It’s always nice to have ideas ready about activities that younger family members can enjoy with their elderly loved ones. While many ideas may involve your senior loved one exerting a high amount of energy, whether it be by participating in something active or simply sharing their stories, sometimes you just want to kick back and relax. When you’re looking to hang out together on the couch, watch one of these five classic movies:
‘Casablanca’
This 1942 film takes place during World War ll as Europeans flee the encroaching Germans. Many find themselves waiting in Casablanca, Morocco. There, expatriate Rick Blaine, played by Humphrey Bogart, owns a nightclub called Rick’s Cafe, which hosts a colorful cast. Ingrid Bergman, playing Ilsa Lund, was once Rick’s girlfriend when she thought her husband had been killed fighting in the Czech Resistance. The long-lost man returns and the duo travel through Casablanca, visiting Rick’s Cafe, to obtain papers to go to the U.S. Rick and Ilsa are clearly still in love and the film shows them fighting their passions as the war wages on.
‘The Wizard of Oz’
This Frank Baum epic is filmed in part black and white and part color. Kansan Dorothy is hit by a tornado and goes from a colorless life on the farm to a world of Technicolor wonder in the land of Oz. As she attempts to return home, she encounters iconic characters like the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion and, of course, the infamous Wicked Witch of the West. Be warned, the flying monkeys in this movie may be a little scary for young kids.
‘Singin’ in the Rain’
Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds star in this fun musical. It was nominated for two Oscars, and chronicles Hollywood behind the scenes as silent films made the move to sound! After “The Jazz Singer” was released in 1927, films were full of the dialogue and songs of glamorous singing movie stars. The story of “Singin’ in the Rain” follows a famous acting couple as their relationship falls to pieces when they attempt to transition into “talkies.” Only Kathy, the chorus girl played by Reynolds, can salvage the resulting film.
‘King Kong’
The original 1933 classic follows a film crew on set on a tropical island, where a massive gorilla falls in love with the lead actress, played by Fay Wray. The movie team takes the primate known as “Kong” home to New York City to put him on exhibit as the eighth wonder of the world. When Kong gets loose, he terrorizes the city looking for the blond movie star who captured his heart. The film lives up to it’s “wild, weird and wonderful” hype as listed on the movie trailer.
‘Gone with the Wind’
Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh star in this 1940s film set in the American South during the Civil War. The love story features Scarlett O’Hara, a bored young lady who falls for Rhett Butler, a visiting gentleman. Their entangled lives unfold as the war progresses, repeatedly separated and reunited over the years. This film won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and has stunning costumes and elaborate sets along with the passionate drama.
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CHC