WFMW: Screening Movies

*Just a quick note...here's your stats for the week! 31 weeks, up 25 lbs, 45" around. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle. (Name that cartoon!)*

Let's say you're going out with hubs to see a movie, for the first time in a year. Ticket prices are expensive, and you don't want to waste your hard earned money on a movie that you'll regret! Or...your kids really want to see the new Adam Sandler flick, and you have no idea if it's appropriate for them?

You have a few options. You could ask your friends if it's good/appropriate/worth it. You could read the reviews and see what the MPAA has rated the film, and why.

Or, you could ScreenIt. WonderWoman and I found this website over 10 years ago, and it's saved me a lot of regret! I don't want to sit down and spend my evening watching a movie that will offend me, or give me nightmares, or make me even more afraid of the dark. (Trust me, there are a lot of things that can give me nightmares.)

When you get to the website (http://www.screenit.com/), scroll to the bottom and click "No Thanks" to look at the reviews without paying the membership fee. Then click on "Movies". You can peruse the movies by release date. The movie will be given a ranking in 15 categories, including: Alcohol/Drugs, Blood/Gore, Disrespectful/Bad Attitude, Frightening/Tense scenes, etc. They spare NOTHING in their review, never passing judgement but also never glossing over details. If someone visits a doctor and you see them getting their blood drawn, that will be listed. If a kid mouths off to his parents, that will be listed. If someone drinks a glass of wine, smokes a cigarette, runs a red light...it's all laid out, for the world to see! There's even a section for "Topics to Talk About." Things listed there could be single-parent families, adoption, social circumstances, etc. Anything that they think a parent could use as a springboard for a discussion with their child.

I love this site, and it Works for Me!