Dirty dancing movie for 8 year old?

[lentilsforever]

Friday night is family movie night here.

I like to have the film ready so no endless discussion and debate!

She’s not a sensitive soul and LOVES dance. She knows about abortion and I’m not at all worried about questions relating to that

However I saw it twenty years ago. Is it otherwise suitable?

I actually more concerned about my 12 year old son being embarrassed?!

@LoveGrooveDanceParty

Well, my BF has just started watching Game of Thrones with their 12YO, which I think is mind-boggling and judge to high heaven (I won’t even let my 11YO watch Friends because of the myriad porn references), so Dirty Dancing does seem tame in comparison.

But really - as PP have said, it’s a coming of age film which just isn’t going to interest an 8YO.

Myriads of porn references?

I dont think I'd watch step mom with my 8 year old and a 12 year old. Unless they like a tear jerker...

Can I recommend the website Common sense media? It tells you about movies, the original ratings, ages parents think it’s suitable for and what kids think. It also outlines the messages in movies, swearing, violence, etc. We have a DD who is 8 and it’s been helpful.

There are lots of movies I look forward to showing DD when she’s a bit older: Legally Blonde, Clueless, Mean Girls, 10 things I hate about you…but not yet. Definitely not Dirty Dancing yet! Ironically I was only 8 or 9 when I watched it for the first time, we had it recorded on a Betamax (shows my age). I missed a lot of the meaning at that age but I wouldn’t let my daughter watch it yet.

Things we have enjoyed recently include:

• Singing in the rain
• Stardust
• Sister Act 1 & 2 (although I had to explain about mobsters she was okay with that)
• Descendants movies
• Beethoven (but I won’t let her watch the second one because I’m sure there’s an attempted assault)
• Zombies movies (on Disney plus)
• the High School musical movies
• Freaky Friday (more recent version and the old ones)
• It takes two

I think there’s plenty of fun movies suitable for this age.

For next week, your DD would probably love an animated movie called Ballerina, the animation is absolutely magical.

Or Ballet Shoes, a BBC movie based on the Noel Streatfeild book.

Myriads of porn references?

Myriad porn references - yes.

I love Friends, but it’s littered with reference to porn, including whole episodes devoted to it! Funny, but not exactly what I want my 11YO to be watching.

Wow surprised at some comments. I would say definitely not for my just turned 9yr old DD. The first thing she would ask is what the dirty reference is about😆

If you have Netflix, would very much recommend Feel The Beat as a great dancing movie for about that age!

The new Cinderella movie is age appropriate.

I always check these things with commonsensemedia.org, it tells you exactly what/when any concerning scenes come up.

Also, I’ve always erred on the side of watching a more ‘grownup’ film with my kids, but fast forwarding through any inappropriate bits. My 10yo just covers her eyes when I ask her to. Works for us.

I watched it and loved it when it originally came out - I was about 9. The adult bits just flew over my head. All I remember was the dancing and the amazing sound track.

I agree about uncensored Friends. It was shown after 9pm on channel 4 originally. I think if you watched it when it was on repeat on E4 for years they edited some content out. I realised once I’d never seen the episode where Phoebe finds out she’s expecting triplets - she goes from pregnant one episode to triplets without it being introduced. That’s because the episode she finds out is “The one with the free porn”, I guess E4 thought it was easier just not to show that one! Friends has lots of porn references, lesbians are sexy, male homosexuality is slated. The worst message is the whole Ross/Rachel dynamic, she should have run for the hills! Worst that all her Friends would bang on about how he’s “such a great guy”

I was watching it from around that age along with pretty woman etc and I'm not scarred by it 🤷‍♀️

Not Step Mom. It's on my list of always to be watched whenever on films, but I'm 52. For an 8 year old it's Charlotte's Web trauma x 1000.

@Saoirse82

I was watching it from around that age along with pretty woman etc and I'm not scarred by it 🤷‍♀️

Yes I loved Pretty Woman at about the same age too! I don’t think I had any real idea of what a prostitute etc was!

Why does your 8 year old child know about abortion?! For the love of God, can we not just allow children to be just that...children?!

@SageRosemary

For next week, your DD would probably love an animated movie called Ballerina, the animation is absolutely magical.

Or Ballet Shoes, a BBC movie based on the Noel Streatfeild book.

Also highly recommend ‘Leap’ @lentilsforever

Please keep it age appropriate!!!

I watched it at that age. I was a bit young and naive though. I liked the music and the dancing but a lot of it went over my head!

Also, what about footloose? Mainly pretty innocent isn't it?

I watched dirty dancing when I was 3 and declared it "shite"!

When I say watched, it was on in the background.

Times change don’t they? I saw it in the cinema when it came out. It’s rated a 15 and back then if you weren’t the right age you couldn’t hire or see films above your age.
I was 15 and remember thinking some of it was quite ‘grown up’. Maybe I was just a naive little flower... I don’t think I was though 😄

Beach Movie
Descendents 1,2 3

How is 10 things I hate about you appropriate either? A bunch of 16yr olds and story lines appropriate to that age range....not relevant to an 8yr old
A boy who pays another boy to date someone so he can date a girl??? Great message..?

It's been on channel 5 a few times over the years quite a bit before the watershed, so it has actually been edited. I watched it with my dc9 and they really liked it.

I second Feel the Beat
We just finished Wild Child and DD1 (9) loved it. There’s some bad language and references to shagging but I’m pretty relaxed about that.

Your 8 year old knows about abortion.

I watched it at 8 years old, I had no idea what Penny was doing re the abortion at that age. I just adored the music, the dancing and Patrick Swayze! I would let my 8 yo watch it.