Let's take for example Walt Disney's movie “Chicken Little”. This classic children's story is redone to fit modern times and is full of modern day issues that we all experienced as kids to one degree or another. Chicken Little is put into the box as a complete dork and feels that there is no way out. He is constantly ridiculed for his beliefs and likes and his only survival tools are the few friends that he has that are also outcasts. Chicken's father is overly critical of him and has made him feel that he can never measure up to his far reaching standard's or his past accomplishments. Daddy is living in the past glory of his High School athletic standouts and is disappointed that Chicken Little is nothing like him. This in turn constantly sets poor Chicken up for failure in his father's eyes. Does any of this sound or feel familure to anyone?

Next we have Foxy Loxy who is the typical “mean girl” of Chicken Little's class. She is the girl who picks at anyone with a weakness just to make herself feel better. Foxy is the ringleader to Goosy Loosy, who in turn is such a follower, so desperate to be liked, and so afraid to be on the receiving end of Foxy's taunts, that she will do the fox's bidding at will. Foxy is the thorn in Chicken's world and the epitome of insecurity. Once again, we all either knew a Foxy or we were Foxy.

Now, Chicken Little breaks out of his constraints and proves that he is “somebody”. The little guy wins the baseball game, saves the town from destruction, finally has approval, but more importantly an apology and affection, from his father, AND gets the girl all in the course of about 60 minutes. Foxy changes her ways and becomes kind and caring from fear of her life. Goosy Loosy doesn't change and is zapped from the planet.

What you may ask do we learn from all of this? Well, if you are a “chicken little” bust open the box you were placed in and be free to be yourself. The first rule of acceptance from others is self acceptance first. So what if you were considered a nerd in school, we are all adults now and should be on a level playing field. Besides, embrace the dorkiness inside of you, for nerds rule the world, jocks reminisce. Leave the parent issues behind if you can. The issues were always theirs in the first place and they pushed them on you, so push them back to the rightful owner and move on. If you were or are a “foxy” then take the quote “today is a changing day” to heart and change! You might be surprised at the happiness that life has in store for you when you change not only your behavior, but your everyday outlook. If changing is not on your agenda, then be prepared to be “zapped” from people's lives as they grow and evolve and don't want your toxic behavior in their lives. Lastly, if you were a victim of a “foxy”, try to forgive and forget and hope that the “mean girl” grew up to be a “nice and kind girl”---if she didn't, just give her a zap!

Always remember that today is indeed a changing day and we can all make the world a better place if we just remember to stop a moment and see through the eyes of our children.

It wasn't. It wasn't the worst either, of course. While I'm slow to judge films that were based on books I haven't read, I'll say that my problem wasn't at all with the story so much as the plot structure, the acting, and the dialog.

This film, simply, belongs on stage. At least the way it's structured currently. It's in two acts (a film should be in three), it takes too long to get into the meat of the story, and it wraps up quickly and awfully. I was waiting for a curtain call.

The acting is too dramatic, especially in Midler and Broderick- both are amazing stage performers, but need to stay in their element. Hunt, it seems, is still used to sitcom acting, and leaves something to be desired in her weak performance. Firth is really the only one to bring the cinematic into the film. He is the only one of the four who adds emotional dimension to his character.

The dialog is too fast for an Indie film. It brings the completely unrealistic “Gilmore Girls element” of too-quick banter to something that should be and could easily be more realistic. Again, this kind of dialog belongs on the stage, where quick witty words would bring down the house. I just had a hard time following it.

Where we should have been sympathizing, we were straining our ears, and where we should have been empathizing, we were rolling our eyes in skepticism.

All in all, it was not a waste of time, but it was time I'd rather have spent in a theatre watching the story live. The story could be adapted for stage with ease, and should have been adapted better for film.

All of the children attending got tiaras or pirate eye patches, sparkling apple cider in fancy decorated champagne flutes, cotton candy, and fresh buttered popcorn. Everyone waited in anticipation for the stars of the show to make their appearance. Excitement mounted as the guests were served fabulous treats while they waited. Suddenly, little girls and boys exploded with excitement as the stars of the movie arrived in their very own Hummer decked out in Abbygail decor. One-by-one, they made their way down the red carpet, stopping to greet and get a pet by everyone along the way.

Excitedly, guests filed into the theater to watch “The Tails of Abbygail”. Before the show, Terri Lynn and Al Link, the creators of “The Tails of Abbygail”, along with “friends of the cast” greeted the crowd again, and spoke about how important this film is to children everywhere.

