Oscars? Oh yeah, those are happening Sunday. (Don’t think I’m not planning my own mini-Oscar party with my girls… can’t wait for Idina Menzel to belt ‘Let It Go’ live. Dying.) But if you’re curious about what’s on the ‘kid’ side of what’s hot in flicks, take a peek at the PICK Kids Movie Awards! As the Academy Awards honors the best of grown up films (as voted by grown ups who work in film), we forget that most of the Top 10 movies last year are made for 7-17 year olds… so why not peek at what movies kids voted on as being the BEST?
This crazy-cool idea of kids reviewing and awarding movies comes from ‘RealFabMom’ Tara McNamara and her kid-operated movie review site KidsPickFlicks. (I also used to work with Tara over at ReelzChannel, before my own kids barged into the scene.) Tara started KidsPickFlicks with her then-9 year old son Cole back in 2004 (he’s now 19 and a freshman in college, below). Tara’s daughter Riley then started reviewing movies at age 4, then did her first on camera review at age 6 (she turns 13 next week, pictured below).
Tara McNamara & her adorable family.
With nearly 24,000 votes cast, the 8th Annual KidsPickFlicks PICK Awards reveal which movies and performances kids thought were the best of 2013, as well as one that wasn’t so great. So who are the winners, you ask?
PICK Movie of the Year: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
PICK Actor: Ty Simpkins, Iron Man 3
PICK Actress: Sophie Nélisse, The Book Thief
PICK Scene Stealer: Kamil McFadden, Grown Ups 2
PICK Superhero Movie: The Wolverine
PICK Villain: Loki, Thor: The Dark World
PICK Hero (without superpowers): Katniss Everdeen, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
PICK Music Documentary: Mindless Behavior: All Around the World
PICK Song: “Let It Go,” Frozen
PICK New Character: Olaf, Frozen
“ICK” Movie of the Year: The Lone Ranger (not the worst, but it’s the film kids found most disappointing)
Winning with 38% of the vote, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire beat out some of the biggest movies of the year, like Frozen, Monsters University and Despicable Me 2. Catching Fire’s Katniss Everdeen was also voted PICK Hero. “Catching Fire won over kids because it was action-packed with some unexpectedly funny scenes, an amazing plot twist and a cliffhanger – so the audience was left holding their breath,” says Riley Roberts, the 12-year old president of KidsPickFlicks. Interesting to note this is the second year in a row that kids felt let down by Johnny Depp. The Lone Ranger was voted the ICK of the Year, the film that was the most disappointing. Depp’s Dark Shadows took this category last year. KidsPickFlicks’ 19-year old founder Cole McNamara explains, “Like its climax, The Lone Ranger is an expensive train wreck that takes a legendary character and burdens it with a confusing storyline with bland to downright offensive characters.”
How much do I love that these kids are into this and give one-liners that are better that some of the most recognizable faces on TV?!?!
Think about it: KidsPickFlicks is not only beneficial to the movie industry, but also to kids, parents and educators. Writing movie reviews reinforces the practical skills kids are learning in English classes while also developing critical and independent thinking skills. Kids can see their reviews published on the site, which can be enormously motivating and empowering. As children enter the teen years, it’s essential for parents to have activities that they share and are involved in together. Making KidsPickFlicks a part of a family’s life provides that bonding activity. (Fab idea, Tara!) Not to mention, the family recently sold KidsPickFlicks to Fanlala… who paid for the site in college scholarships for Cole and Riley! Talk about fabulous.
For more fun with family flicks, visit KidsPickFlicks… and get in on the action!
WHAT WAS YOUR KID’S FAVE MOVIE THIS YEAR? FESS UP.
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About KidsPickFlicks.com: KidsPickFlicks.com, a Fanlala company, is a movie review site where all kids (ages 7-17) can be movie critics by posting their own film critiques. KidsPickFlicks founder, Cole McNamara, launched the site in 2004 at age 9 to give kids a voice in the movies made for them. Kids decide if a movie is a “Pick” or an “Ick”. Since its introduction, the site boasts over 600 kid-reviewed films.
About Fanlala: Fanlala is the go-to social entertainment and lifestyle site for tweens and teens that offers the best of popular media tailored just for them in one safe place. From original content and customized music to entertainment news and cool community features, Fanlala is a fresh online community that delivers teen content when and where they want it. Fan up at http://www.fanlala.com
