lol, way to misinterpret and blow everything out of proportion.

reply

[–] srh_minobe 15 years ago

fosho...:O

reply

[–] apdepetris 15 years ago

Well, the book is for 9-12 yr. olds (my daughter just read it and she is in the 3rd grade) so it might be a bit mature for a 5 yr. old. I do believe parents depend too much on other people to tell them what is appropriate for their children (i.e. the MPAA rating). If you are taking a child to a movie then you should have some understanding of what you are getting yourself into. If you think it is questionable then wait until some other people have seen it and ask their opinion. And, in the case of this movie, it was based on a book so you could check out the book so you have some idea what the movie is going to be like. From what I understand, the book is also very dark.

Obviously if your child was frightened then you did the right thing by leaving. There certainly isn't any reason to force the child to stay is she is scared. Just don't blame the rating. Do your research next time and find out what you are getting into before you spend the fortune they want for movies these days.

I just get frustrated when people want to blame everyone else instead of taking responsibility for their children. They rated it based on the guidelines of the rating system. But just because it is G doesn't mean it's going to be some feel good happy movie. I mean Snow White is rated G and when the queen turned into the old hag it scared the you-know-what out of me when I was a kid and my kids as well. I mean wanting the hunter to cut out Snow White's heart and put it in a box and he uses a pig's heart. That is pretty dark...

reply

[–] lucottero 15 years ago

Such a shame that you are asking for the movie to be less dark... if your kid gets scared take her out, what's the matter?!
Old disney movies were deeply scary - much more than despereaux - because the plot required it and the artists behind them didn't think to smooth the though parts just to please as much as movie-goers as possible. In this movie the scary parts are necessary, if your kid is not ready for them don't blame the movie.

reply

[–] Brooke123 15 years ago

I did what any good parent would do. My daughter got scared and we left. I see no reason to force a child to watch a movie that makes him/her really uncomfortable.

Plots do not REQUIRE a story to deeply scary. Not in a G-RATED movie!

Obviously, there are too many thirty-year-old "kids" who like to watch dark, violent and scary cartoons.

reply

[–] Elysianna 15 years ago

If your child was uncomfortable, then good for you that you left. That was fine.

But don't gripe about the rating. The G rating was perfectly acceptable, and both my 5 yr old and my 3 yr old enjoyed the movie. I thought it was a cute, enchanting story.

G-rated movies can be scary. Most plots require an element of danger. It's the conflict that drive the movie.

Next time, do a little more research before you take your kids to a movie. Don't expect the MPAA to do your parenting for you.

reply

[–] Bladerunner 15 years ago

As I said to someone else, you're not doing your children any favors allowing them to see scary stuff. At the time, they love it, but later when they develop the ability to think abstractly, it can come back to haunt them. I have a nephew who can't sleep in his own bed because of night terrors, and his counselor says this often happens with kids that have been allowed to watch scary stuff, too scary for their age. Some kids are okay later, but some aren't. Some conjure up the scary stuff they've seen and it causes them to have nightmares and frightened to sleep in their own bed. It just not a good idea to gamble with your child's wellbeing like that. They may handle it later fine, but they might not and you'll only be able to blame yourself for being irresponsible.

G movies should NOT be scary. They should be suitable for all ages. You can make a great movie without making it scary. Toy Story, Cars, and others did an excellent job of making a fantastic story without making it "dark" and scary.

There is plenty of time when they get older for "dark" movies and scary plots, 3 and 5-years-old is not that time.

"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus

reply

[–] DaliParton 15 years ago

G movies should NOT be scary. They should be suitable for all ages. You can make a great movie without making it scary.

Snow White
Bambi
101 Dalmatians
Wizard of Oz
Pinocchio
Dumbo

Just a handful of the 100+ G-rated movies with scary elements known to give some children nightmares.

Seems like you want a new kind of rating - B for Bland. Or maybe Boring.

reply

[–] Bladerunner 15 years ago

Correct, and I would argue that these movies are not for very small children. I think you can show the movies, if you watch it with them and know exactly where to fast-forward through the scary parts, but you can't just plunk them down in front of the tube and let these movies play.