Suddenly, the lights went out, and the show began, and that's where we met Abbygail, a curious Jack Russell Terrier who wishes her toy friends would come to life and play with her. We watched as they did, and went on a grand adventure filled with fun, life lessons, and even buried treasure. The first of its series, “The Tails of Abbygail” was fun and lighthearted with serious undertones encouraging things like water safety and stranger danger.

After the show, guests were invited to a private tea party where the magic kept on going. Each child was given a gift bag as they left the theater that was filled with treats, a “paw-ta-graphed” poster, and even a copy of the DVD!

Terri Lynn Link, a successful Oregon business owner, was sitting around her pool one day when she noticed her dogs playing in the sunshine. They were making people smile. Suddenly, she had an idea, and "The Tails of Abbygail" was born. It has been endorsed and approved by KIDS FIRST- The Coalition for Quality Children's Media, was the official selection of KIDS FIRST! Film Festival, the largest festival for children's films, in 2008, and won a Bronze Statue in the 29th Annual Telly Awards.

I had a chance to meet up with Terry Lynn after the show to have her autograph our DVD's and posters, and I have to say, she has created something special!! If you haven't gotten a chance to see "The Tails of Abbygail", please check it out at www.weloveabby.com

This sort of fascination makes an indelible impression on the child and predisposes him to various kinds of future inhibitions and sexual deviations (e.g. Homosexuality) on the contrary, the couple that succeeds in achieving a good affective, intellectual and sexual understanding between each other will not be a prey to the temptation of using the child as an ally, a target or a scape-goat in their mutual relationship. The child is not an object to be used at one's pleasure, but an autonomous being whose personality has to be respected.

A good understanding among the parents has beneficial effects on the child. It helps him to better identify himself with the parent of the same sex. The boy dreams of possessing the manliness of the father and imitates him in his way of speaking, walking and behaving. The girl imitates the charm, sensibility and balance of the mother. Both learn in this way from the parents the correct attitude towards the opposite sex. A boy whose father doesn't despise his wife will not feel uneasy with women when turns into adult. A girl warned against the male sex by a mother who despises her husband will develop a wrong feeling towards men that will manifest it in future life. Love, respect or contempt for the father determine the girl's attitude towards her future partner.

The element of mood and symbols displayed in The Chronicles of Narnia adds to the plot and action of the movie. The scene begins and the blue sky filled with clouds, provides the perfect setting and suspenseful mood together with the howling of wolves and sad, haunting music. In this very moment, the viewer is still unsure of what will happen, but has a clue that something has to happen. Edmund steps over the wolf statue and he is caught unawares. The statue turns out to be a real wolf and he soon realizes this along with the viewers. Edmund enters the castle leaded by Maugrim (a wolf), who is the Head of the Secret Police, and not long after, the Witch catches him by surprise as he sits in her throne. She gets angry, when she discovers that Edmund did not do what he was told to do and her voice changes from calm and soothing, to booming and frightful. Symbols in this scene include the crown that the White Witch wears, representing power: winter setting, which is the result of the Witch's ruling over Narnia and Edmund sitting in the throne, as his future role as a king of Narnia.

Place and time is not as clearly defined in the specific scene, as the other elements of drama. The setting for this movie is Narnia is a mystical, enchanted place ruled by Aslan, a courageous and kind-hearted lion. In this amazing place, animals can talk and there are fauns and other half-human half-creature inhabitants roaming about. Narnia is filled with snow and icecaps, because ever since the Witch began her reign, there was no other season, but winter. Edmund enters the Witch's palace and he is greeted by an entirely different array of colors and textures. In front of him is the Witch's throne, which looks and feels like velvet. The castle has high ceilings and is adorned with statues of creatures the Witch froze.

In the scene, the focus is mainly on important characters/ surroundings in Narnia. When Edmund is approaching the castle and Maugrim attacks him, near the entrance, the camera is drawn to the sudden tension between him and Edmund. When the wolf leaves Edmund alone, as Edmund walks up the stairs leading to the entrance of the castle, the focus is on the castle itself, and this is because the castle plays an important role in the story. The statues placed near, are also in focus, and this is because they prove just how powerful and merciless the Witch is. Edmund finally enters the castle and he is drawn to the throne as if it is of importance. Later in the scene, when the Witch yells at Edmund, the camera is drawn to the Witch's face. The focus plays a very important part in this scene as it helps the audience understand what is happening and adds to the suspension.

