Winged Flight

"An only child is never spoiled; they just enjoy the undivided attention."

Anonymous

When our first child, John, came along, we began to look at our TV as something of a Pandora’s Box.

Lots of shows seemed too scary or inappropriate for little kids. So, we spent a lot of time screening what was on our TV.

VHS tapes helped, with shows like Arthur, Little Bear, Dora the Explorer, Bob the Builder, and Franklin. John liked them, and so did we.

When we gradually expanded our choices to the movie theaters, we found them even more challenging. Often, the trailers for little-kid movies were super intense and rated way above what we thought was good for our four-year-old.

So, when Winged Migration opened in theaters to international acclaim in 2001, featuring breathtaking cinematography and a “G” rating, we thought we had found a movie we could all enjoy.

We told John about it, and he was eager to go. In hindsight, perhaps it was the popcorn and candy that were the primary attraction.

The theater was not crowded and, as the film began, I did indeed feel it was breathtaking to watch. About five minutes in, however, John suddenly rose and turned to face us, exclaiming in an extraordinarily loud voice, “This is the WORST MOVIE I have EVER SEEN!”

Did I mention that the film was a documentary about international bird migration?

I have often wondered how it turned out.

-Hank

"Winged Flight," from The Saturday Morning Post at hankfrazee.com