Conference moira::parenting

    
    I haven't seen any details, but I have heard on the radio
    that caution should be used. We did see the preview this
    past weekend and I felt that this movie is not a G or PG
    type of movie, PG-13 is properly right. But the strangest
    part is, a 13 year old would probably not want to see it...
                                          
    
    Eva

    On the news this morning there was a psychologist who saw
    the movie and suggested that it not be seen by a child
    under 7yrs of age.  I think she stated because of the
    voilence.
    
    Rose

    Even a Disney treatment of the story wouldn't be something to which I'd
    take a child younger than 10 years old. It's not just the violence.
    
      Annie

    
    I think Annie said it right. It is the story itself.
    
    
    Eva

What is it about the story (I'm not very familiar with it) that you feel is
inappropriate?  (I'm not disagreeing, just asking.)

						Brian

    We took my a-little-over-3 year old last night.  She did not like 
    the movie.  We had to take her out of the theater.
    
    Thumbs down!

    
    I haven't seen the movie, so take it FWIW.
    
    The movie is based on a Victor Hugo novel. Victor Hugo was a highly
    regarded French author, but not a children's storywriter by any stretch 
    of imagination. The novel was set in medieval Paris, ie. the dark ages,
    violence comes to mind. I read the story a long time ago, so I may be
    incorrect here. It is about this hunchback who rings the bell for
    Notre Dame (Our Lady), the cathedral, he hides from the rest of the
    world because of his affliction. Of course, being the dark ages, the
    rest of his world wasn't very friendly. It was about how he gained
    acceptance through some heroic deeds?? (my memory is not helping at this
    point).
    
    
    Eva

    [I also have yet to see the Disney movie, but]
    
    The story is also about Esmeralda, whom Quasimodo loves. He
    abducts/snatches her from the gallows to safety in the Sanctuary
    afforded by Holy Ground. Suffice it to say that while death was not an
    appropriate punishment for Esmeralda's transgressions, she's near the
    top of my list of Female Characters in Literature that I Never Expected
    to Become the Heroine of a Disney Family Movie.
    
    The story is fabulous and touching and wonderful, but there are a lot
    of elements in it that would be difficult to discuss/explain to a child
    who was still of an age to look at the world in binary terms. The
    characters are very complex.
    
      Annie

    
    I'll take the kids...
    
    You have to know your child, and how he/she will react, I think. For
    instance, my son was really fascinated by "Jurassic Park" at age 5
    (at home, not in the theater), and while "scared" (mostly excited)
    by some parts, the sci-fi/adventure aspects to the movie very much
    intrigued him.  I know it's not the kind of movie a young child 
    really "should" see, but this little guy has very little fear in
    him (can be dangerous sometimes), and I don't discourage him from
    watching movies that have some educational or literary value to them
    (supervised, of course).  I suspect that "Hunchback" will fit the 
    bill.  In spite of some of the more vocal (and political) criticisms,
    I believe Disney does a good job of balancing entertainment against
    lesson-teachnig.
    
    Glenn
    
           

The write up that I heard on it, said that it had very little to do with the 
actual story -- and really, knowing the actual story, it couldn't have much to 
do with it.

I saw the "movie" version of the Hunchback when I was about 12, and it still 
sticks in my mind as a horrible, horrible movie/situation/story .... and 
completely inbelievable that any one could POSSIBLY be treated that way.  My 
memory isn't helping much either, but I do remember several scenes where 
Quasimodo, when ringing the bell, would look out at the town's people, and try 
to "communicate" with some (one?) of them ... and was severely beaten for it.

It's quite a somber story, and while perhaps slightly along the lines of the 
beauty and the beast (in love, presentation isn't always the most important 
thing), it's quite a gruesome story.  Maybe you should think about renting the 
"real" movie first, to familiarize yourself with the story?

I'm not sure how much literary value there is in some goofy gargoyles ... and 
misunderstanding the story isn't helpful ... I'd really re-think this one!!

This is one Disney movie that will never be seen by my kids.

-Patty

Oh yeah .... and being able to say that snow white, or 101 dalmations or even 
Jurassic Park, or any of those and their evil characters, is "make believe"
certainly helped.  Even in The Lion King, there was some relief in that it was 
wild animals fighting.  To try to explain the treatment of this person, to a 
small child .... well, it'd be beyond me.