The elements of drama are successfully represented and demonstrated in this scene, and in the whole movie. The Chronicles of Narnia- The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, is an imaginative and unique movie that involves the audience in the story and puts the viewer on the edge of their seat, in every moment.

This is the part of the film that holds the viewer entranced within the beautiful landscape and seclusion that the horse and boy face together. Their relationship and trust in one another grow with small steps, placing adults and children alike in awe of what unfolds. The unbelievable connection and simplicity of being a child along with the friendship that blossoms before the viewer's eyes, commands the screen, making you feel a part of the stunning scenes that ultimately lead to Alec and “The Black” galloping along the beach as the sun sets in the background.

They are eventually rescued by a group of sailors with Alec again not leaving his trusted friend behind. Upon arriving home, a former horse racer named Henry Dailey agrees to allow Alec to keep his new horse on his property, where the older man sees the racing potential within the wild stallion.

They decide that though it will be very risky, and how “The Black” will react in a race is unknown, a stallion like this needs to be able to run like the wind, since it was what the horse was born to do. They both know also that the horse will not attempt anything without his trusted friend beside him. What happens next will leave both adults and children on the edge of their seats and rooting for these underdogs that don't seem to fit in and whose friendship began under circumstances no one else on earth understands.

Cast of Characters

This brilliant cast is led by Kelly Reno, the boy who plays Alec. The director's decision to cast this young boy, who had no acting experience and the son of cattle ranchers, made the movie what it is. Kelly is a natural with horses and experienced beyond his years at riding. The director had Kelly come and work with the horse for weeks before filming began, and this clearly paid off. The friendship between the boy and the horse was real and illuminated on the screen, especially in the scenes taken on the island when their friendship was just beginning. The fact that this boy had no acting experience added tremendously to the movie, since his mannerisms and way of speaking were so natural and unrehearsed in quality. He appears “normal”, just like any other child without a phony persona that sometimes shows through in acting. Children will connect right away to his natural appeal, as he seems just like them, and adults will find this aspect of the film endearing.

The rest of the cast is led by experienced actors that blend well in style and ability to the type of story and movie the author and director wanted. Henry Dailey, the former horse racer, is played with wonderful sincerity by Mickey Rooney, a veteran of acting since he was a child in Hollywood's Golden Era. The care he has for the boy and horse is genuine on screen, and it was wonderful to see him help tell this beautiful childhood story, recalling the days when he was a young man and appeared in National Velvet with child actor Elizabeth Taylor. Childhood stories about belonging and friendship seem important to the actor, and this shows on the screen. He was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for this memorable role.

Alec's mother is played by Terri Garr, who would go on to have a long career in movies and television. The scenes with Mickey Rooney are sincere and the hesitation and worry she has for her son's safety make any parent watching connect to her character's dilemma of wanting to protect her child, yet having to let him spread his wings and trust his instincts.

The rest of the veteran cast blend brilliantly into the movie and all their experience around the young boy's natural ability with the horse and his lack of acting training help to bring the author's true intentions of the story to the screen with the heart and joy of what childhood friendships can ultimately accomplish.

About the Filming

There were two main obstacles in making this glorious film. Most scenes were filmed outdoors, where weather was a constant battle. The other challenge was working with the horses and their unpredictability. However, when watching the movie, the viewer would never know any challenges existed due to the marvelous and unforgettable result. The Black Stallion had the prestige of being nominated for countless awards and won several. The musical score, which did not overpower the movie but balanced well with those scenes without musical background, earned a Golden Globe nomination for Carmine Coppola. Many view the cinematography in this movie as a work of art. The film was directed by Carroll Ballard and executively produced by Francis Ford Coppola.

Summary

The story takes place in the 1940's, and as a result gives this film a timeless and universal appeal that will never go out of style. When this film was released in 1979, Hollywood was making millions on huge, big budget movies about science fiction like Star Wars and many others to come. The face of Hollywood films was changing to more commercially attract kids and teens, yet The Black Stallion was triumphant due to the spectacular and timeless story that has connected with children and adults alike for decades and will continue to endure. I was a child when this film was released, and I will make sure my children see this film. We will watch it together, and as a parent I can say that the children of today, mine included, are very used to seeing movies with non-stop special effects and storylines that move quicker than the speed of sound. I will make sure they watch this movie and later read the book that inspired the film. It may take a little bit of time for your children to become lost in the beautiful movie, but be persistent. They will leave the special effects behind and become entranced with this childhood story about a boy and his horse. They will connect dramatically with the story and share it together with you. As a result, you will have lots to share together and talk about. You will also be rest assured knowing that not only did you give them a memorable movie experience, you also showed them by example the difference between a good movie and storyline and a great one. Many do believe that The Black Stallion is the hands-down best family film every made on screen. I do believe they are right. And don't be surprised if your kids beg you for horseback riding lessons when the movie is over!

