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A couple weeks ago, when Coraline first hit theaters, we asked readers what they thought about scary movies for kids—not scaring them just for the sake of being scared, but scaring with a message while making an important point … as Coraline does. We wondered, "Where do you draw the line as parents?" And, "What are some scary movies that have 'worked' well for your kids?" Here are some of the responses.

Not safe, but good

With parental guidance (required, not suggested), kids need to understand the dangers of "scary things." We have become a society of hover-parents, who seem to think our reason to exist is to prevent every possible badness from happening to our kids. Sometimes, however, "badness" is good. The skinned knee reminds us not to be so reckless; the tender tongue not to stick it to a frozen flagpole. The bloody nose causes us to reflect on what is worth fighting for, and to consider that battle is not without cost. I believe it was Mr. Beaver who, when Lucy asked if the great Lion was safe, replied: "Safe? Of course he's not safe! But he's good."
—Don White

I recently heard Tony Campolo speak, and he was trying to communicate to parents that "safe" is not what we are raising kids to be. Safe kids will not change the world. Instead, we want them to be wise, powerful, courageous, tenacious, furious at injustice, unprotected from reality, totally dedicated to serving Christ and his beloved people. I don't know exactly how taking kids to scary movies contributes to this, or when in their development it is best to begin the process. That is up to each parent to decide. But I do know that my children and I have had some outstanding discussions of issues of faith prompted by the inappropriate or disturbing behavior of people in movies. It's all about seizing opportunities to thrust our children forward into Christian maturity. City of Ember is an example of a movie many parents may have found too dark, but it was a great example of heroism by a couple of young people who broke the rules to save their society. We all loved it, and learned from it.
—Colleen Fuller

As a parent, I'm tired of the movie industry trying to scare my kids, whether it's with a good message or not. My parents didn't have to answer a crazy question like this. We all have a movie that terrified us when we were young. Do I wish I hadn't seen it? Absolutely. Can I 100 percent know what movies will or will not scare my children? No. We expect way too much out of kids today. They don't need to grow up so fast. The world will take care of that on its own. In the meantime, this momma will continue to be momma bear.
—Leanne Osgood

Pinocchio, The Wizard of Oz, Spirited Away, Mirrormask, even The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe are all fine examples of scary movies for children. Because they are all steeped in the classic fairy tale tradition. These types of well-written, well-made films can provide integral lessons to youth as they journey on the scariest trip of all: the road to adulthood. Coraline is an excellent addition to that canon. Just as Sen in Spirited Away needed to learn the values of hard work and respect to free her parents, Coraline must learn to put aside selfish desires (childish things, anyone?) and learn to honor her parents (hmm, where have we heard that before?) Coraline is a fantastic modern fairy tale. I am glad to see Henry Selick recommending it for 8 and over-he's spot on there. We do no favors to our children by wrapping them in bubble wrap and feeding them a steady diet of cinematic pabulum. "Family-friendly" need not mean "intellectually stunted." These types of films, watched with a discerning eye, teach deep lessons. Sometimes, we need to be reminded of these lessons viscerally. Everyone stood up and cheered when Mel Gibson made his point about the sacrifice of Christ by drenching the Gospels in blood. Yes, that was a film for adults. But it plumbs the same depths as Coraline and the others I mentioned. Sometimes truth can be unpleasant. Scary movies for kids can ease that knowledge, and help our children truly understand what it is to be a fully formed person.
—Scott Piehler

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