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Best List Of The Top 50 Classic Nonviolent Family Movies
Best List Of The Top 50 Classic Nonviolent Family Movies
was inspired by a recent
Discover Magazine article
which illustrated that war is not inevitable. Different legions of monkeys sometimes had "wars" and sometimes did not depending on how much food was available and so on. It was mentioned that in the 1980's a survey of college students suggested that 30% of them thought that war was inevitable. Today that same survey was repeated and 90% of the people surveyed thought that war was inevitable. It is the overwhelming predominance of violence in the media, particularly in violent movies, that has contributed to this attitude. To undo this attitude is simple, but will probably take a long time: Promote the viewing of non-violent movies over the viewing of violent movies. The market is ripe for such a move as a survey of people in San Jose, CA reveals that 1/2 of the people surveyed want to watch non-violent movies while the other half simply don't care one way or the other. Only a couple of people out of 30 people surveyed specifically wanted to watch violent movies or horror movies.
The problem with the market for movies is that few if any movie reviews give the consumer a clue as to how much violence is in a movie.
Common sense media
does an OK job with some of the more common movies, but misses many good titles, even recent ones, and often doesn't do a consistent job on reporting exactly how much violence is in each movie. And it often rates movies as "on" for young kids that Peacemovies.com rates as being too violent or iffy. Peacemovies.com aims to change all that, with much more consistent reporting of the violence content in every movie reviewed.
Below is the
Best List Of The Top 50 Classic Nonviolent Family Movies
. The standard used for inclusion in the
Best List Of The Top 50 Classic Nonviolent Family Movies
is that each 2 hour movie has to have less than 10 violent scenes in it and few deaths, if any, to be included in the list of preferred movies below. So browse the 50 titles and reviews below and enjoy! Maybe you will discover something interesting and worthwhile to watch. Thanks.
John Thielking
PS: Complete compilations of reviews of nonviolent family movies from 2011 and 2012 are available by ordering the Peacemovies.com 2011 and Peacemovies.com 2012 booklets from the Peacemovies.com online store at
Best List Of The Top 50 Classic Nonviolent Family Movies
84 Charing Cross Road -- Romance 99 minutes, rated PG 1986
Set in 1949 New York and London, Helene Haniff (Anne Bancroft) is planning a trip to London to check out some books and visit bookshop owner Frank Doel (Anthony Hopkins). Helene is displeased with the lack of availability of old British books in the US. Various mishaps along the way delay her arrival in London and she ends up mail ordering the books she needs from Frank. This is mostly a story about a woman visiting bookstores and the library, with some interesting narration, but they do manage to squeeze in a moment of potential violence when Helene witnesses a sit in protest at Columbia University. 2-1/2 stars. Click
to discover reviews of 84 Charing Road on Amazon.com.
Alice – Woody Allen 1990 PG-13 Romance
Mia Farrow who plays Alice in the movie won the 1990 National Board of Review Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Alice. Woody Allen can't play a woman so Alice Tate (Mia Farrow) subs for him in this movie. Alice has all the whiny characteristics that Allen would have playing a male character. In this case, Alice is having marital problems, but thinks that she needs acupuncture to cure what is ailing her. She soon finds out that her heart and not her body are in the wrong place. Zero violence, not even references to violence. Five stars. Click
to discover reviews of Alice on Amazon.com.
Amelie From Montmartre 2001 R 122 minutes French with English subtitles
Set in 1997 France, the movie stars Audrey Tautou as Amelie, a shy recluse woman who finds an old toy box and decides to return it to its original owner. After that is accomplished, the story takes some further amusing twists and turns as Amelie decides to befriend others in a similar way. There are six scenes of violence, only two of which are central to the plot (four scenes are imaginary about what could have happened). Four stars. Click
to discover reviews of Amelie From Montmartre on Amazon.com
Arthur 1981 PG 97 minutes
Arthur Bach (Dudley Moore) is a lonely millionaire playboy who is being forced to marry a woman named Susan Johnson (Jill Eikenberry) who he doesn't love. If he doesn't marry Susan, he will have his $750 million dollar trust fund cut off and be left penniless. Arthur meets the love of his life Linda Marolla (Liza Minnelli) and wants to marry her instead and the fun and conflicts ensue. Surprisingly, there are 7 acts of violence or threats of violence or references to violence in this otherwise melodramatic movie. That gives this movie almost the same rating as the Rocky Horror Picture show, though of course in this movie nobody dies. Four stars. Click
to discover reviews of Arthur on Amazon.com.
