Top Five Movies to Watch with Your Teen

Teenagers are notorious for only showing themselves when they want to eat or need a ride somewhere. For many families, finding time and a common activity is a trial and getting the elusive teen to show up in the living room seems an impossible task. But many teens will plop on the couch for a two-hour movie, especially if they are baited with ice cream and the promise of release when the show is over. Here are a few picks that have been known to hold the attention of a teen or two.

For pure suspense, show The Birds, directed by the king of the genre, Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock was a master at making his audience tremble with terror without showing the actual violence. For example, in Psycho you never really see the knife hit Janet Leigh, just the bloody aftermath of the slaughter. In The Birds, however, Hitchcock allows his audience to see a bit of the wrath, and this gore will get your teen squirming. But the most threatening part of Hitchcock's work is the notion that something as common as a seagull can cause such pain and suffering. They'll never look at a beach sky in the same way again.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding used to be a must-read for high school students but the book seems to have fallen out of favor with literature teachers. The movie (directed by Peter Brook) is a great one to show teens because its story is something they can relate to, a break in a clique and the fallout that comes from taking sides. The scary climax is sure to get them thinking about the choices they make and how they affect their peers.

The Public Enemy, directed by William Wellman, is a time capsule of the early 1900s, showing clothes, cars and gangsters of that era. This movie contains the famous scene where James Cagney smashes a grapefruit into Jean Harlow's face. While this is really tame compared to the violence shown in today's movies, the fateful ending of is priceless and shocking enough to be remembered.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is another novel that translated wonderfully to the screen. Directed by Robert Mulligan and starring Gregory Peck, the movie has many layers that will keep a teen interested. The trial of Tom Robinson (Brock Peters), a black man, is falsely accused of raping a white woman shows how racial injustice works in a real life situation. Though set in the Great Depression, it's a demonstration that holds up even in today's society.

City Lights, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin is a rags versus riches tale worthy of your teens time. Though silent save for the soundtrack, it captivates with a story of mistaken identity and unselfish love. The simple tale may seem sappy at first glance, but the brilliance of Chaplin shines through and will catch the attention of even the most jaded teen.