The kids love Dinosaurs. But will they enjoy having nightmares about them?
Here's a quick post, with a simple goal. I'm looking to you, dear readers, for parental advice. After all, no parent has all the answers, but the internet knows everything! Hear my query, and then shower me with your wisdom.
The question is this: are my 3 and 5 year olds ready to watch Jurassic Park?
I mean those two kids love them some Dinosaurs. I know this because I have little plastic Stegosaurus spikes stuck deep inside the tissues of my feet. See, they've got this huge bucket of dino-buddies that they like to pour out onto our dining room floor, taking over a goodly portion of our living space. They then revel in acting out the violent struggle for survival that the 'Terrible Lizards' had to endure every day, while I try to avoid impaling my tootsies on a Triceratops or something.
But are they ready to take that violence one step further? There are some pretty damn scary parts of that movie, especially in the last half, but I want them to see that glorious opening act. I suppose I could turn it off at that point, but then they'd be begging me non-stop to see the rest.
Why is this issue on my mind? The other day I was perusing the interwebs when I started to get interested in John Williams. (who knows how we get to the places we end up online) That eventually lead me to wanting to pick my favourite score from his body of work. I'm not sure I've totally decided yet, but the following theme from Steven Spielberg's box-office smash is a pretty strong contender.
Now while I've always adored that piece of music, and I entirely enjoyed the movie when it came out, I wasn't prepared for some of the comments I started seeing posted below the clip on YouTube. A smattering below: (I took the liberty to edit some of the typical YouTube grammar and spelling issues)
"After reading a lot of comments, I started to get a bit emotional. So many people have the same feelings about this theme and movie. This movie was a big part of my childhood so this theme gives me goosebumps every time."
"This film is more than a movie.. this movie is my childhood!"
"This song is my happy place"
"Owwwh, goosebumps! When I listen to this, it reminds me of the really good movies, and the great times I had with them! Now it's just empty entertainment, without a meaning.. Okay yes, there are good movies here and there, but nothing beats the pureness and spirit there once were."
And lastly, the one that floored me, thanks to the 80 times it had been 'thumbed up' on YouTube:
"Is it just me or did all the great things in life come out of the 90's"
Hold the phone here, do you mean the NINETEEN-nineties? And are we talking about the same Jurassic Park? The one where the fat guy from Seinfeld gets killed by the little fan-headed gecko, right?* Again, I enjoyed the crap out of that picture, but I had no idea at the time that it was in the process of becoming "the movie" for an entire generation.
Good for Spielberg, Williams, and everyone else involved. I'm not complaining, nor do I wish to argue the movie's merits. As a skeptic I've been forced to learn a few things about friendly debate, and one of those lessons has become endlessly valuable: you can question somebody's faith in God, but never, NEVER, insult their favourite childhood film. As with many things between myself and the generations younger than me, I guess it's just hard to relate. I suppose I'm just looking at old age rapidly approaching in the rear-view mirror, and as we all know, objects may be closer than they appear.
Jurassic Park aside however, I have heard one legitimate criticism of the whole dinosaur craze. It came from famed scientist Stephen Jay Gould, who grew up in a time when dinosaurs were more mystery than cartoon characters. His love for the big lizards has been well documented, but once he was asked if he had anyproblem with the way dinosaurs had become commercialized.
I'm not sure my toddlers are ready for the real story of what dinosaurs were, but are they ready for Jurassic Park? I really, REALLY want to see the wonder on their faces when they watch these big beasts (digitally) come to life, but I don't want them having nightmares for months. If now's not the time, how long do I have to wait? A couple of years? Five?
Let me know folks! I'm dedicated to my readers, and I'm not a big fan of responsibility, so I'll just go with the consensus. Help me raise my children right!
