I’m sick of cartoons. For nearly a decade I have sat by while my children amused themselves with animation, but I’m over it.
As the darkness of winter has settled with a fury this year, and deep freeze temperatures of 20 below have had us locked in for most of the Christmas break, I’ve reached my limit. Yes, Trollhunters is awesome. Sure, I think my son’s discovering the slapstick silliness of Tom & Jerry is wonderful.
BUT .. I’m sick of cartoons!
Winters in Denmark are a little like what we have in Canada. They’re cold, they’re dark, and to cope, the Danes embrace hygge (pronounced hoo-gah)
“The best translation is coziness but not the physical coziness that you get when you put on a sweater or cuddle up with a blanket. It’s more of a state mental balance and psychological well-being,” Natalie Van Deusen, a professor of Scandinavian Studies at the University of Alberta tells the CBC.
“It’s often associated with sitting in front of the fire, with a cup of tea and a cozy blanket, but it’s more than that. It’s not the activities themselves, but the feeling that those activities elicit.
Coziness. Comfort. Warmth. Nesting. Bingeing. In my world, that means it’s time to Netflix and hygge.
But no cartoons. Please no cartoons.
I want comfort movies, things that make me feel good and bring back floods of youthful emotions. Classic movies from when I was a kid that will give me a hug of nostalgia while simultaneously entertaining my kids. Movies of the 80s and the 9os are my family time hygge.
So we grab all the blankets, pile onto the couch, make hot chocolates, pull out the licorice, pop the corn, and fill a table with every snack that comforts us. Then we flip out of the kids’ section, into our own profiles, (I find it easier to avoid the animation outside of the Kids Portal on Netflix) and dig a little deeper for the classics of days gone by.
Here are some of the movies we’ve chosen to cozy up with this season, and as winter sinks its teeth into the country this year, you might find a piece of hygge revisiting these classics too.
Back To The Future
The first movie holds up extremely well. My children were riveted by it, BUT .. the language is a lot coarser than I remember. Shit, bitch, asshole, and other “not quite family friendly words” are dropped throughout. Which is a shame, because the plot, characters, and story is awesome and doesn’t need this ‘edge’ to it. Once BTF I was done, we immediately binged our way through episodes 2 and 3.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Wow. This one will take you back. The classic cinematic techniques Spielberg uses to create tension are so magical. From the lighting of the shed to the slow reveal of E.T., it’s wonderful. You’ll also get some nice parenting shocks when you see how easily the mom leaves 6 yr old Gertie home alone.
Freaky Friday
Oh Lindsay Lohan. What happened?! Both this one and 1998’s The Parent Trap are classic Disney remakes that will bring you back to your childhood and introduce your kids to some classic stories. They’re both well done.
The Princess Bride
I hadn’t seen this movie until the fall. Inconceivable, I know, but it’s now a regularly requested movie for our family nights. The rich dialogue brings a new giggle and hidden gem with each viewing.
Ferris Buehler’s Day Off is sitting next in the queue and I can’t wait.
Sometimes I think Netflix hears my ‘please no animation’ hygge cries. On January 13, Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events, debuts, rebooting another childhood classic.
What gives your family hygge feelings on Netflix? Got a classic from your childhood I should add to the list?
Disclosure: I’m a member of the Netflix Stream Team.