Real talk - the mark of an excellent kids' movie is that it still has something profound to say to the adults who took those kids to see that movie. The best films weave that message in seamlessly in and say what they need to say in ways that work for both the kids and the grown-ups.
So lets celebrate those moments. Reddit user KeenestDerp1 asked:
What kids movie has no right to be as good as it is?
So here's the thing, I'm never gonna tell people who don't want kids or can't afford kids etc. to go out and have babies just so you have an "excuse" to watch children's movies and TV.
But I am going to say you should totally still watch some kids stuff from time to time! Cartoons and kids movies now aren't the slapstick pointless explosion of color they used to be.
They're deep, emotional, political, deal with trauma, tell compelling stories ... aaaaaaaand are an explosion of color! Seriously. Don't sleep on kids programming, take a look at what these people had to say:
Groove With It
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"Emperors New Groove, fur sure. Yzma and Kronk are easily the funniest Disney villains of all time."
"Other villains like Gaston, Ursula, or Scar have funny moments, but ultimately become legitimate, scary threats by the end. Or Frollo or Shan Yu, who have no humor to redeem them at all."
"Kronk and Yzma, however, remain amusing throughout, and survive on top of that. Eartha Kitt and Patrick Warburton had such great comedic delivery."
"Yzma: That's it, Kronk! Break the door down!"
"Kronk: Break it down, are you kidding me? This is hand-carved mahogany." - Dahhhkness
Vin Diesel At His Best
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"The Iron Giant has some of the absolute best animation" - ElephantExplosion
"My wife always likes to look my way at the ending, she knows the waterworks are coming. She gets a kick out of it." - piberryboy
"Unironically my favorite vin diesel performance. With only a few words he was able to convey so much (with the help of expert animation)."
"You are you choose to be/superman sequence is as powerful as anything else I've seen in live action." - Hogwarts_Earth2
" 'You stay. I go. No following.' " - TheTruthenatorer
Rats In A Kitchen
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"Ratatouille. A bunch of rats in a restaurant should not make such a great movie." - cdgal38382
"I think the food critic Anton Egos speech at the end is possibly one of the greatest bits of writing in cinema history."
" 'The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations. The new needs friends.' "
" 'Last night, I experienced something new: an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions about fine cooking is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core.' "
" 'In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto, 'Anyone can cook.' But I realize, only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist; but a great artist can come from anywhere.' " - scotlandisbae
Kung Fu
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"Kung Fu Panda. You'd expect a lot of fat jokes and not much else, but all three movies are fantastic in terms of action, drama, and emotions." - WeirdGuy149
"I avoided these movies for so long because I thought they looked dumb as hell and I also don't always care for Jack Black."
"Then my kids got obsessed with these movies and every time I watched it I noticed something new and became more and more impressed. It's got a solid story, solid mythology, and the movie is constantly referencing itself and keeping itself aligned with its themes."
"The fact that the movie is full of scenes of Po doing random stuff and getting hurt in random ways and then every single one of those incidents is brought back in the fight at the end is just amazing to me." - TypewriterKey
"Was about to comment this, actually. Trailers make you think it's a dumb animated comedy, but it ends up being an unironically solid martial arts flick" - ProfessionalSquid
Dragon Time
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"As a 30 year old man, 'How To Train Your Dragon' remains my favorite movie of all time. Perfect writing, perfect voice acting, perfect music, perfect animation - Toothless, a dragon with zero lines of dialogue, has more personality than most kid's movie protagonists."
"Fun fact, that movie uses more callback lines than any I've ever seen. I counted once and there's more than 15 lines of dialogue that get repeated at different points throughout the movie to show change or character development. This includes, but is not limited to:"
- "This is Berk"
- "Thank you for summing that up"
- "You just gestured to all of me"
- "That's for ______, that's for everything else"
- "Ohhh I am hurt, I am very much hurt"
- "I did this"
- "Why didn't you?"
- "We're Vikings, it's an occupational hazard"
"Also notable for having shockingly good sequels as well."
