It’s no secret my daughter is semi-obsessed with Harry Potter. The movies, specifically.  Such to the point that this past weekend she printed out a whole bunch of pages from Google Images and taped them to her wall.

We own the movies on DVD, and she’s watched them multiple times. I don’t have a problem with that. I’ve done the same thing with other franchises.

But lately I’ve been suggesting maybe she could expand her horizons and try something new. 99.9 percent of the time, those words fall on deaf ears.

This past Saturday, K suggested we watch a movie as a family. Maybe something more or less kid-friendly V had never seen, and might possibly really enjoy.

So we opted for John Carpenter’s classic BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA. Martial arts, Chinese ghosts & magic, set in San Francisco, and James Hong . What more could you ask for?

I think “meh” sums up her reaction. She didn’t hate it, but wasn’t crazy about it.

What was especially interesting was that there were some scenes that scared her, or at least made her uncomfortable (kissing scenes notwithstanding – she’s always hated those).  We reminded her it was all make-believe, and that the Harry Potter movies can sometimes be just as scary, if not more so.

Didn’t help much.

But onward we will continue, undeterred in attempting to open her eyes to the almost limitless number of movie choices out there.  As a parent who happens to be a film afficionado and writer of movies, it’s my job, nay, obligation, to carry on.

We’ve made some progress in the past with silent movies, musicals and STAR WARS, but there’s so much more to go.  Looking ahead, how would she react to BACK TO THE FUTURE? Or RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK? Would she develop the same appreciation for NORTH BY NORTHWEST like I did?

I would love to find more films we could watch and enjoy together.  One of my fondest movie memories is my dad and I seeing STAR TREK II: WRATH OF KHAN at the local theater while a thunderstorm was raging outside.

I want to introduce her to films that require you to pay attention and follow along, rather than insulting your intelligence.  Some of these stories are a real rollercoaster ride, and I look forward to sharing the experience of savoring that kind of thrill with her.

I’ve got a really long list of favorite films, and can’t wait to see them again with her for the first time.