Is it educational?

We have had a busy few days and so I haven't blogged. J has - he wrote his review of the film The Life Aquatic.

Actually, now I come to think of it, we have more busy days than not. Is it because of the numbers and ages of the people in our family? Is it where we live? Is it the kind of people we are - I am?

Yesterday, we another teen group meeting. We played mini golf or putt putt, followed by lunch and play/hang out time at a park. I think the social time is just as important for the mums as it is for the teens. And the younger ones are playing together nicely, too - well, for the most part.

We took some extra boys with us in the car to the park. Then a few extra home. Our arival home was full of hopeful wishes from T - he had ordered some new computer games and has been anxious and cross each day when the post arrives, sans computer games.

Yesterday, however, was his lucky day - the games were in the post. So, the older boys and friend played Halo 2 and the younger ones played the board/strategy/simulation game called Hero Scape.

Oh, and T had a nasty fall at skateboarding on Tuesday - he wasn't wearing his knee pads. He is still limping around on that leg and the burn/graze is still healing.

Last night we watched a film, circa 1993, called APEX. Sci-fi, with some anomalies but interesting questions were posed - how would time travel affect the future? What responsibilites do scientists have for their discoveries and inventions? The film was reminicsient of the earlier Terminator movies - especially Terminator 2.

http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=132640

Talking of posing questions, a couple of friends posed some discussion provoking questions at skateboarding on Tuesday. One was - "Do you let your dc watch moives during the day" When I replied in the affirmative, the next question was - "Do the movies have to be educational?"

Now, this is a tricky question to answer. If, by educational, one means documentaries, history or science related films, educational TV shows - well, the answer is no. No, the films don't have to fit that definition of "educational" - but they can!

However, if one has a broader definition of education, well, then all the films we watch are educational. Who know what discussion will folloow the film? ( Or, in our family, will happen throughout the film?). Who knows what the viewer thinks about while watching the film? Who knows what the viewer brings to the medium, or what trails will be followed as a result of the film?

After watching The Life Aquatic, I am more interested in Jaques Cousteau. I picked one of his books from our shelves for our coffee table perusal. I told J and A that, after group learning today, I want to do an internet serach on Cousteau. Who knew that this would be where that film would lead?

Is it educational? Yes. Is it life? You bet.

http://lifeaquatic.movies.go.com/main.html

BTW, while the movie was rated R in the U.S., it was only rated M here.....