I am a parent, and I love watching movies with my children. Introducing them to classic films from my childhood and even ones they may have missed is usually a fun state of affairs. Movies can often be a fantastic experience which only improves with the addition of a loved one. There is just something about a shared viewing experience that can elicit an array of opinions and viewpoints, some of which you may have never considered.
What will my child(ren) think when I introduce them to the movie….
In 1975, a film that coined the phrase “Blockbuster” and captured the fears of anyone close to the open waters was released. JAWS, directed by celebrated movie director Stephen Spielberg, is about a small New England town called Amity Island, home to new Police Chief Martin Brody. Chief Brody is about to experience his first summer on Amity Island, a town that makes all its money during the summer months. When a young girl’s remains are found from an apparent shark attack, the mayor and many town folks quickly dismiss Chief Brody’s call to close the beach during the profitable July Fourth weekend. Locals assume the young woman was involved in an accident with a boat, and the chief’s claims of a killer shark are simple hyperbole. As the beaches begin to fill and the body count begins to rise, it becomes painstakingly clear to everyone involved that it is unsafe to go into the water.
I had viewed JAWS (and its sillier sequels) many times in my younger years. I vividly recall the basics of the film, such as a giant dangerous shark, gruesome deaths, and the three men on a boat set out to stop the shark. Beyond the usual beats, I was interested in revisiting the film. My son, who has never seen JAWS, was eager to join me as we watched this aquatic tale of terror.
To begin, I loved how the shark was implied with music and POV camera shots. Holding off on visually seeing the oceanic assassin allowed for a more suspenseful and creepy experience that the later films lacked. When I finally saw the shark, I felt the effects were well done and looked realistic enough to be a real threat. The character development was excellent, allowing you to understand each individual’s motivation. Whether you liked them or not, each character had a reason for their choices and wasn’t simply there to fulfill a good/bad role. Overall, I was very impressed with the depth of the film and fully understand why it’s a modern-day classic.
My son had similar views in many ways. When asked what he liked about the movie JAWS, he said he appreciated how suspenseful the movie was. The idea that he couldn’t always see the shark led to much anticipation and kept him on the edge of his seat. My son enjoyed the range of characters and especially the role of Quint, the fisherman who led the hunt for the killer shark. When asked if he found the movie JAWS scary, he did not feel it lived up to the hype. Although it felt slow-moving at times, he admitted that the movie was able to give him a bit of a jump scare when an unexpected body dismemberment made an appearance. Still, not scary enough for a young adolescent compared to treading the shark-infested waters of junior high, I’m afraid. His biggest gripe with the film? He expected many more kills and bloodshed. Despite all that suspense, he was left wanting more. I felt it delivered for a genre-defining, PG-rated movie from 1975, but I guess you can’t please everybody.
Citizens for Truth Contributor
Massachusetts First 
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