2. Singin' In The Rain (1952)
There is a scene in Leon, where the titular character goes about his daily business of buying milk and watering his plant, and then slips into a local cinema to watch Stanley Donen and Gene Kellys classic musical Singin In The Rain. There is a reason for this - because Luc Besson wanted to portray his violent assassin as someone with a pure and almost childlike demeanor. Through the power of the Hollywood golden age, character is built; what you choose to watch says a lot about who you are. Singin In The Rain sets the tone for a time in cinema where everything was about pure escapism, and real world issues were something of background noise. Despite some films in this list being instrumental in shaping your childrens appreciation of film and their understanding of certain life lessons, you also need some films that just say, Sit and watch me, because I am fun. Good old fashion harmless fun.
Parental Benefits: Singin In The Rain is vibrant and amusing, but also a logistically brilliant film. In an age where music videos are full of ensemble dancers and insane moves, it is easy to forget that this was once a rarity. If you would like to show your children the origins of such things, then there is no better source than Gene Kellys urban curb hopping and Donald OConnor making us laugh with his archaic body popping.