Arthur 2: On The Rocks 1988 PG 113 Minutes
The daffy and irrepressible drunk Arthur Bach (Dudley Moore) returns in this loving sequel to the original hit Arthur. In this sequel, Arthur is forced to sober up and look for a job, after his family enters into a business partnership that results in Arthur's $750 million trust fund being taken away from him. In order to get the money back, Arthur must divorce his current wife Linda (Liza Minnelli) and marry Susan (Jill Eikenberry, the woman he dumped at the altar in the last movie). There are only mild physical altercations in this movie, 3 in all. Four stars. Click
to discover reviews of Arthur 2 on Amazon.com.
Awakenings -- Drama PG13, 1990, 120 Minutes
Based on a true story: Dr Malcom Sayer (Robin Williams) attempts to cure some comatose mental patients who have been mental vegetables for the past 20-30 years using a new drug. Initially the patients experience a dramatic improvement. This movie is an almost totally non-violent examination of psychiatry's reliance on drugs to solve all of the patients problems. Robin Williams gives a superb performance as Dr Sayer, a very compassionate human being. Five stars. Click
to discover reviews of Awakenings on Amazon.com.
Baby Boom 1987 PG 110 Minutes
JC Wiatt (Diane Keaton) is a high powered female executive with a food distribution and marketing firm who is living with her boyfriend Steven Buchner (Harold Ramis). Her life is turned upside down when she unexpectedly inherits a baby girl. Thrust into the role of mother unexpectedly, she initially tries to put the baby up for adoption, but soon becomes attached to the baby and decides not to compromise the care of her baby for the sake of her job. There are no violent scenes or threats of violence in this movie. Three stars. Click
to discover reviews of Baby Boom on Amazon.com.
Bush's Brain Documentary PG-13 78 minutes 2004
This movie explores the history of political manipulator Karl Rove's involvement with the political campaigns of President George W. Bush. Narration, apparently from Rove's point of view, criticizes the book by the same title. No violence on screen. 3 stars. Click
to discover reviews of Bush's Brain on Amazon.com.
Close Encounters Of The 3rd Kind,
Steven Spielberg 1977
The wacky world of alien abductions comes to life, with a peaceful resolution and reconciliation. 15 scenes of mild violence or alien abduction including family verbal arguments, non-lethal car crashes and whacked out electrical appliances. The DVD dust jacket in some versions was inexplicably remade from the original black and white to show a red explosion at Devil's Tower which doesn't happen. Three stars. Click
to discover reviews of Close Encounters Of The Third Kind on Amazon.com
Dead Poets' Society PG 1989 129 minutes
John Keating (Robin Williams) plays an unconventional teacher who was a member of the Dead Poets Society at the same prep school that he now teaches at. His antics in the classroom lead some of his students down the primrose path, some would say to self destruction and others would say to liberation from rote learning. Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard) has a particularly difficult time reconciling Keating's teachings with his own father's ambitions for what he thinks are the appropriate educational goals for his son. There are only four acts or implied acts of violence. (The one suicide occurs off screen). Four stars. Click
to discover reviews of Dead Poets' Society on Amazon.com.
Enchanted April 1992 PG 97 minutes
Four English women take a vacation in a nice secluded villa in post WWI Italy. They mostly want to be alone away from their husbands. Soon they are joined by one lady's husband and the owner of the property. The movie delivers on its promise of light entertainment without a lot of hype or playing the audience. There are only two violent scenes in the movie, one of which, an accidental explosion, was sorely disappointing and seemed to be deviant from the plot the first time I saw this movie. Three stars. Click
to discover reviews of Enchanted April on Amazon.com.
Erin Brockovich 2000 R 132 minutes
This is not a traditional bang bang type shoot'em up type movie, but lots of people are portrayed as being injured by the chemical disposal negligence of PG&E. The only actual physical violence or threats of same are a car accident and a threatening phone call. Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts) takes on the negligent powers that be at the same time as taking care of her three kids and convincing her boss, Attorney Ed Masry (Albert Finney), to hire her in the first place. Four stars.
to discover reviews of Erin Brockovich on Amazon.com.
