Last night's 2019's Best Picture award at the Oscars went to Green Book , a film based (ever so loosely) on a real relationship between prominent Black jazz pianist and classically trained musician Dr. Don Shirley, and his hired driver, …
I am so excited about the upcoming Captain Marvel release. Like, crazy excited. Believe it or not, it's the first woman-lead superhero film from Marvel. (Yep, Wonder Woman was from DC Comics, fun as it was, my non-geeky friends.) Not onl…
Do you know how many of the 2016 Oscars best picture nominees I've seen this year? Zero. Not a single one. Because, kids. But, I have one last chance to see them all before the big awards ceremony. And at a discount too. See, sometimes i…
Here's an idea: The next time your kids ask (politely, of course) to watch their favorite movie -- as in, the animated feature or superhero flick they've seen a million times -- why not suggest a documentary instead ? Now before you roll…
Have you heard? Our favorite filmmaking family of 8 just announced a film festival for children and we couldn't be more excited! Our love of Gabrielle Blair and her beautiful family runs deep. From her amazing new Design Mom book to her …
With spring break in the rearview mirror, our kids are already looking forward to heading off to camp. So we thought it would be fun to explore the coolest summer camps out there. We were blown away by what we found -- from camps with lo…
We're fist-pumping, Bender style, over the rerelease of John Hughes’ arguably best movie ever (sorry, Home Alone ), The Breakfast Club. Say it with us: Could you describe the ruckus, sir? In honor of the 30th anniversary of the film that…
I just love a good awards show. The Grammys, Golden Globes, and the Tonys are great, but for me, the Oscars is the ultimate--Hollywood at its finest. If you enjoy celebrating the Academy Awards at home as much as I do, these easy DIY ide…
As the cultural discussion continues about building toys for girls and gender specific toy aisles, let me start by saying that my girls have been talking non-stop about The Lego Movie since they first saw a preview for it months ago . Th…
Let me start out this review with a spoiler alert: although Free Birds is a buddy film and the buddies are dudes, the strongest and most intelligent character by far is a girl. And a turkey. And she has a lazy eye. And let me go on to sa…
We don't know about you, but with summer in full swing and later sunsets/later bedtimes a fact of life, we've been indulging in quite a few family movie nights. As we look for some new ideas, it's been super fun digging into our Netflix …
On a whim, my children and I wandered into the local theater and plonked down an absurd sum to watch Epic in 3-D, a movie I knew very little of at the time. All I had heard was that there was a strong female lead, a great voice over cast…
Last week, I was treated to a sneak preview of Before Midnight, the newest movie in the popular now-trilogy starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. If you're like me, you won't believe it's been 18 years since they first met in Before Sunr…
In a world dominated by explosions, CGI, and overly detailed movie posters, we're loving this affordable collection of posters with an iconic and refreshing spin on our favorite films -- and our favorite films to share with our kids. We …
Let me start by saying I am not some Les Mis groupie. I have never seen the play or even read Victor Hugo's book, so it's not like I have childhood memories to stir up. That said, I cannot think of the last time I walked out of a movie s…
I still remember the very first Pixar short film I ever saw, way back in 1986. It was called Luxo Jr. and told the story of two lamps playing with a ball. Such a simple story, from the little start-up animation company that grew big . Fa…
Okay so I guess it's cool modern poster day today at Cool Mom Picks, because aside from the adorable city posters that Kirstin raved about, I just fell in love with a series of classic movie posters, reinterpreted by a modern graphic art…
Want to know why we're in love with The Secret World of Arrietty ? Family Movie Night in our house usually means the kids pick an animated-to-the-gills cartoon that tries to make itself relevant to "all ages" with lots of double-entendre…
As a music therapist working with kids in the hospital, I saw that one of the biggest challenges parents faced (among the many) was providing their kids with as much of a typical every day experience as they could. From keeping up with s…
The What to Expect When You're Expecting books have spent a million years on the bestseller list. Author Heidi Murkoff has definitely found a way to tap into what expecting and new parents are looking for--although the series is not with…
I remember the early baby days, when finding the time to see a big release movie like Hunger Games was even less likely than or showering regularly. Just getting out of the house seemed so exotic, and often too daunting. I wish we had th…
Last summer, our editor Liz gushed about the wonders of Circus Smirkus, the amazing single-ring circus whose performers are all kids. And for those of us in the New England or upstate New York areas, every summer brings us another chance…
Film fans in the New York area are preparing for the New York International Children's Film Festival and we are too! Over the past 15 years, the NYICFF has become a huge family event, and a great chance to expose our kids to more than 10…
My seven-year-old can tell you whose lightsaber is purple (Mace Windu) and what sound a Droideka makes ( em! em! ), but he's never been able to sit in a movie theater and see one of his beloved Star Wars movies on the big screen. Until n…