I think you know quite well that many, many movies have been made for children, that were fun and exciting and wonderful without having overtly scary moments. Toy Story, Cars, even films like Tarzan (the Disney animated film) have some "scary" moments, but don't go too dark and dwell on it like films such as Snow White do.

The bottom line is, there are MANY good, fun, exciting films that don't have super dark and scary moments. You know quite well (DaliParton) that a movie doesn't have to contain scary and dark content to avoid being "bland" or "boring". No one is fooled by that nonsense.

"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus

reply

[–] DaliParton 15 years ago

Lol. You've changed your argument based on a throw-away line from my post.

You claimed that, "G movies should NOT be scary. They should be suitable for all ages" and I countered with a list of G-rated movies with some intensely scary scenes that almost certainly pre-date even your own birth. The point being that you've got no standing for your claims. Maybe what you meant was "I want G movies to not be scary" but your use of the term 'should' suggests some sort of authority or at least rationale when you have none but your own indignation.

PS - the scene in Cars with the combine chasing them is pretty intense and quite likely to "come back and haunt" a kid in his dreams. So not only are you inconsistent with history, your own example disproves your point.

reply

[–] Crazee_108 15 years ago

Bambi was the first movie I've ever seen. In this movie, I learned just how horrible humans could be.

Snow White scared me. =/ Mind you, I watched these shows till about 12? I'm 21 now.. Still don't like snow white, god that witch! >.<

reply

[–] spazz1622 13 years ago

I was a kid recently (within the past decade) and I used to watch "scary" movies and I never had nightmares that were movie related and I was just fine, the same as my other friends. I watched Michael Jackson's "Thriller" music video when I turned 3 years old and I loved it. Kids are too sheltered now days. Urgh.

reply

[–] Bladerunner 13 years ago

If you had bothered to read instead of responding to OLD posts you would know I said that SOME kids can watch scary movies and be fine, but many CAN'T and you don't really know who they are until the nightmares or night terrors set in. It's a gamble, a gamble that no responsible parent should take.

It doesn't have anything to do with being "sheltered", it has to do with not exposing children to ADULT movies and situations that they are not yet mentally or emotionally old enough to cope with. Should children be allowed to go to X-rated movies so they won't be "sheltered"? Children don't have the mental or emotional maturity to handle many adult themes and scenarios. Being a good parent is understanding this and protecting a child's (very important) innocence as long as is appropriate. Humans have PLENTY of time to watch all the horror they want in due time. It is foolish and irresponsible to try to rush this. What purpose does exposing children to this stuff serve? It doesn't "toughen" them or make them more street smart. In fact, many times it causes nightmares, profound fear of the dark and other problems. Just because you didn't have these problems doesn't mean another child won't. Any sane, thinking person could comprehend this.

"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus

reply

[–] Kalavati 14 years ago

I agree with Elysianna,love your name btw !

Brooke,Instead of ragging on the plot of the story, I agree, do some research. I just had to have an hour long conversation with a child I babysit on where babies come from, from some episode of Higgly Town Heroes or something the show is called. Children are all different. Its the same thing with food, some kids can handle pepper, some cant. You are the only one that knows your child best. You cant expect these totally generic guidelines to work for every child.

Make yourself aware of the subject matter. A simple wikipedia search will tell you about the plot of the story, then you can deem whether it is acceptable or not. A great site I use is called Kids In Mind. It goes into detail, listen language, nudity violence scene by scene. I laugh at how many parents complained about Family Guy not being acceptable because of the oh, its supposed to be a cartoon excuse.

We live in the bad side of the city.Kids here are well aware of violence and pedophiles etc. Just watching the news can give a child nightmares. You cannot censor everything, but you use them as teaching tools. If you are that worried about these things then you should do the research on it, because these are things you are bringing into their lives. If it matters that much to you, you should do the footwork making sure it is acceptable.