ET: The Extraterrestrial 1982 PG
This movie won 4 Oscars: Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing; Best Effects, Visual Effects; Best Music, Original Score; Best Sound. A young boy named Eliot (Henry Thomas) discovers an Extra-Terrestrial in his back yard after the ET is stranded on Earth. Eliot takes the ET into his house and into his room. Eliot and his brother and sister keep the ET a secret for as long as possible. ET sets up some gadgets to make a device to "phone home". There are no serious acts of violence in this movie. There are five mildly violent scenes, such as the boys getting knives from the kitchen when they first try to "hunt" ET in the backyard, or some government workers getting dragged behind the hijacked van that Eliot's brother commandeers when trying to return ET to the forest. Five stars. Click
to discover reviews of ET: The Extraterrestrial on Amazon.com.
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind 2004 R 108 minutes
Jim Carey plays Joel, a guy who decides to have his memory of his girlfriend erased using a high tech procedure. Halfway through the procedure, he decides that he wants to save the memories and a mental struggle ensues between Joel and the people administering the procedure. There are 7 scenes involving violence or play acting at violence, but only one scene where something or someone is killed or injured. 4 stars. Click
to discover reviews of Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind on Amazon.com.
Fast Times At Ridgemont High 1982 R 90 min
For this movie, writer Cameron Crowe spent a year at Claremont High in San Diego learning about high school life in the early 1980's. That allowed Crowe to make the script more realistic and lifelike. As a result, the characters are more complex and less stereotypical than in most teen angst movies. The movie follows some of the people at the high school as they lose their virginity and get involved in drug use. There are only four acts of mild violence, including a hold-up where a man uses an unfired gun at a convenience store. Two stars. Click
to discover reviews of Fast Times At Ridgemont High on Amazon.com.
Finding Forrester 2000 PG-13 for language and sexual situations 136 minutes
Basketball star and neighborhood bro Jamal Wallace (Rob Brown) breaks into old man and writer William Forrester's (Sean Connery's) apartment on a dare from his buddies. One thing leads to another and soon Jamal finds himself becoming friends with Forrester and Forrester helps Jamal with his writing. Jamal faces challenges along the way, including the conflict over pursuing his writing vs pursuing his basketball career. There are only 3 moments where mild violence occurs or is even likely to occur (throwing things or an attempt at starting fist-cuffs for example). Four stars. Click
to discover reviews of Finding Forrester on Amazon.com.
Flashdance 1983 R
Jennifer Beals gets her big break in this blockbuster movie with the classic "Flashdance what a feeling" hit song as part of the soundtrack. The song "Flashdance … what a feeling" won the 1984 Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and as of 2007 ranks as the 22nd most successful song in history, according to Wikipedia. Beals stars as Alex who is a welder by day and an exotic dancer by night who has big dreams of becoming a ballet dancer. Alex also reluctantly gets involved with her boss at her welding job. There are only four violent scenes, two of which involve someone getting punched out. Four stars. Click
to discover reviews of Flashdance on Amazon.com.
Grease 1978 PG 110 Minutes
Relive the hit songs from the late 1970's Grease soundtrack with a story weaved into it involving the budding romance between greaser Danny (John Travolta) and Sandy (Olivia Newton-John). This movie was the biggest grossing musical hit of all time. There are only 4 scenes of mild slapstick type violence. 3 stars. Click
to discover reviews of Grease on Amazon.com.
High School Musical TV-G 98 minutes 2006
High School Basketball star Troy (Zac Efron) and newbie female brainiac on campus Gabriella (Vanessa Anne Hudgens) team up almost by chance to perform in the High School Musical. There are plenty of roadblocks the two encounter along the way to their stellar performance in the musical. Sci fi and special effects addicts will be satisfied by the relatively low tech time warp that is pulled off at the climax without blowing everything up, like happens in those James Bond or Stargate movies. There is no violence nor threats of violence in this movie. Four stars. Click
to discover reviews of High School Musical on Amazon.com.