"The second movie is arguably as good as the first, and the third, while not quite as good at the first two, is nonetheless excellent and a worthy conclusion to the series." - NotMieFault
A 90 Minute Toy Commercial
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"The Lego Movie"
"I was expecting it to be a 90 minute toy commercial. Instead it was really, really good, with a good message about creativity and some great songs."
"Also Lego Batman was better than most live action superhero movies." - TheseWereThePlaces
"These movies were so hysterical!"
"My kids begged me to watch with them. I begrudgingly said yes. I thought it would be so dumb - I loved them!"
"To the point where after we had watched it several times-when there was a movie night months later I would suggest Lego Batman and my son would be like"
" 'Mooooom AGAIN?' " - Absofrickinlutely
A Story About Sisters
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"I watched Lilo and Stitch again recently as an adult, and I realized it's a story about an older sister trying to keep her family together with some aliens thrown in."
"Had me crying throughout the whole thing. Much different than how I remembered it as a kid!" - AGeneNamedCry
"Yeah it's really really heavy. Like they even got Lilo's acting out and tantrums from trying to process losing her parents right." - wardsac
"And Nani's room has lots of awards for surfing, implying she gave up that career to take care of Lilo." - SmartAlec105
"My husband, who does not get emotional over movies, couldn't watch it."
"He didn't actually lose both parents, but his dad died suddenly when he was 9 and the loss crushed his mom. He can recall years when his mom was almost always in bed crying."
"His brother basically raised him from ages 9-14 because their mom had become a shell of her former self."
"He cried watching Lilo & Stitch. I have never seen him cry over any other movie, ever. I think it just hit too close to home for him." - captkronni
"My wife and I have some contact with the foster care system (in a volunteer capacity), and yeah--this movie hits way harder now."
"Nani is a goddamn saint, but she's clearly in over her head in a world that isn't set up for her to succeed. The scene where she accepts that Lilo is going to be taken away and just holds her absolutely wrecks me." - BlueOysterCultist
"Aloha O'e (the song she sings to Lilo) adds another layer of heart wrenching to the scene too."
"It was composed by the last queen of Hawaii and she sang it to her people when Hawaii lost its independence. The writers for the movie legitimately added a whole lot of culture into the film in terms of the native Hawaiian experience." - Worthyness
Father/Son Films
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"I was an assistant manager at a movie theater when 'A Goofy Movie' came out. I could get my family into movies free, but I had to go with them."
"When that movie came out my little brother begged me to take him. I brought him, my sister and my mom, thinking I'd duck out after a few minutes & hang out in the office with whoever was working."
"I ended up watching every minute & absolutely loving it. My mother, a woman now well into her 60's, still loves this movie to this day. She pulled out her old VHS copy when we were there for Easter & we all watched it."
"It 100% holds up over time & I think it's one of the best father/son movies I've ever seen." - Zorgsmom
The Best Musicians Movie
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"Coco. Everyone talks about Hispanic representation, dealing with death, and gut-wrenching emotional turmoil, and Coco definitely has all that in spades, but as a musician and specifically a guitarist..."
"The chords are right. The plucking, strumming, dynamics are right. The instruments are right. Even the accompaniment."
"And when Miguel is sitting in his little hideaway, the look on his face when he gets into his playing is a genuine look that I've only seen musicians make. The moment he made that face I knew I was in for something special."
"This isn't a petulant child who insists on a hobby his parents hate, this is an artist feeling their art, someone with music in their soul that NEEDS to be played."
"And the stunning truth of how music is so powerful it can even occasionally, momentarily, overcome something as strong as dementia... that scene makes everyone cry but it WRECKED me."
"I watched that movie in theaters, went home, dusted off a neglected instrument, and unashamedly wept into the chords. Best musician's movie ever." - Enmaku
Now go! Stop reading articles on your phone and go watch something childish and great.