I was also a child that was older than my age. I also grew up aware of crime etc. I was always around older children, so I watched what they watched, which was mostly scary movies. To this day, I can watch that stuff,no problems, but put on LOTR and watch me squirm at the spiders, even Miss Sunny patch has its shiver moments for me. I think one of the scariest kids movies I have ever seen was the prince of egypt.. and that was from a bible story I heard when I was little !! It just goes to show you, even that can be scary...even if you stick to just telling the christmas story.. nightmares of babies being slaughtered.

reply

[–] BakedCarbon 15 years ago

It's a shame that so many of you crucify the film not because it was a bad movie, but simply because it was scarier than its MPAA rating suggested.

reply

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] BakedCarbon 15 years ago

Apologies then, but I can't read your mind, I can only read your post:

Yeah, the content was a bit too scary for a G rated movie. I dont think your daughter is a wimp at all. There was a group of 5 year olds seated below me that would not stop crying when that scene rolled around. I did not find this movie to be dark by modern standards, but it was way to dark for a G.

When I think of a G rated movie, I think of talking cars and cooking rats, not a creepy blind mouse tossing our hero into a deep hole. I really didn't enjoy the movie anyway. Your daughter didn't miss anything good.

Your complaint about the rating took up the entire post up to the last two sentences. And tacking on the word "anyway", to me implied that your main problem with the film was with the rating. You made no mention of animation, pacing, or story. I don't see how you could expect me to jump to any other conclusion with the way you communicated your opinion, even if my post was directed at other people besides yourself.

(And funny that you've now edited and removed your comment about me "jumping to conclusions".)

reply

[–] dollfacecrafter 15 years ago

I took a 4-year old girl to this and she wasn't scared at all, we thought it was really cute, and I agree with the poster above that said the old disney movies always had a "scary" element to it, they do !!

reply

[–] bexnrz 15 years ago

well it is based on a book that is pretty dark. I mean when you get to the end its about forgiveness. I do see how a younger kid will find it scary tho. i liked it i though they stayed pretty close to the book (although i know many people didn't read the book) but him going to the rats was a very large part of it.

The Geek Princess
Old friends are great, they just can't remember you.

reply

[–] drjsway 15 years ago

Took my 2 1/2 year old to see this film today. He is just starting to watch films and some of his favorites are Toy Story, WALL-E, and Bolt. This was the first time that he stayed intensely focused on a film, not moving or making a peep throughout. He loved it even though he got a little scared during the part you mentioned.

I personally think it's okay for your daughter to be scared. You should tell her that being scared and being sad is a part of life and it's okay for her to feel that way. Children's movies nowadays neglect the darker aspects of life and as a result, our kids grow up sheltered. When they grow up, they'll be unable to handle disappointment because all their movies were so "happy".

Children's movies I grew up on were way more dark and depressing than anything in Despereaux. Secret of NIMH and An American Tail devastated me as a child and I loved them because of that. Films are made to move us emotionally. That emotion can be joy, sadness, or fear. Why must children's movies be only limited to joy?

The movie is rated G because there is nothing inappropriate for children of any age. A child experiencing fear is not inappropriate, it's a basic human emotion she should deal with. If your daughter was disgusted, angry, or offended, that's a different story.

reply

[–] atarischris 15 years ago

I completely agree! I remember watching Hercules a few years ago and that scene where the three witch sisters were exchanging that one eye ball really creeped me out as a kid! (It has a G rating might I add)
In my opinion, the movie was really great and I'm sorry the OP's daughter missed out an amazing movie but there really was nothing to "tough out" before the scene with the blind rat...

reply

[–] Bladerunner 15 years ago

Some kids handle seeing scary stuff fine, but it causes some to have nightmares and stuff later. You never know how a child is going to respond later, so it's just not a good idea to let kids see that.

It's kind of like that public service message about drugs, *you* might have been able to handle it, but that doesn't mean your kid will. Some kids develop night terrors and can't sleep alone because they saw scary stuff as a child. It happens when they start to develop the ability to think abstractly. Most child psychologists recommend that you do not allow your kids to see scary movies or TV shows. It's like throwing dice, you never know how a child will respond later. They may be fine with it now, but later they could suffer.

There is a difference between stories that show sad things, or peril, or danger and those that go too far and get so dark that it scares a child. A very young child experiencing fear that they don't need to experience is inappropriate as it can have a very adverse effect. Very young children are simply not old enough to process really dark or scary stuff. For one thing, they don't know the difference yet between fantasy and reality. If you ask a young child, often they think that cartoon characters are real. When they are unable to differentiate between reality and fantasy, it's not a good idea to subject them to scary material. It's just irresponsible. You may have handled it fine, but that doesn't mean they will. Many kids start having nightmares and it can profoundly frighten them, years after they've seen the stuff. It's just not smart to expose them to that stuff, they have the rest of their life to enjoy darker material.

