4 Fab First Crush Movies for Little Lovebirds

Nobody forgets their first crush. And while most romantic movies these days are for teens falling in love, there are a few relatively innocent classics we can look back on with our kids, to either start discussions or simply enjoy. Here are four of our faves:

My Girl

1991, PG-13

Vada Sultenfuss (Anna Chlumsky) is a precocious 11-year-old tomboy obsessed with death… perhaps it’s because she’s recently lost her mother, and is trying to make sense of it all. Dan Aykroyd plays her father, the town mortician, and Jamie Lee Curtis is the saucy cosmetician he employs – the two provide some darkly comic relief, but the real story (and the romance) begins when Vada meets Thomas J. (Macaulay Culkin) “the boy next door.” He idolizes Vada, and makes it his mission to spend as much time with her as possible. The pair’s summer adventures from first kiss to last farewell, introduce them to the agonies and ecstasies of adolescence.

Little Manhattan

2005, PG

In a city known for excitement and adventure, two young friends are about to embark on the greatest journey of all: first love. Gabe (Josh Hutcherson) and Rosemary (Charlie Ray) have known each other nearly all of their lives, but when they come face-to-face in a karate class, they see each other in a whole new light. All the magical, marvelous and maddening moments of budding romance, this charming film is precious without being too sugary. It’s like a Woody Allen movie for kids! (In fact, the film’s director acknowledges Annie Hall as a specific influence.)

The Man in the Moon

1991, PG-13

Deftly directed by Robert Mulligan (To Kill a Mockingbird, The Summer of 42), The Man in the Moon is a poignant and bittersweet tale which follows 14-year-old Dani (Reese Witherspoon) through the raging waters of first love, sibling rivalry, and tragedy. Dani and her older sister Maureen (Emily Warfield) have always shared everything. But when dreamboat Court Foster (Jason London) moves in next door, the sisters’ bond begins to break as they both set their sights on him. Set in rural Louisiana in the 1950’s without all the modern-day distractions, one gets to see the importance of family – Sam and Tess Harper are great as the girls’ parents – and how it affects one’s toughest decisions.

Tuck Everlasting

2002, PG

Based on a classic children’s fantasy novel, this Disney adaptation stars Alexis Bledel and Jonathan Jackson as the lovebirds, and Ben Kingsley, William Hurt, and Sissy Spacek as the adults in their lives… or is Tuck actually an adult? That’s the compelling question, as he long ago – centuries ago, in fact – discovered the secret to everlasting life and has remained in his boyish guise ever since.

The story begins when young Winnie Foster, stifled by the formality of her structured life and her domineering mother, escapes into the woods. There she meets an enigmatic, handsome stranger, Jesse Tuck. He’s a boy full of life, fun, and adventure. Needless to say, they fall in love… and Winnie is faced with a decision: to live her life as it was meant to be, or to sip from the magic spring and stay with Jesse forever.

What movies about first crushes will you be watching with your kids? Share your favorites with us!

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