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- Parents Share The Best Phrases Their Kids 'Invented' When They Were Young - George Takei ›
- People Divulge Which Actors Known For Comedy Ended Up Being Fantastic Dramatic Actors - George Takei ›
- People Explain What Began As A Joke But Then Became A Legitimate Thing - George Takei ›
- The Best Animated Movies Of All-Time - George Takei ›
When we're intoxicated, or even the slightest bit tipsy from having a little too much to drink, our immediate perspective on things is hazy.
But there's nothing like a bit of alarming news or a jarring incident to snap us out of the fog and focus on the moment.
Sometimes alcohol isn't always to blame for our impairment.
It can be a state of mind, like a perpetual numbness from being complacent in life, and all it takes is one shocking moment to rattle us back to our senses.
Curious to hear from strangers online about this type of scenario, Redditor Known_Challenge_7150 asked:
"What’s one thing that sobered you up real quick?"
These individuals were witness to shocking events that sobered them up right quick.
Bleeding Out
"Got out of a taxi and found a naked man profusely bleeding from his head crawling up the driveway in my condo. Called him an ambulance completely forgot I was absolutely wasted until 45 minutes later when I'd helped him translate and in to an amublance and stepped in my front door."
"Later a few days later learned he'd slipped in the tub and literally crawled out for help. Poor dude. He was fine but I genuinely thought he was going to die there."
– DongLaiCha
Tragic News
"At a bachelor party and we got a phone call that the groom’s father had suddenly passed."
– accountnameredacted
Bottom Of The Barrel
"I went to visit my parents back in July. I was homeless and deep into fentanyl addiction so I lost a lot of weight. My folks could see it. They knew something was up. Anyway, I spent the night and I was getting ready to leave in the morning and I looked at myself in the mirror for a good long time. I finally had enough and told them everything. They took me to detox, from there I went to rehab. Graduated in August and been living with them ever since then. I have 160 days clean and sober."
– Crotch-Monster
A reality check can be enough for some people to snap out of it.
Like Father, Like Son
"Was driving a drunk friend home, he had been on a bender again and was smart enough to call me for a lift rather than try and drive. As I helped in to his house his mother came down the stairs and said 'your as drunk as your father' and went back upstairs. I haven't seen him drunk since then, he still drinks but the thought of turning into his dad scared him out of hard drinking."
– psycospaz
Busted
"Flashing blue lights."
– FiddleOfGold
"This sobered me up just thinking about it."
– redmaple_syrup
Losing Sight
"Woke up to no sight in one eye. I had cataract surgery so just thought one of the lenses had slipped and it was an easy fix. Eye doc says nope, you had a stroke. I loved soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and salty food, which caused high blood pressure, which caused retina damage. Over six months was able to get most of my eyesight back with medication, and all back within a year. Trying to navigate life with one eye was very sobering. Started taking HBP much more seriously."
– MissHibernia
Quitting The Bottle
"Looked up someone I went to highschool with who was an awesome guy. Found out he had been dead for 3 years from alcoholism, at age 33. I made an overnight change. I hadn't started drinking that night yet, 10 months ago. Haven't touched it again since."
– omgtater
These disturbing moments were enough for Redditors to immediately come to their senses.
Unplanned House Guests
"Me and a buddy Woke up in someone’s living room, realized neither one of us knew the people, they were just nice and let 2 drunk guys sleep on their living room floor. We didn’t even say goodbye."
– Oneinsevenbillion75
Serious Health Warning
"Elevated liver enzymes."
"And the knowledge that this sh** was gonna kill me and I just couldn't orphan my family over it."
"So I opted for recovery, instead."
"Clean and sober since June 5, 2009."
– Far_Meal8674
The Joyride
"Grew up in a rural area. The little town hosted dances at the hockey arena, everyone (adults and kids) went and they overserved everyone, regardless of age. I was maybe 16 or 17 and was absolutely sh*tfaced, and jumped in the back of someone's truck with about 8 other people to go back to someone's cottage for after dance drinking. The driver (still don't know who it was) started racing one of his buddies and we whipped around small dirt roads, flying around blind corners on the wrong side of the road, going god knows how fast. It was basically a disaster waiting to happen. It was crazy scary and I was sober and thankful to be alive when we finally arrived."
