In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.

Pretty sure Bilbo is sporting a light
saber in his hair.

I made what will probably turn out to be a very bad mommy desicion last night. Actually, I made it a week ago, but last night is really the part that counts. In the long run, I think it'll work out, but at the moment, I've got one very tired 3rd grader on my hands.

I took my kid to see the 12:01 showing of The Hobbit. The 12:01 A.M. showing. As in it lasted three hours and we got home at four o'clock in the morning. And then I had to pry him off the ceiling and try to force him to go to sleep. Because he had school today.

Yes. I am that mom.

Today I've had several people ask me what I thought about the movie, and if they should let their kids see it. It's a tough call. Each family is different, and each kid is different. I doubt I would've even thought to take my oldest kid to a midnight showing of any movie, much less something with "extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images." (MPAA)

We've become much more relaxed about what our younger kids get to see and do, especially as they all start getting a little older. The Doctor and I do spend time talking through these decisions, though. The one time we didn't, and our kids watched a movie we hadn't checked out in advance, it didn't end well. At. All. Tater Tot and Doodle are still terrified of dolls with button eyes, and it was at least a year before they could even look at a button without shreiking in terror. Thanks, Tim Burton.

This is one of the times I've made an exception to my rule of watching the movie (or reading numerous reviews and spoilers) before I let any of the kids see it. I based my decision on several factors:

1. Previous experience. Doodle has seen most of the LOTR movies. We let the kids watch all three of the movies, and we used a little judicious eye covering and muting of the sound at a few of the more intense scenes. (Muting those ominous soundtracks can make a scene a lot less frightening.) We talked about the movies before and after. And, sitting down and watching with them led to some great discussions over the following weeks and months.
2. How do they handle the line between fantasy and reality? Tater Tot isn't quite old enough to wrap her brain around the fact that this stuff is not real. Though she says she understands, seeing and saying are two totally different concepts, and many seven year olds just aren't there yet. Doodle, on the other hand, can separate the fact from the fiction. He can step back from what it is that he's seeing up on the screen. Being able to remove himself from the story is important.
3. Is there a point to it? This particular movie is a fantastic story, and it's a wonderful journey that our family has been on for several years now. There is violence and some scary scenes, but the violence isn't gratuitous. The mayhem is there, but it isn't over the top. And the story is one that lends itself to all sorts of wonderful life lessons, discussions of right vs. wrong, what it is to show courage, etc. Watching Bilbo make the decision to choose courage and loyalty over the comfort of his armchair is a lesson that sticks in a kid's head.
4. What do people that I trust have to say about it? My first stop for checking out a movie is almost always the great website Common Sense Media. This is a thorough, easy to navigate site dedicated to helping parents make informed decisions about the media that's available to our kids. It covers movies, games, books, and websites. And though I always reference this site, I also ask around to see what other people have to say. Hearing from other moms and dads is a great way to hear the stuff that the reviews aren't going to tell you.
5. Did they earn it? My kids have to earn these sorts of things. If Doodle spends the week nagging me about seeing a movie, tormenting his siblings (unreasonably...), or failing to get his work and chores done, the movie isn't going to happen. Part of getting to responsibly watch a movie is showing that you can be responsible. 

Cannot contain the excitement.

Ok, so all that said, here's my opinion. This is a great movie. It's epic, to quote Doodle. It definitely has several intense scenes. And while most of the movie is totally fine, there are a couple of spots where I covered Doodle's eyes. It wasn't gratuitously violent, but there are several scenes where the orcs and goblins are gross and gruesome looking. Monsters get their heads and limbs chopped off, and in one scene, the dwarf king is killed (implied, not shown), and his head is held up by a creepy looking orc. Not something for a sensitive kid to see. 

If you're waffling on whether or not The Hobbit is something you should take your kiddo to see in the theater, I'd recommend watching it yourself first. (I'd certainly not mind seeing it twice.) Or, wait for it to come out on DVD. While it's tough to say no to those big pleading eyes and sweet faces, seeing this stuff up on the big screen, larger than life, also adds a level of intensity.


Plus, pausing and fast forwarding is significantly easier to manage from the comfort of your own couch. I know this from experience. There are no potty breaks when you're at the theater.