The Elephant Man is a **much** tamer story to tell, if we have to use
deformities to make a movie..... 
    

    Actually I think like a lot of movies today, the movie is made more for
    the adult, just make sure you buy the toys associated with it for your 
    kids (yes, this is meant sarcastically).  I think Babe is a notable
    exception.
    
    sandy

    
    FWIW, my daughter told me she read the excerpt of the story
    in 4th grade and she has no interest in seeing the movie.
    
    IMO, comparing this to Jurasiac Park isn't quite fair. We all 
    know that dinosaurs had to eat somehow, and that wild animals 
    are wild. This particular novel explores the DARK side of human
    beings, a side that even many adults do not want to deal with.
    It is not a children's story, it was written for adults. Even
    though it came out as a Disney animated picture, it is not 
    necessarily appropriate for children. However, to each its own.
    
    Eva

    
    
    
    
    FYI, taken from the DISNEY Notesfile, a couple of interesting things to
    look for at the movie.
    
              <<< KOOLIT::$41$DUA1:[NOTES$LIBRARY]DISNEY.NOTE;1 >>>
                       -< The Disneyphile's Disney File >-
================================================================================
Note 448.12                The Hunchback of Notre Dame                  12 of 13
MSBCS::KNIPSTEIN                                     25 lines  27-JUN-1996 14:31
                    -< Three Thumbs up from this family... >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Just to comment further on the similarity between "Beauty" and
    "Hunchback" as noted in 448.5 -
    
    A cast-member at the Disney Store in the Square One Mall in Saugus
    pointed out that Belle appears in one of the crowd scenes as Quasimodo
    is singing "Out There".  She is walking thru the square, what else,
    reading a book.  The cast-member also said that Puumba and Winnie the
    Pooh can also be spotted at some point in the movie.
    
    Took both of my kids, who are huge Disney fans, to one of the special
    early morning showings "sponsored" by the Disney store.  We all loved
    it.  There were some folks there with very young children who were
    disappointed.  The movie does have a rather dark tone to it and is a
    departure from the more recent Disney fare, but all in all the three of
    us thought it was much better than Pocahontas.  The music is terrific
    and the hero and heroine are much more realistic characters than the
    typical Disney heroes and heroines.
    
    I'm surprised that there hasn't been any discussion of the film in here
    since it's release - there has been some discussion of it in the MOVIES
    conference, but I figured for sure that this note would have numerous
    replies by now.  Can't believe that I'm the first, especially since I
    don't reply in here very often.
    
    Steve
================================================================================
Note 448.13                The Hunchback of Notre Dame                  13 of 13
DONVAN::SCOPA                                         7 lines  28-JUN-1996 11:00
                                   -< Belle >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Steve,
    
    I had head that Belle shows up in the lower right hand corner of a
    crowd scene and she walks off the screen while reading a book. I don't
    know what scene but it will be fun to look for Belle. 
    
    Mike

    Joel Segal gave it two thumbs up.  He did indicate that there were two
    way to the view the movie.  Through a childs eyes and through an
    adults.   Adults seeing the violence, cruelty and sexual content. 
    Children, although they see the violence and cruelty, they do see that
    there are a lot of bad people in the world, but there are just as many 
    good.  I know my children can go to school to get the same affect.
    Besides, most kids [mine anyway] will remind me that it's just a
    movie... 
    
    Although I did not see the movie, my sister-in-law brought her 4 year old 
    daughter.  Both did not care for the movie, but for different reasons. 
    After ready the book to my children [with discussions in between], they
    decided they didn't want to see the movie.  They want to wait for
    'Harriett The Spy'.
    
    Just my 2 cents !
            

  Well, I tried to take my 5yr son to see this movie.  We left after ~40min.
  He was horrified and screaming during the big court yard scene (I'm trying
  not to give the story away) where Quasi is being picked on (to put it very
  mildly).

  Note, within the first 30min, we saw Quasi's mother killed, baby Quasi almost
  thrown into the well, then the court yard scene.  Where folks discover that
  Quasi doesn't appear "normal" -- they are cruel and heartless, and I feel
  that the scene was explicit.  

  Remember when the Mufasa was killed in the Lion King?   Hardly any gore, 
  left it to the imagination.  The animators of 'Hunchback' left little to the
  imagination!

  				-Caroline