– foxfood9116
The human psyche is a fascinating thing, isn't it?
How we can automatically focus on something urgent at a crucial time, even after getting buzzed from drinking too much alcohol.
But as we're in the thick of the holidays, it's a good reminder to drink responsibly and stay off the roads if you drive to your celebratory destination.
Cheers. Stay safe. And happy holidays.
We've all complained or vented about something in our lives which, in the grand scheme of things, wasn't exactly a problem, or is very easily solved.
Then there are those who complain about things that others almost hope will happen to them at some point in their lives.
These are known as "first world problems", as they are problems that pretty much only the world's one percent faces.
From having to fly business class instead of first class, or being served Roederer instead of Dom Pérignon, these complaints are often met with amusement, bewilderment, or even anger.
Redditor jennimackenzie was curious to hear the most absurd "first world problems" anyone ever complained about, leading them to ask:
"What’s the most ridiculous 'first world problem' you’ve seen people get worked up over?"
"Tale As Old As Time..."
"I once knew a mom who was legitimately devastated, to the point of tears/grief, because a doctor predicted her 8 year old daughter's final height to be around 5'2","
"Which wasn't tall enough to get cast as Belle at Disney World."
"That was the child's (and her mother's) only dream in life, apparently."
"Didn't appreciate my suggestion that she could be Minnie or Mickey."
"Lol!"
"Only a face character would do!"- TravelLovingMom
"Must Be Funny, In A Rich Man's World..."
"My boss from about a decade ago was this insanely rich dude who always went to the bank to get fresh and crisp currency."
"He'd call the bank in advance to make sure they had some on hand."
"I think he was a germaphobe."
"He had a trash can that he'd throw $1 and $5 bills in that he thought was 'dirty' and regularly just donated it vs spending it."
"I asked him why he did this and he said it was too much trouble and asked if I wanted it."
"I said f*ck yeah dumped it into my bag and when I got home it was close to $400 in singles and fives.
"Another time, he wanted to upgrade all the computers in his studio, so we went to a store and bought 10 PCs."
"They all had $150 mail in rebates and he wasn't bothered to go through the trouble of mailing them in."
"3 weeks later I received $1500 after spending a whole afternoon filling out all those goddamn forms."- azninvasion2000
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Who Wore It Better?
"When I was about 19 years old, I was at my boyfriends family BBQ."
"I was wearing this pretty floral sundress."
"His cousins girlfriend showed up in the same dress and she was SO mad that she went and changed."
"I will never understand being upset when someone is wearing the same thing as you.'
"Did you really think that your shirt you bought off the rack is going to be unique to you?"
"No."- mertsey627
Seeing Red! Or Blue In This Case...
"The blue of the balloons wasn't quite the same as the bridesmaid's sashes."
"Years ago my wife and I attended a wedding."
"It was very low key."
"The dinner was in the dining hall at the university where the couple met, cinder block walls and all."
"It was a Baptist wedding - no booze and very serious."
"The dark blue balloons attempting to liven up the hall were a slightly darker shade of blue than the sashes on the bridesmaid's dresses."
"The bride lost here sh*t and absolutely raved for nearly an hour."
"I can't remember how they finally managed to talk her down."- mechant_papa
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See You In Court!
"Rich neighbors who end up in expensive court battles because they disagree about where a tree can be planted or whether the color of a fence fits in with the street’s 'amenity'."
'These disputes get really heated and rack up huge lawyers’ bills."
"The most pathetic part is after the judgement when they are arguing about who should pay the other party’s costs."
"Lots of affidavits filed citing the 'emotional distress' they had to endure, or painting themselves as brave warriors who were forced to take a stand to fight for 'justice'."
"Also lots of pompous litigants insisting that the judge refer to them by their 'Dr' title."
"An absolutely insane dumpster fire of entitled rich people problems."- ElectrocRaisin
It's Always People With Money Who Don't Want To Pay!