Rating and Availability

The Black Stallion is rated G for General Audiences. I personally believe children should be at least six years old before watching with you. The movie is available on DVD. Though there have been remakes and several sequels, do not confuse those films with the original classic.

So, the only problem was, that I was lying laughing on the floor, because my feet hurt, and I spent over 5 minutes in serious laughing. Why? Well, I showed my little babysitting job how bees really work, and which differences there are between what Disney force feeds us, and what is real.

1. There are no male bees. They are drones. They do not work, their only purpose is to have sex with the queen, a very fat bee, and after that, they are basically just dead weight around the hive. In winter, when there are too little supplies, the male bees get guided to the rim of the hive, and the females bite their necks.
2. A bee cannot sting multiple times. If their “Stinger” gets caught into something, it basically is over for the bee, because the stinger is ripped out of their body, and they are left bleeding to death.
3. Now, basically, the film deals with the overcoming diversity theme, and with the basic ideal that everybody would be better off if they were ruled by women. Ooh, and with environmental protection, and anti capitalism.

I took the little geek aside, and talked to him about all of that. I even talked to him about what kind of stuff was going on at Pixar, and how lazy they must have been to animate in such a poor quality.

He understood.

Now, this post has basically two sides.

One, Disney and Pixar change the reality more often them a women her clothing in a year.

Second, for the love of whoever is responsible for you, please explain to your children how reality is, and do not let some movies be their teacher.

Third, download this movie, share it with as many people as possible, and make Pixar loose a few millions. Oh, and please:

If you happen to own a Bee-hive, or know a bee-keeper, please, ask him to explain the fantastical world of the bees to you. Ask him about the live of the bee, what dangers bees face, and wossname. But, show him the movie, and ask him if he could write a few lines outlining the basic and more complicated mistakes of the film, and sent it to Pixar.

It would certainly help me sleep better, and regain my piece of mind that the American public and the worldwide audience is concerned about what certain immoral Companies sell our children as the truth.

Now, may god bless America, and may he give all the crap he has collected like smallpox, cancer, and such funny things like infertility and hair loss to these guys at Pixar.

When I first started reading Harry Potter, I envisaged Hermione as a plumpish girl, not necessarily very attractive. Emma Watson changed all that, whether we or J K Rowling liked it or not. In a sense there's no going back to the picture of Hermione that I had at the beginning.

It's hard to visualize Harry himself, or Ron, without seeing Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint. These people have become the characters for most of us.

This is a problem with seeing films of books we've read. It's even more of a problem when the books and the films are intermingling the way the Potter series is.

Reducing Imagination

I remember reading George Eliot's Middlemarch years ago, and having a very definite impression in my head of what the main character, Dorothea Brooke, was like. Some time later a superb television version of the book was produced, and the character was played by Juliet Aubrey. Sadly, my imagined Dorothea was gradually obliterated by her performance. I say "sadly" because I still feel that Aubrey's interpretation wasn't according to Eliot's conception.

Defining Images

The same thing has happened to the Potter stories. Who can imagine Neville Longbottom, or the Weasley twins, or Draco Malfoy (or his father Lucius, for that matter) in any other way now than the characters as portrayed by Matthew Lewis, the Phelps twins, or Tom Felton (and Jason Isaacs). Some of the older characters, particularly Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, and Robbie Coltrane were so well cast from the beginning that they seemed to match the characters in the book, but many other actors are different in subtle and sometimes not so subtle ways from their original counterparts.

Rowling's Imagination

But if we the readers have found it hard to remove the screen versions of the characters from our imaginations, what must it have been like for J K Rowling herself? Is it possible that the books that have appeared since the movies were produced have differed from the way they would have been if the films had not yet been made?

I don't thing there's any difference in Rowling's overall approach to telling her story as she originally conceived it. It remains as complex as ever (far more complex than the films). I don't think her moral vision, and her conception of the characters and what they would do has changed.

