Veteran movie critic Leonard Maltin and his daughter Jessie.
When I think about what inspired me to become a movie critic, I remember being a kid and discovering Pauline Kael’s reviews in my parents’ New Yorkers. Or going to college and reading Andrew Sarris in The Village Voice.
But honestly, the real seed was planted in 1969 by a paperback called “TV Movies.”
It was a new thing at the time — a book of thousands of alphabetized capsule reviews. But what really struck me was that it was the work of an 18-year-old from Teaneck, Leonard Maltin. And he had been writing, professionally, about movies since grade school.
Clearly I was wasting my time with geometry. So, in fifth grade, I got a stack of index cards and started writing my own reviews, beginning with “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.” (I gave it four stars. Still would.) I’m still at it, too.
And, many publications and TV appearances later, so is Maltin, this time with his adult daughter, Jessie. And their book, “Family Movie Night Menus: Recipes & Films for Unforgettable Times Together” (Running Press, 208 pp., $30) serves as a guide to building your own traditions.
As well as an inspiration to the next generation of cinema critics.
The cover of “Family Movie Night Menus: Recipes and Films for Unforgettable Times Together.”
Q: So where did the idea for this book come from?
LEONARD MALTIN: From TCM (Turner Classic Movies), really. They had wanted to do something like this, so we picked up the ball and came up with our list of titles. They had their own suggestions, and then we went back and forth a bit.
JESSIE MALTIN: One of the things was they didn’t want it to be just children’s movies. They wanted movies you could watch with older kids, with teenagers. They wanted some of the newer films, like “Enchanted,” but they wanted the classics, too.
LEONARD MALTIN: I think we have a good mix but, you know, every list is meant to be argued over. I’m sure we’ll have people coming up saying, “How could you leave this out!”
Q: It’s a great idea, because if you’re a parent and a movie lover, you want to share that joy with your children. When our kids were small I got such a kick out of showing them their first Marx Brothers movie, or “King Kong.”
LEONARD MALTIN: When we had Jessie, my wife and I started brainwashing her early on to appreciate classic movies. And we found out the sooner you start, the better. Don’t wait until they can talk back: “I don’t wanna watch this!” When they’re very young, they’re susceptible. So we introduced her to classic movies right away. She loved “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.” “Calamity Jane.”
JESSIE MALTIN: The thing is, I don’t remember life without Doris Day and Howard Keel! That’s how early it started. I think the important thing about it is, you don’t make a fuss about it. You just make it part of what you do as a family.
Cicely Tyson in “Sounder.”
Q: The book pairs films with recipes for everything from goulash to pineapple upside-down cake. So who’s the cook in the family?
LEONARD MALTIN: Not me!
JESSIE MALTIN: I love to cook, but I can’t say I’m the best cook. And the only thing my mother makes for dinner is reservations. But still, my family has always prioritized family dinners; every night, pretty much without fail, we ate together. That’s always been special. So it just made sense that it would be a big part of the book, too. And we all came up with different recipes to go with the movies we chose. Sometimes it was obvious. I mean “Sounder” had to be something from Louisiana, so gumbo.
LEONARD MALTIN: Or in “The Kid,” there’s this adorable scene where little Jackie Coogan makes hotcakes. So naturally we had to have “Coogan Cakes.”
JESSIE MALTIN: The recipes weren’t supposed to be hard. I mean, it’s not a culinary challenge! If we’re promoting anything here, it’s doing things together as a family, or even just with your friends — making dinner, watching a movie, talking about it afterward.
Q: And, as TCM requested, these aren’t just children’s movies. Some of the films — “Sounder,” “To Kill a Mockingbird” — tackle very adult themes. How can a parent decide what’s appropriate?
LEONARD MALTIN: Just trust yourself. I really believe no one knows your kids better than you do — what they’re ready for and what they can handle and what they’re capable of understanding. As a parent, you’re always the best judge.
JESSIE MALTIN: I remember when “American Pie” — which we did not include here — came out. I was desperate to see it, and my dad thought about it and said, “Yeah, actually, I think you should.” Because, if you get past all the raunchy stuff, one of the takeaways from the film was that sex should be with someone you care about. Although when I went, I didn’t go with my parents. I still don’t want to watch sex scenes with my parents.
Howard Keel and Jane Powell in “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.”
Q: What about classic films that may be problematic for other reasons? One of your favorites, Jessie, remains “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.” But I know other people will watch that and think, “A musical about kidnapping women?”
JESSIE MALTIN: Well, the soapbox that I live on is if you think “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” is misogynistic, you’re not watching the movie. The whole point is that Milly — this teeny tiny woman — takes charge. She gets the men to realize what they did was insane. She ends up teaching them how to be men! … I mean, people love to jump up and yell and scream about things. And listen, everybody’s different, so maybe if you invite your friends over to watch something — and this book isn’t just for families, it’s for everyone — maybe you know not to put on a certain film. Fine. But what you don’t do is pretend something doesn’t exist. You don’t remove it from existence. That helps no one.
Q: Leonard, you and your wife were Jessie’s entrée into classic movies. What was yours?
LEONARD MALTIN: Well, honestly, the real gateway was television. That introduced me to a lot of things I love to this day, starting with the silent comedies. And animation — I was lucky enough to be a kid when Walt Disney had a weekly show where he’d take you behind the scenes to show you how things were done. But there were still a lot of theaters, too, and they all had kiddie matinees. My neighborhood movie house was the one on Cedar Lane, which used to have this big blue fluorescent clock on the wall right next to screen. Very distracting, although it taught me that Walt Disney movies were never more than 90 minutes! That was my usual hangout but it could take a while for pictures to get there, so if I was impatient, I’d get the bus to Hackensack, or Englewood, or Ridgefield.
Ryan Gosling in “Project Hail Mary.”
Q: So many neighborhood theaters have closed, though. Do you think that wonderful communal experience we grew up with is going to disappear?
LEONARD MALTIN: I hope not. I’m encouraged by the response that “Project Hail Mary” has gotten — it’s the first film since the Barbieheimer days that people seemed to feel: “We’ve got to run out and see this in the theater this weekend or we won’t be able to join in the conversation on Monday.” I hope it’s going to remind people of what fun it is to go out to see a movie.
JESSIE MALTIN: Look, we all get it. Movies have gotten extremely expensive, and it can be hard to find the time, especially once you have a kiddo, like I do. And maybe you get to the theater, and everyone’s on their phone … ugh! I understand that. But when you find a theater you love, and you’re around like-minded people, and the lights go down …
LEONARD MALTIN: And there you are in the dark? With everything up on the screen, larger than life? There’s nothing in the world like it.
For more on Leonard and Jessie Maltin, visit leonardmaltin.com/our-links.
_________________________________________
CONTRIBUTE TO NJARTS.NET
Since launching in September 2014, NJArts.net, a 501(c)(3) organization, has become one of the most important media outlets for the Garden State arts scene. And it has always offered its content without a subscription fee, or a paywall. Its continued existence depends on support from members of that scene, and the state’s arts lovers. Please consider making a contribution of any amount to NJArts.net via PayPal, or by sending a check made out to NJArts.net to 11 Skytop Terrace, Montclair, NJ 07043.
