Children in Films

There are thousands of films with child actors. What roles are they asked to perform? How does this affect them as children? We may watch children: as victims of sexual abuse, or the subject of bullying, embarking on their first love, or betrayed by friends, mourning the death of a parent, or caring for a sick pet, from a broken home, or in a custody battle, traumatized by war, or possessed by the devil, smothering a baby, or helping a dad inject heroin into his arm. What impact do playing these roles have on the lives of our young actors?

The author reminds us of our favourites - "The Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, Jane Eyre"; as well as the obscure - "Audition, Tideland, Little Otik"; to the controversial - "Lolita, The Woodsman, Pretty Baby, The Bad Seed"; and several hundred other films which delight, challenge or horrify us, the viewers.

By categorizing child-focused films into eight groups - gender, the family, talented kids, friendships, make-believe, coming of age, handling trauma, and child abuse - the author highlights several traits in modern cinema: that movie makers would have us believe most children come from broken homes, that only cute bonny kids are acceptable on our screens, the vulnerability of children make them ideal victims for terrorizing and abuse, the most innocent of kids become unexpected little monsters, audiences wish to be voyeurs of child actors experiencing their first private kiss, despite child pornography laws the majority of viewers have watched explicit material that may not stand up in court, in an age of multiculturalism, the white arian child is still most highly prized.

How do children come to terms with these varying expectations? Are girl actors given specific roles as opposed to boys, and are differences in gender perpetuated in modern movie productions?

In this comprehensive compilation, the author identifies the array of contrasting films that portray children, and considers the impact themes such as death or horror, sexual abuse or bullying, and gender stereotyping have on the child.

This is the compilation version of the eight volumes previously published separately.

The full range of the titles published separately are: 1 Gender Roles and Themes; 2 Families Step-kids & Orphans; 3 Tomboys Adventurers & Talented Kids; 4 Childhood Friendships: Peers, Pets & Grown-ups; 5 Make Believe Horror & the Supernatural; 6 Puberty & First Love; 7 Childhood Trauma: Illness, Death, Divorce & War; 8 Physical & Sexual Abuse.