But reading the latest Potter book you have to wonder if the action scenes weren't written differently, almost with an eye to the way the filmmakers will screen them. You have to wonder if the actors' personalities and mannerisms weren't affecting her view of the characters and adding something to the way she wrote them. Could it be otherwise?

Rowling would have had to have been the strongest creative artist on earth to avoid being touched in some ways by the movies, especially considering that some of them (the third and the fifth, particularly) have had very strong directors with very personal visions behind them. (The changes to the mise-en-scene in the third movie was a shock to our visual understanding of Hogwarts, with its shifting of some strongly defined features, such as the whomping tree and Hagrid's house.)

Point of No Return

There's no going back. The movies and their view of the wizard world have both expanded and restricted our imaginations. Such a strange intermingling of books and movies hasn't been attempted before, and probably won't be attempted again.

The Art Freaks also influenced Cady to conform through group unanimity. Both Janis and Damian believed that the Plastics were the cause of their suffering, and because of this, Janis' order for Cady to become a member of the Plastics was achieved. By manipulating Cady into believing that the Plastics were the enemies, Janis and Damian could finally get their revenge. Even though Cady did not know about the Plastics, she had no choice but to follow their beliefs or she would be defeated.

Lastly, group members are more likely to conform when in public than in private. This is evident in the movie when Cady shows the two-sided parts in her. In the group, she is deliberately following the rules and beliefs of Regina, the A-list leader of the clique. However, during their private conversations with the other girls, she is able step aside from being the follower. Clearly, in public, she only has the desire to get along with the “norms” of the group, but in private, she willfully expresses her own opinions to others without feeling rejected and undesirable in front of Regina.

After examining the shocking truth about high school, it is therefore necessary to stop recognizing ourselves as copies of others. Social groups and cliques don't last forever, and sooner or later, everyone will get over high school.

His most public experience these days is to visit schools in his community to talk about his experiences, what it's like to be a veterinarian, and how your life changes with the decisions you make.

He's been quoted as saying, "Do I regret turning down the movie offer? I don"t think so. I love the job I'm doing right now. Granted it is about as far away from Hollywood as you can get, but I have a feeling of self-satisfaction with it. I don't believe that I made the right choice or the wrong choice. I made a choice that fit what I wanted, and it shaped how life unfolded for me. Would life been better if I took the movie offer? Maybe, but I'll never know, and it's something I'll never question.'

Julie Dawn Cole, who played the obnoxious Veruca Salt, also has two children now. She was the same age as Ostrum at the time the movie was made and, along with Denise Nickerson, is supposed to have had a crush on him. Unlike Ostrum she went on to have a career as an actress, mostly in television, where she has appeared in a variety of series, from Poldark and Emmerdale Farm to Eastenders and Casualty. She now operates Centrestage, a children's drama school outside of London.

Being nasty was "totally against her nature" and she had to be coaxed into doing the aggressive song and dance routine in the film.

Michael Bollner, who was Augustus Gloop, never made another film and, like Ostrum, eventually went into a totally different career. He is now a tax accountant, a job he performs in Munich, Germany. He was interested in acting, but is father wanted him to continue his education.

At the time the movie was made, Bollner didn't speak English, and one of the crew coached him in his lines.

Paris Themmen, an American, was only twelve when the movie was made, and he performed the role of Mike Teevee. It was his only major movie, though he'd already been performing since he was six. He appeared on stage, initially with his parents, and then went on to act in a number of radio and television commercials, and to do voice-overs. Later he reached Broadway, appearing as the young Patrick Dennis in Mame, with Ann Miller. After his appearance in Willy Wonka, he went onto play another child role in the musical, The Rothschilds, andlater went on tour nationally in the same role.

He left acting in his mid-adolescence, and has barely been seen performing since apart from a few mostly uncredited roles. However, he still has links with the television commercial world, where these days he is a casting director for commercials rather than performing in them.

Denise Nickerson was also around twelve when she played Violet Beauregarde. Prior to this she had appeared in several episodes of Dark Shadows, and following the movie would have an extensive television career throughout the seventies, appearing primarily in a large number of episodes of the children's program, The Electric Company, which was a series along the lines of the better known Sesame Street. She appeared in this with such well-known actors as Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno, Mel Brooks, Joan Rivers, Zero Mostel, and the actor who played Willy Wonka, Gene Wilder.

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