6. You Can Trick Your Parents Into Getting Back Together
To be honest, this one makes me a little sad to write. Sure other entries on this list are meant to be somewhat light-hearted (I actually think Willy Wonka is a wonderful movie with a fabulous moral center, even if it does feature an element of Grimm-esque child torture), but the unfortunate truth is that sometimes, parents get divorced. It happens. It's never a pretty thing, and it's going to affect some families harder than others, but in general no one's really thrilled about it. Perhaps that's where the genre of films that feature kids participating in hilarious antics for the purpose of reminding mom and dad of the love they used to share comes from. Whether it's setting them up on a date, or reminding them of how awful their lives are without their spouse, the children find a way to break through those stubborn hearts. It would be wonderful if it always worked like that. And movies are, to an extent, about fantasy fulfillment, so it's hard to begrudge the trope. However, at some point, there are going to be parents that simply won't be able to work out their differences. In fact, while the transition may be very difficult and painful, it could be for the best. I'd be hesitant to say that kids should never be taught that separated couples can get back together. Conflict resolution and reconciliation are great after all! But let's also see a bit of "bad things happened, but we can move on and make the best of it," too.