High School Musical 2 TV-G
Summer vacation arrives at East High School. Troy Bolton (Zac Efron), Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens) and the rest of the East High School basketball team land summer jobs at the resort owned by the Evans family. Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale) schemes to use her family influence to break up Troy and Gabriella in both their professional and personal relationships. Plenty of dancing and singing routines round out this blockbuster sequel to High School Musical. There are no violent scenes or threats of violence. Three stars. Click
to discover reviews for High School Musical 2 on Amazon.com.
Imagine – John Lennon 1988 UR 100 minutes
This movie details the life of John Lennon from his boyhood days to his untimely death in 1980. The movie draws on never before seen footage. It has many of his songs mixed in with stories about how fans were treated by the Beatles. There are only four violent scenes or references to violence. The shooting of John Lennon is portrayed symbolically. Five stars. Click
to discover reviews of Imagine on Amazon.com.
Le Fils (The Son) 2002 NR 100 minutes
Foreign – French with English subtitles
Ex wife tells husband near the beginning of the movie: "He killed our son and you are teaching him carpentry?" A reluctant teacher takes on a new client at the woodworking school. The client is an ex juvenile offender who killed the teacher's son. The movie is mostly uneventful. It's great if you like watching carpenters walk up and down stairs and look out windows and do sit ups and driving murderers to places while their ex wife freaks out. They even get to eat french fries in France! How exciting. The movie does have a climax which is not very violent at all. Two stars. Click
to discover reviews for Le Fils on Amazon.com.
Legally Blonde 2001 PG-13 for language and sexual situations. 96 minutes
Blonde bombshell Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) is disappointed that her boyfriend who she wanted to marry dumped her just so he could look respectable while attending Harvard Law School. So she hatches a plan to attend Harvard Law School herself and woo him back. Along the way she makes some stunning legal maneuvers. A murder mystery is central to the plot later in the film, but there is little if any violence on screen, except for the UPS man getting accidentally smacked in the nose by an overeager would be mistress. Three stars. Click
to discover reviews for Legally Blonde on Amazon.com.
Look Who's Talking 1989 PG-13 96 minutes
A CPA accountant named Molly falls for a coworker and gets pregnant. The next thing we know, the voice of Bruce Willis is narrating the experiences of the baby to be. Lots of other babies are also narrated so when the babies meet up they have cute conversations. A cab driver named James (John Travolta) becomes the love interest in the story. There are only five scenes that could loosely be characterized as violent. Some of them are Molly's dream fantasies. Three stars.
to discover reviews of Look Who's Talking on Amazon.com.
Look Who's Talking Too 1990 PG-13 80 minutes
Mollie (Kirstie Alley) and James (John Travolta) team up again in this sequel to Look Who's Talking. This time there is a baby girl in the family named Julie (with her voice narrated by Roseanne Barr) who is getting in minor fights with her older brother Mikey (voice provided by Bruce Willis). There are a few instances that are questionable from a violence avoidance perspective. Monsters scare Mikey in his room a couple of times. The new room mate Stuart (Elisa Koteas) pulls an unloaded gun a couple of times and gets into a minor fight with a robber and starts a fire in the apartment. 2 stars. Click
to discover reviews for Look Who's Talking Too on Amazon.com.
Lost In Translation R for some sexual situations 102 minutes 2003
Bill Murray stars in an off beat slow paced comedy about his escapades and language barriers he encounters while in Japan with another woman while filming a commercial. Only two scenes of violence punctuate an otherwise calm movie: a kid is playing a video game and some Japanese gangsters storm into a bar and start shooting it up using machine guns. Two stars. Click
to discover reviews for Lost In Translation on Amazon.com.
Love and Other Disasters 2006 R 90 minutes
Emily Jackson – Jacks (Brittany Murphy) is an intern at British Vouge magazine, where she tries to play matchmaker for her various office buddies, with often hilarious results. One "gay couple" is matched up even though they aren't sure if they are really gay for example. There are no acts of violence or hints of violence in any part of this movie. 3 stars. Click
to discover reviews of Love And Other Disasters on Amazon.com
Manilow: Live 2000 NR 115 minutes
Barry Manilow mixes it up in this live concert, including doing short skits with an Accordion and a Kazu. Manilow also gives a softer edge to a lot of the musical numbers that he sings, not just popping out a steady routine of hit songs one after the other. Some of the lyrics he inherited from Frank Sinatra. There are a couple of references to violent themes in his songs. One is the usual reference to gunplay in his hit song Cobocobanna. The other is a reference to a song in his Broadway musical "Harmony" about life in a Nazi concentration camp. Three stars. Click
to discover reviews of Manilow: Live on Amazon.com.