"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus

reply

[–] oozabooman 15 years ago

I was going to mention Secret of NIMH as well. Kids today are too soft.

HAHAHHHAHAHAHA

reply

[–] jojomitty 15 years ago

I thought the movie was wonderful, but my six year old did get scared quite a few times. There is nothing wrong with the movie being dark, but I do think a PG rating would have been more appropriate. I still would have taken my daughter, but we would have been better prepared for what to expect.

reply

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Miguel_Melo 15 years ago

Totally agree. I could put up with the bland and colourless animation but the characters (except maybe Despereaux) were unlikeable and the story and decisions they made made no sense to me.

reply

[–] Thomas_Lehmann 15 years ago

www.risico.dk

reply

[–] geinstein 15 years ago

Please read this first. "A G-rated motion picture contains nothing in theme, language, nudity, sex, violence or other matters that, in the view of the Rating Board, would offend parents whose younger children view the motion picture. The G rating is not a “certificate of approval,” nor does it signify a “children’s” motion picture. Some snippets of language may go beyond polite conversation but they are common everyday expressions. No stronger words are present in G-rated motion pictures. Depictions of violence are minimal. No nudity, sex scenes or drug use are present in the motion picture." I for one think this completely applies to The Tale of Despereaux. If your daugther experienced the movie as to dark, well to bad. And of course you don't force her to watch the whole movie so you did right to walk out with here. But don't blame the rating and especially don't blame the movie.

reply

[–] lvd_orders 15 years ago

Thanks you for posting this!

Ratings do not determine the proper age demographic for a film. Beneath the Planet of the Apes was rated G and...I don't even know who that is for.

I also strongly believe American parents are overly protective about their kids in a weird way, because they don't seem to be particularly protective about their kids' videogames or all the crap they are exposed to on the internet.

reply

[–] jujupoet29 15 years ago

While I understand the concerns of parents about films that include dark themes, it would have been totally inappropriate for them to ‘lighten’ this film. I’m a big fan of the book and have read it a couple of times. Kate Di Camillo is one of the truly gifted storytellers of her generation. The darkness of the themes explored are absolutely crucial to the denouement of the plot. Can I suggest that it may have been a good idea to have read the book, perhaps in conjunction with your daughter, before you went to see it so that you would know what you’re in for. It’s a story about forgiveness and redemption and it would be totally unacceptable for it to have been rendered into a fluffy, feel-good mouse film.

I haven’t seen the film yet myself but I fully intend to. And I for one hope that the heart of the story is left intact.

If you feel it is incorrectly classified, that is something to bring up with the powers that be. The filmmakers have only one job – and that is to stay true to the story.

Can I also suggest to those who didn’t enjoy the film, that the book may be more to your taste. It is artfully and skillfully told and a true pleasure to read.

reply

[–] Brooke123 15 years ago

All of my kids LOVE most of the Disney movies. Those movies do have some pretty dark and scary antagonists. But, those same movies also have comic relief in the form of side kicks that make the dark moments tolerable.

This movie was depressing and dark. It needed a different rating. It is not MY fault that someone went for a less strict rating in order to sell more tickets.

Even Matthew Broderick mentioned that his son was scared during part of the movie. How sad.

Okay, I gotta go. I'm making my 6-year-old watch "Carrie" tonight. You know, to toughen her up some.

reply

[–] atarischris 15 years ago

You are contradicting yourself! First you make a message saying how your poor daughter got so scared that you have to leave and how it wasn't her fault because the movie was so dark. Then you go ahead and say how sad it is that some other child (of the same age as your daughter btw) got scared during part of the movie as well. So are you admitting that it's sad how your daughter couldn't "tough it out" long enough to finish the movie?

And also, you claim that the movie is "dark and depressing" based on what? The 40 minutes that you saw out of the full 90 minutes?
Movies don't need different ratings just because they are too dark and depressing...

reply

[–] crimp_jo 15 years ago

Not sure about everyone else, but the theater I saw the movie at listed the movie as PG, not G.

The situation is now so terrible that we have no choice but to BEGIN WRITING IN CAPITAL LETTERS.

reply