TCM presents movies for kids - The Essentials Jr.
Way back in the early 1970’s, when I was a kid (I’m not that old!), I remember seeing some amazing movies on the CBS Children’s Film Festival. It was on either Saturday or Sunday afternoons and I vaguely recall my mother encouraging me to watch. Kukla, Fran and Ollie introduced the movies and to this day, I can still remember seeing classic foreign films that were made for children like The Red Balloon (French), Hand in Hand (British) and Skinny and Fatty (Japanese). I think those movies may have been the first that really got be interested in film.
Turner Classic Movies seems to be providing a similar service for kids today, albeit by presenting great classics from Hollywood’s golden era. TCM started a new series called Essentials Jr. Grey’s Anatomy star Chris O’Donnell (Scent of a Woman) co-hosts with Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine). Together, they provide introductions and discuss the films, movies that are picked to be just right for kids. According to TCM, “The chosen films are ones that any cinema-literate child should know about and be able to enjoy with family and friends including grown-ups.”
It’s the same idea as Essentials, which currently features Robert Osborne and Rose McGowan. Among the pictures slated for Essentials Jr. are Meet Me in St. Louis, The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, Harvey, and even comedy classics like Laurel and Hardy’s The Music Box and Buster Keaton in Sherlock Jr. Every single one of these titles are kid-appropriate and damn entertaining.
In addition to hosting this TCM series, Chris and Abigail are playing father and daughter in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl which opens July 2. It’s logical to assume that their involvement in Essentials Jr. is a great way to promote Kit Kittredge, but it’s also another quality bit of programming by TCM. We can add it to my list of reasons I love Turner Classic Movies.
It’s a Boy for Actor Chris O’Donnell
Actor Chris O’Donnell and his wife Caroline Fentress welcomed their fourth child, a boy, Thursday in Los Angeles.
The couple have not released a name. “Everybody is happy and healthy,” says rep Leslie Sloane Zelnick.
The baby joins siblings Lily, 6, Chip, 5, and Charlie, 2. O’Donnell, 35, and Fentress, 33, married in 1997.
O’Donnell is best known for playing Robin in 1995’s Batman Forever. He also starred opposite Oscar winner Al Pacino in 1992’s Scent of a Woman.
Gabrielle Anwar Biography
Svelte English ingenue of Hollywood films who became widely noticed when she teamed with Al Pacino for a memorable tango in “Scent of a Woman” (1992). Anwar made her English TV debut at age 15 in the BBC miniseries, “Hideaway”. After working in a number of English and American TV projects, Anwar made her American feature debut as the lead in Disney’s girl-and-her-horse story, “Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken” (1991), playing real-life stunt rider Sonora Webster famous for diving into a tank of water while on horseback. Anwar next starred opposite Michael J. Fox in the romantic comedy, “For Love or Money” (1993) and acted in “Body Snatchers” (1994), Abel Ferrara’s bloody remake of Don Siegel’s cold-war horror classic “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1956).
- Born:
on 02/04/70 in Laleham, England - Job Titles:
Actor, House cleaner
Family
- Daughter: Willow Anwar. born in 1993
- Father: Tariq Anwar. was nominated for Oscar for “American Beauty” (1999) and received a BAFTA Award for the same film
Significant Others
- Companion: Craig Sheffer. met in London in 1989
Milestones
- 1987 US TV acting debut, “Fearnot”, a TV movie
- 1988 Feature acting debut, “Manifesto”
- 1991 First film in a lead role, “Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken”
- Professional acting debut in the BBC miniseries, “Hideaway”