Moscow On The Hudson 1984 2 hours English and Russian with English subtitles.
Musician and Sax player Vladimir Ivanoff (Robin Williams) pays a visit to New York when he travels with the Russian circus. Vladimir defects while on a shopping trip and is befriended by the dept store security guard. He soon embarks upon the usual odyssey of an immigrant in America, finding odd jobs and a beautiful girlfriend named Lucia (Maria Conchita Alonso). This movie is almost a Sax musical, since Vladimir gets in enough Sax playing to make it seem that way. Although the movie starts out in the pre 1990 Soviet Union, the KGB does not pose a serious threat to safety of the characters. Vladimir suffers the only violent encounter in the movie when he gets mugged in New York. Five stars. Click
to discover reviews of Moscow On The Hudson on Amazon.com.
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington 1939 UR 129 minutes Classic
A young, idealistic Jefferson Smith (James Stewart) is appointed to the position of Senator when a former Senator dies unexpectedly. When Mr. Smith goes to Washington to serve in the Senate, he soon finds that his idealistic enthusiasm for serving his country is undermined by the corrupt scoundrels who inhabit Washington in this academy award winning movie. Eight brief acts of violence permeate what is otherwise a totally non-violent movie. Four stars. Click
to discover reviews of Mr Smith Goes To Washington on Amazon.com.
Mrs Doubtfire 1993 PG-13 125 minutes
Robin Williams pulls off another hit comedy routine, this time dressed as an old lady housekeeper. Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams) is a loving and funny husband to his wife Miranda (Sally Field) but the marriage is on the rocks and headed for divorce court after one too many comedy antics are pulled by Daniel. Daniel decides to dress up as an old lady housekeeper when Miranda places an ad for a nanny to take care of the kids since the breakup. Lots of hilarious hijinks ensue and only three acts of slapstick violence occur to punctuate an otherwise non-violent movie. Four stars. Click
to discover reviews of Mrs. Doubtfire on Amazon.com.
My Dinner With Andre 1981 PG
Two friends Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn share a dinner together where they discuss philosophy and life as playwrights and directors. The conversation even covers such outlandish topics as the utopian outpost called Findhorn or what it means to be a human being sitting in a room doing nothing. The overwhelmingly utopian and scintillating conversation drifts occasionally into very minor discussion of violent themes and outcomes, but there is no violence on screen. Five stars.
Note that this movie is now a collector's item. Click
to discover reviews of My Dinner WIth Andre on Amazon.com.
National Geographic: March Of The Penguins G Documentary 2004, 80 minutes
The Emperor Penguins of Antarctica march for 70 miles inland to mate in the dead of winter. Morgan Freeman narrates this compelling documentary about the Penguins' struggle for survival. A few Penguins die from the cold, but there is not much violence (except a seal or a bird eating a Penguin). Three stars.
to discover reviews of National Geographic: March Of The Penguins on Amazon.com.
March of the Penguins
Notting Hill -- Romance 1999 PG-13 for sexual content and brief strong language. 123 minutes.
Bookseller William Thacker (Hugh Grant) falls for famous screen actress Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) and must face the reality of Anna's life with the Paparazzi and her lack of truth telling to her peers. Will they make a go of it despite these setbacks? Overall it is a jolly good story with no violence of any kind. Four stars.
to discover reviews of Notting Hill on Amazon.com.
Nova: Absolute Zero: The Conquest of Cold 2008 NR 112 Minutes
A Nova documentary that explores the scientific investigations of what is "cold", starting in the 16th and 17th centuries with the invention of the thermometer and the world's first air conditioner and progressing to the present day race to find absolute zero. No violence, except for the account of how one researcher was executed in the 17th century. Three stars. Available from Netflix.