"I work in a public library."
"People will get so so mad if they have to be put on a wait list for a book."
"A popular book that just came out."
"Ok our services are not only free but so are the books."
"You’re welcome, a**holes."- Switchbladekitten
A Warm Butt Is A Happy Butt!
"My own."
"We have a bidet toilet seat (Fabulous! Everyone should have one!) and not only does it wash your bum and blow dry it, but the seat's heated!"
"It's shocking how much a heated toilet seat makes the whole process more agreeable."
"Except: We had a power outage and I went to use the toilet and the seat was cold!"
"Unacceptable!"
"This shall not stand!"
"I was really upset because it didn't feel good."
"Then I stopped and thought: This is the most first-world problem anyone's ever had."
"I was really pissed because my heiny was tepid."
"I got over it."- DeathGrover
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Holy Matrimony!
"Weddings are a gold mine for this question."
"People get so hyped up over their 'most important day of their life'."
"They'll destroy friendships, go into debt, and have crazy expectations."
"It's not always the couple who go crazy, either."
"Sometimes, it's the parents or another family member who feels entitled to control the wedding."
"It's just a party."
"Be considerate of guests, have plenty of food and drinks, and enjoy it."- magicrowantree
When Fast Food Isn't Fast Enough...
"Having to pull off to the side to wait for a drive-thru order to be brought out to you because your food isn't ready and there's a line building up behind you."- demanbmore
In Case You Don't Think Customer Service Employees Are Undervalued...
"I was working the return desk at a Target next to a military base so I have so many stories."
"One of my favorites was a lady who had her baby shower before revealing the gender and was livid that she had received floral newborn diapers when she’s having a boy."
"It was a huge box of super expensive, all organic diapers, that we didn’t carry and therefore could not return."
"I cannot accurately express her fury and disgust."
"How dare either suggest her boy could wear feminine diapers."
"I suggested she donate them if she didn’t want to use them and she instead threw away the entire box."
"When she left we pulled it out and threw it in our donate bin."
"There have also been multiple times where mom’s order massive toys and when we bring them out to the car they get furious that they aren’t wrapped."
"We don’t offer wrapping services."
"Here’s the thing, if you don’t want your kids to see the toys you got them for Christmas or their bit to day DON'T BRING THE CHILD WHEN YOU PICK IT UP."
'I’ve had multiple women scream and curse me out that I had ruined their kids Christmas by bringing the toys they ordered out to the car like they requested."- clever-mermaid-mae
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Happiest Place On Earth!
"I used to work for Disney."
"That in itself should tell you everything."
"However for fun I'll give you two specific stories one form our tech department and one from my wife who worked bookings."
"I specifically worked for their call center to help with technical issues with magic band and the website."
"Suddenly got worse huh?"
"A right of passage call everyone has at least one story of is the 'Dome call'."
"Basically there is a subset of Disney Guest (TM) that believes if it rains at Walt Disney world there is someone that will push a button to encapsulate the whole of Disney property in a dome to keep out the rain."
"I'm not kidding."
"If this button is not pushed they call our tech department to angrily ask why."
"My wife worked booking."
"Pretty much everything including Bibbidi Bobbidi boutique and Pirate's league."
"These two things did roughly the same thing difference being price and theme."
"BBB was expensive did more and was focused on princesses, pirates league did a bit less and focused on mermaids and pirates."
"Lady called up my wife, and got pissed about BBB being booked up (It goes FAAAAST)."
"Karen: 'Im going to give the phone to my daughter and I want you to tell her how you are ruining her vacation by not letting her do BBB'."
"Wife proceeds to explain how pirate's league is so much cooler and how she can be a mermaid or pirate and basically gets the kid to start demanding to their parents about how they want to be a mermaid instead of a princess."- trollsong
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The horror!
Being booked into a junior suite at Disney World instead of an executive suite!
It's almost as bad as having no money for groceries, or no food to feed you children...
Said absolutely no one.