Family Movies–Battles and Beyond edition

Earlier, we posted our family’s top picks for animal-themed movies. Today, we’re sharing some war- and battle- themed flicks that don’t feature body parts flying, but do satisfy some of that testosterone-hungry call for adventure that boys seem to crave.

Spurred on by some recent requests for recommendations, our family has compiled a list of our all-time faves. The grand total of films we’ll feature is 31. We’ve broken them up into general content areas, and will post them in a series over the next month. Before we begin, though, a disclaimer: obviously, what our family finds o.k. (like frank discussions about child abuse or the consequences of certain behaviors, for example) might not fit within your family’s culture. And that doesn’t mean that we’re right and you’re wrong, or vice versa. It just means that your family isn’t ours, and ours isn’t yours. If we can all agree to live within that concept as Christians, I think ours would be a much more grace-filled community, don’t you? Please keep that in mind as you look over our list, and let your own family’s compass be your guide.
Davy Crockett at the Alamo (1960)– It might be my southern roots, or maybe it’s something a little deeper, but this movie is just plain silly fun. Yes, it ends at the Alamo and we all know what happened there. It’s a touch poignant when you realize that Davy and his best bud will not, in fact, make it out of the fray alive. But overall, this movie manages to stay light-hearted and engaging for even some younger kids. That’s a win in our house.

Father Goose (1964)– In our family, the saying is “You can’t go wrong with a Cary Grant film.” This one is no different. In this one, Grant is a an alcoholic deadbeat who is conned into serving in a civilian capacity in WWII. Along comes a beautiful young woman and a host of school girls and … well, it’s just funny. You’ve got to watch it.

PT109 (1963)– A dramatized version of young JFK’s heroic exploits on a PT boat with a near-impossible mission. This one has lots of action. It’s a great Father & Sons watch.

Sgt. York (1941)– Gary Cooper stars in this real-life adventure. The story is arguably about York’s amazing conquests on the field, but the movie opens with an inspiring look at his acceptance of Christ and change of heart. If you can get past the soft-focus and somewhat caricatured depictions of Appalachia, then this is a fantastic family find.

Follow Me, Boys! (1966)– We watched this one during one of Christopher’s trips out of the country. The boys got to pick, and I’ll admit, both Mary Hannah and I groaned inwardly if not outright. We were delighted to find that this was nowhere near what we anticipated. The Boy Scouts are actually the main draw here, and even though my boys have never been Scouts, they enjoy this ode to civic responsibility.

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)– Yes, it’s long. Yes, it’s somewhat obscure to those of us raised on American-centric history. But, oh, man … this is a classic for a reason. Treat your  family to a viewing of this on the biggest screen you can find. Talk about the history. The film techniques. The cultures. Seriously– a must-see.