Oh, God! PG 98 minutes 1977 Comedy
Atheist grocery store assistant manager Jerry Landers (John Denver) is the unlikely recipient of attention from on high from the Almighty God himself (George Burns) in this award winning movie from the late 1970's. God's message? "Cherish and nurture each other instead of killing one another" and "Everything's going to work out provided people make that choice." There are no violent scenes or references to unseen violent parts of the plot in this movie. Four stars. Click
to discover reviews of Oh God! on Amazon.com.
Oh, God! Book II 1980 PG 94 minutes
Elementary school student 11 year old Tracy Richards (Louanne Sirota) is the one to see God (George Burns) this time. God visits Tracy and explains that he needs some additional publicity. Tracy and some of her pals from school start an ad campaign where everyone is urged to "Think God". But soon Tracy has to answer questions from school administrators and her parents about what motivated her to start the campaign. There is no violence in this movie, though Tracy runs away after being threatened with being put in an institution. Three stars. Click
to discover reviews of Oh God! Book II on Amazon.com.
Oh, God! You Devil 1984 PG 96 minutes
In this third and final film in the Oh God! Series, Bobby Sheldon is a struggling musician who whispers out loud that he would sell his soul to the devil if he could make it in the music world. Soon the devil (George Burns) signs Bobby up for a 7 year contract in exchange for Bobby's soul. A little while later, Bobby is having second thoughts, as part of the deal involves him impersonating a true rock star while another man gets to live out his former life with his wife and kid. Soon God intervenes and attempts to win Bobby's soul in a poker game. There is not much violence in this movie. Six people are reported to die in a hurricane (off screen). A waiter wrecks the wedding cake next to the pool. Billy Wayne (the rock star) commits suicide by popping pills. The devil's most famous quote: "Next year I'm bringing back the gypsy moth." Two stars. Click
to discover reviews of Oh God! You Devil on Amazon.com.
One Nation Under God Documentary 1993 NR 82 minutes
A succinct examination of the psychological theories and religious fundamentalism surrounding the issue of weather or not homosexuality is a learned behavior that can be unlearned through counseling and/or prayer. A few former "ex gays" give their accounts of how the religious and psychological programs designed to convert gays into straights are failures. The only references to violence against gays and lesbians is the reminder that Germany interned gays in the concentration camps. Three stars. Click
to discover reviews of One Nation Under God on Amazon.com.
Patch Adams PG-13 116 minutes 1998
In Patch Adams Robin Williams plays the real life Patch Adams, who inspired the creation of a unique hospital in the 1970's. Patch is a medical student and former psychiatric inpatient who is inspired to help people in hospitals by making light of their situation through humor and good times. Patch runs smack up against the establishment that prohibits him from practicing medicine without a license. There are five violent scenes or events (two of them are play acting at shooting guns) including one murder-suicide not shown on screen. Five stars. Click
to discover reviews of Patch Adams on Amazon.com.
Primer 2004 77 minutes PG-13
In this independent award winning film a group of techno-geeks is experimenting with batteries and gadgets in their garage while trying to invent a room temperature superconductor. Eventually their experiments lead them to invent a time travel device. They try to exploit the device for financial gain and this leads to trouble, both technically and personally. There are only 5 somewhat violent images or scenes, not too gross. Three stars. Click
to discover reviews of Primer on Amazon.com.
Rocky Horror Picture Show 1975 R
This movie is mostly a musical where a naïve couple named Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon) who got stranded along a deserted roadway are introduced to the mad scientist/vampire Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry) and his lab. A couple of people die. There are a total of 8 violent scenes (mostly mild slapstick violence) including one sex scene that has an open question of consent. Three stars. Click
to discover reviews of the Rocky Horror Picture Show on Amazon.com.
Sleepless In Seattle PG 1993 105 minutes
Jonah Baldwin (Ross Malinger), son of Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks), calls in to a national radio program to express that his dad needs a new wife, after his wife died. After Sam goes on the air briefly, over 2000 women call in to try to find out how to contact Sam. One of those women is Annie Reed (Meg Ryan), who writes Sam a letter. Jonah is adamant that Sam and Annie have to meet, but Sam is not inclined to visit Baltimore from Seattle. Jonah eventually figures out how to get them together in a surprising meet up. There is no significant violence in this movie. (A wife accidentally elbows a man in the face while lying in bed in a totally out of context moment.) Four stars. Click
to discover reviews of Sleepless In Seattle on Amazon.com.
