Grandpop Movie Nights

Liesl Schiavone reflects on one of her new favorite traditions with her dad, and the lessons it provides. 

One of my favorite family traditions that has started since my mom’s passing is “Grandpop Movie Nights.” Through visits for pleasure and recovery from illness or surgery, these evenings and their featured presentations have become a highlight of our trips north to Grandpop’s house. The rules are simple: The movie is Grandpop’s choice, and everyone participates. There is no fancy stadium seating, popcorn, or candy; just the couch, some blankets, and an old movie they’ve never seen before. 

Cinema has changed a lot in the last seventy years or so. The movies our kids are most accustomed to are fast-paced and bright. They are not void of positive messaging, but they often lack the depth, nuance, and moral substance of those on Grandpop’s list. His films pass down virtue, humor, and history in ways that modern stories often miss. Each one is like a time capsule back to a different time, a window into lives of courage, kindness, and faith lived out in ordinary and sometimes chaotic circumstances. They are often in black and white, which throws everyone off for a few minutes, but is quickly overcome as the story progresses. 

Lighthearted WWII Comedies 

Two favorites on Grandpop’s list include Operation Petticoat and Father Goose. These World War II films starring Cary Grant are filled with understated humor in the most unlikely of places. They capture the tension of difficult times, the softening of hard hearts, and the quiet grace that shows up when things don’t go as planned. They remind us that even in chaos, there is space for hope and humor. In their own lighthearted way, they teach us that joy is not the absence of hardship, but rather the grace to endure it with humor and humanity intact. 

Companionship and Courage 

Some nights the lessons are quieter, asking us to consider courage, sacrifice, and the ways ordinary people rise to extraordinary challenges, as in The African Queen, Heaven Knows Mr. Allison, and The Pride of the Yankees. These show common themes of companionship and courage in the face of hardship. They feature unlikely friendships forged in adversity and the heroism that comes through quiet service. They teach that true strength isn’t loud or showy — it’s quiet perseverance, gratitude, and grace in suffering.

The lessons shown in these movies may be some of my favorite themes of Grandpop Movie Night because they so beautifully exemplify some of my dad’s greatest strengths and attributes. Watching Lou Gehrig face illness with dignity and faith-filled humility particularly mirrors the character of my dad in recent years: strong, steady, and good-humored through whatever life brings. They provide great conversation as well; during a long car ride, my daughter once asked, "Would you rather be a passenger on the African Queen or the Titanic?" It was a tough call: The African Queen knew greater hardship, but all the passengers survived. 

Service and Sacrifice 

The Bells of Saint Mary’s and The Inn of the Sixth Happiness highlight lives of purpose: nuns and missionaries whose daily sacrifices ripple outward in love. They show the joy and challenge of a life lived with vocational awareness and how those sacrifices impact the body of Christ in small but profound ways. Their lessons echo the Gospel call to serve others with quiet joy and show that small, consistent acts of goodness can change the world, celebrating the kind of faith that doesn’t need to preach; it simply loves. 

Lessons Learned 

These movie nights offer more than nostalgia for my dad and me; they have become a bridge between generations. For my kids, they are lessons in character formation: teaching humor, humility, resilience, and reverence all at once. For my dad, they are a way to share pieces of his own story, movies that he used to enjoy with my mom and now gets to share with his grandkids. 

It's easy to assume that old movies move too slow or feel irrelevant to today’s kids, but I think that sells them short. When given the opportunity, children listen, observe, and absorb truths we might not expect. Yesteryear's storytelling is rich in moral courage and timeless virtue that still speak powerfully to young hearts today. 

Making Memories 

These evenings with Grandpop are creating some of the best memories, times that my kids will always remember. Even through the inevitable pauses to ask context questions, tend to the baby, or an ill-timed bathroom break, Dad’s living room becomes a classroom where we all learn a little something about fortitude, courage, and kindness through the almost forgotten stories of the past. 

I’m grateful for these old movies and the wisdom they pass down. I can’t wait to see which one is next.  

Share your thoughts with the Catholic Mom community! You'll find the comment box below the author's bio and list of recommended articles.

Copyright 2025 Liesl Schiavone
Images: Canva