To think that these film are not suitable for an 11 year old?

[LavenderBrown]

AIBU to think that "Psycho" and "The Shawshank Redemption" are not suitable veiwing for an 11 year old?

My friends lets her 7 and 10 year old watch The Saw films and Resident Evil, 28 Days later etc I was flabbergasted and shocked but she said it was ok because it is only a weekend!

How can you say you don't think they'd be suitable for an 11 year old if you haven't seen them yourself?

I can't watch Psycho now and I'm alot older than 11.

Shawshank Redemption is a brilliant film, but not suitable for that age either.

The 11 year olds at my school who bang on about having seen the Saw films tend to be the ones who obviously suffer from poor parenting and have behavioural problems.

I wouldn't put Shawshank in the same category. It's a great film - has its moments of violence, but it's not a violent film. Still not great for 11 year olds, but it wouldn't horrify me in the same way.

Don't know which Psycho you mean, but I should think both are not suitable. Shawshank isn't too bad in any way for an 11 yo, but it's a very long film and I wouldn't think an 11 yo would have the maturity to sit and watch it all the way through and understand it properly. I think sometimes films are categorised a certain way not because of the violence or sex, but because the themes are just too adult for an immature mind.

limitedperiodonly They are both a 15 cert. I have read about them and heard people talking about them so I have a general idea of the content.

He is a mature 11 year old and does appreciate film.

It's the original Psycho.

What does 'appreciate film' mean in this context?

The remake of Psycho was made frame by frame exactly the same - as a tribute to Hitchcock. So both are psychologically terrifying.

I think there is a losing battle with people who think that subjecting a young mind to Saw is OK. You can quote studies, case histories...it will fall on deaf ears. Try researching some infamous child criminals and murderers - they will often quote a film they saw and wanted to 'copy.' Ditto computer games.

I watched Psycho at 11. Ditto Nightmare on Elmstreet and Halloween. I don't think I've suffered emotional scarring over it

Punkatheart Which criminals have said they wanted to copy a film? Genuinely interested, it's not a dig. I know the press attributed Hungerford to Rambo and the Bulger case to Child's Play but to the best of my knowledge, this was media hype and there's never been a conclusive link made between films/games and violent crime.

I still don't think they're suitable for an unsupervised 11 year old with no wider discussion to place them in context. I watched Shawshank at about 13, I think, with my mum, and we had a long discussion about many of the issues raised by the film. I know my views on rehabilitation not punishment probably stem directly from that film.

I saw the original Psycho at around 11 and would have been allowed to watch The Shawshank Redemption. My parents obviously felt I was mature enough.

Your mother presumably thinks the same of your brother. Unless you are trying to get everyone to agree that she's grossly irresponsible. I can't judge because I don't know what else she does.

Unless you want to go to a public cinema, film certificates are a guide. They can never be as good as seeing the film yourself and knowing your child.

My 6-year-old nephew had nightmares after being shown Fantasia at a party. My sister would have known the Sorcerer's Apprentice scene with the brooms coming to life would have upset him. She didn't blame the other mother, she just wished she'd known so she could have stopped it.

Despite his childhood trauma he's grown up to be perfectly well-adjusted.

I watched Psycho, Jaws and many others much younger than that but I wouldn't let my kids watch them - well especially Psycho. My 6 yr old used to come home telling me how the other kids were watching Batman (Dark Knight) and other more grown up movies. Was at the cinema watching I Am Legend and there were some really young kids in the theatre about. Saying that they are 9 and 6 now and we are starting to relax a bit though not too happy about husband letting them watch Transporter a few years ago and then Jurassic Park recently.

Psycho, depends. It didn't hang over me and scare me at night or anything when I saw it as a kid of probably about 11, but you know your own child best. The Birds was the one that I found really disturbing and frightening. That one hung over me for weeks.

The Shawshank Redemption I think would be too long-winded and quiet for an 11 year old.

Ha, The Birds was really scary, still is.

Good points, Victor. Yes quite literally the jury is still deciding on crime and violent media. Partly because in terms of studies - video games are still in their infancy. It needs a long time and lots of case studies. Also there are lots of other factors. Some would say that only an already warped mind can be driven to murder or rape by watching violence. Also are we simply reflecting a more violent society in our media or does one cause the other?

'Labour MP Keith Vaz, who represents a seat in Leicester where the mother of murdered 14-year-old Stefan Pakeerah blamed his killer's obsession with the Manhunt video game.'

We see this sort of reportage all the time. But can it be proven?

Next question: Why the rush?
There are years ahead to watch those films. Why now?

Another excellent point. Once seen, they cannot be unseen. Surely innocence is important?

I would say Shawshank Redemption is not an issue for an 11 year old - its long and quiet and the undertones would be lost on an immature child I think. I can't remember when I watched psycho, i'm thinking around 14/15 so on the cusp of the age certificate, but i remember thinking it was quite ...crap (particularly in comparison to the 18 horror movies I had been watching ) so not sure how affected again an 11 yo would be. Depends on their maturity I guess.

As for video game/violent movie link to crime...as paraphrased from American dad..."Games don't kill people, people kill people"

Depends if he shows an interest in them., if he had an appreciation for cinema then by all means I'd make let him sit through all the Hitchcock classics, I think unless a film has something you really don't want your kids to see then you should go by experience not the BBFC certificate.

Driving Miss Daisy (for example) is a U but I doubt many 4-10 year olds would want to watch it.

limitedperiodonly I do not think my mother is grossly irresponsible. She obviously thinks my brother is mature enough to watch and as far as I am aware he thoroughly enjoyed them. I would not want my children to watch them at 11 and was curious to see if other people felt the same.

limitedperiodonly I do not think my mother is grossly irresponsible. She obviously thinks my brother is mature enough to watch and as far as I am aware he thoroughly enjoyed them. I would not want my children to watch them at 11 and was curious to see if other people felt the same.

Some of us agree with you, some people agree with her. I'm not being obtuse, but what did you expect people to say?

I'm not really sure what u mean?

I wanted peoples opinions, that's what I got. I didn't expect a unanimous vote one way or the other.

It's a Shawshank reference. But you missed it because you didn't see it.

Watch films before you pronounce on them. That's what I mean.

"I would say Shawshank Redemption is not an issue for an 11 year old - its long and quiet and the undertones would be lost on an immature child"

What's the point of them watching it then?