Somewhere in Time 1980 PG 103 minutes
This movie features time travel without the flashing lights, burning rubber and flux capacitors and without the gunplay of the Libyan terrorists. However the star of the show Richard Collier (played by Christopher Reeve) is continually stalked by William Fawcett Robinson (Christopher Plummer) who ultimately has Richard bagged and dragged from the scene in a not too violent display of thuggery. Otherwise, this is a nice romantic story of a playwright living in 1980 who falls in love with an actresses' picture from 1912 and takes a trip back through time, courtesy of willpower sans technology. There are six scenes of violence to self or others or implied threats of violence. 4 stars. Click
to discover reviews of Somewhere In Time on Amazon.com.
Talk To Me
Don Cheadle
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Cedric The Entertainer
Taraji P. Henson
Mike Epps
Martin Sheen
PG Violent previews. Fast forward over them.
Petey Greene is an African American con man and a felon in prison for 5-10 years in the late 1960's. He cons his way out of prison by settling a dispute in the prison yard. He persuades his would be boss Dewey Hughes to hire him as a radical radio DJ for the morning show on a radio station in Washington DC. Petey brings the community together with his radio show and pitches in until 2AM one night during a period of national mourning, urging people to avoid violence. There are 8 brief scenes of mild violence and rioting or threats of violence. Two people die (not shown on screen).
The movie is rated R for pervasive language and sexual content. The violence would have earned it a PG rating. 1 hr 59 minutes.
to discover reviews of Talk To Me on Amazon.com.
The Front -- Woody Allen 1976 PG
Howard Prince (Woody Allen) befriends a blacklisted screen writer Alfred Miller (Michael Murphy) who is trying to get his work accepted in the McCarthy witch-hunt era of the 1950s. Howard acts as a "front" so that Alfred can submit his scripts. Soon Howard is a very popular fellow. But the FBI is not far behind… There is only one reference to violence, when an actor who is being pressured to testify against Howard commits suicide (off screen). Four stars. Click
to discover reviews of The Front on Amazon.com.
The King of Kong 2007 PG-13 79 minutes
This movie details the competitive gaming world of Donkey Kong. There is a whole genre of gamers who compete for the title of the world's best Donkey Kong player and this movie provides a glimpse into that world. There are only three instances of violence or glorification of violence in this movie. There is "war all the time in this universe" according to one player. Another player idolizes the Red Barron from WWII because he shot down 87 planes in the battles with Germany. Finally, the players sometimes send death threats to each other. Three stars. Click
to discover reviews of The King Of Kong on Amazon.com.
The Man From Earth 2007 NR
This is a Sci-fi yarn written by Jerome Bixby that could have been subtitled "My Dinner With Andre meets Mr Spock". In this case Mr Spock is a 14,000 year old caveman named John who was born in Cromagnon times and has lived to tell about it, all while not aging a day past 35. John is about to move on to another part of the world to hide his identity, but this time he decides to stay for awhile and chat with his soon to be departed friends. There is no violence in this movie, though a gun is pulled at one point and later the same man (a psychologist) threatens to have John committed to an asylum. Four stars. Click
to discover reviews of The Man From Earth on Amazon.com.
The Pursuit Of Happyness PG-13 for some barely noticeable 4 letter words. 2006 117 minutes
A down on his luck salesman named Chris Gardner (Will Smith) is struggling to keep his relationship together and take care of his son Christopher (played by Will Smith's real life son Jaden Christopher Syre Smith). Mr Gardner goes from selling bone density monitors to hospitals and doctors' offices to working his way up to a dream job at a stock brokerage. Along the way, he scrapes by day to day but he and his son continue valiantly in their pursuit of happiness. There are a couple of potentially violent confrontations, but nobody gets hurt. Fast forward over the violent previews for Spiderman 3 and James Bond (approved for all audiences my ass!) 4 stars. Click
to discover reviews of The Pursuit of Happyness on Amazon.com.
The Thrill Of It All! 1963 NR 103 minutes
Beverly Boyer (Doris Day) is a happily married doctor's wife who by chance lands a spot doing tv commercials for soap. Soon her life is turned upside down by the competing demands of the soap commercials and her doctor husband (James Garner), who is just a little envious that his wife is making more money than he is. With more demands happening every day the plot soon becomes a race to save the couple's marriage. There are five acts of mild violence, such as drinks being thrown in people's faces. Three stars. Click
to discover reviews of The Thrill Of It All! on Amazon.com.
The TV Set Comedy Staring David Duchovny (X-Files) and Sigourney Weaver (Alien)
This movie chronicles the life of writer Mike Kline (David Duchovny) who is trying to get his TV series pilot to be accepted for airtime. The movie focuses on some of the scenes in the pilot and how the Network President (Weaver) wants the script to be changed. The original pilot script has a suicide plot. A competing pilot script has a plot of death due to natural causes. No one dies on screen. There is no violence other than a story about a bumpy airplane ride. Rated R for language.
Three stars. Click
to discover reviews of The TV Set on Amazon.com.
Tin Cup 1996 R 135 minutes
Roy "Tin Cup" McAvoy (Kevin Costner) is a washed up golf pro who has his own golf shop and driving range in the middle of nowhere. He takes on giving golf lessons to a beautiful woman named Dr Molly Griswald (Rene Russo). Soon Roy finds himself in competition with Molly's boyfriend both for Molly's hand and for the championship in a round of golf at the US Open. Lots of suspense with absolutely no violence, except for Roy and his caddy breaking his own golf clubs. Five stars. Click
to discover reviews of Tin Cup on Amazon.com
Tootsie PG 1982 119 minutes
Out of work actor Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) tries in vain to find an acting job as a man. Finally he decides to try landing a part by casting himself as a woman named Dorothy Michaels (nicknamed Tootsie). Things go along swell and Tootsie easily lands the part on a soap opera. But like all good things, it just doesn't last. Hoffman's character falls for co star Julie (Jessica Lange) and things get complicated from there. There are only two mildly violent scenes, when Hoffman gets punched and when there is a boxing match on TV. Four stars. Click
to discover reviews of Tootsie on Amazon.com.
Xanadu 1980 PG 96 minutes
The Greek Muse named Kira (Olivia Newton John) spices up a fanciful musical. An aspiring artist named Sonny Malone (Michael Beck) sets out to start a dream career with once famous Danny McGuire (Gene Kelley). The movie has only three scenes that could be loosely characterized as violent (one crash, one pulled gun and one dancer hanging by the back of her neck). Otherwise we are scarcely reminded of the cruel outside world while getting lost in the musical world and musings of Xanadu. Three stars. Click
to discover reviews of Xanadu on Amazon.com.
Complete compilations of reviews of nonviolent family movies from 2011 and 2012 are available by ordering the Peacemovies.com 2011 and Peacemovies.com 2012 booklets from the Peacemovies.com online store at
Best List Of The Top 50 Classic Nonviolent Family Movies
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Classic Buffalo Concert Shirts That Have Not Seen Daylight in 25 Years [PHOTOS]
Concert tees, we all have them. Some are still worn, others are lost away in boxes in attics, basements and garages. But when I was thinking about all the great shows I've attended I realized the concert tee is the greatest memento (outside of the ticket stub) that one can collect.
So dig out your old concert tees while you listen to Jack FM's Awesome 80's Weekend. If you're still lucky enough to fit in them, send us your pic. If not, check out this article on what you can do with your old concert tees!

subset: commoncrawl


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Stripe My Ride
Think you have a lot of school spirit? Some MU grads and Tiger fans take their pride in Mizzou to a new level with personalized plates and decorative vehicles. Show your Tiger spirit by sharing a photo of your creation on the Stripe My Ride photo gallery.
Check out some spirited samples as you explore the Stripe My Ride Photo Gallery.
Now it's your turn - send us a photo of what you've got. If it can move we will add it to our online Stripe My Ride photo gallery. Submit a photo of your favorite car, van, RV, boat, plane, or bus! Submit your Stripe My Ride entry.
Don't have a digital camera? Mail your color or
black & white print (any size) to:
Mizzou Alumni Association
Attn: Stripe My Ride
David Roloff, Director of Marketing
123 Reynolds Alumni Center
Columbia, MO 65211
*All photos will be returned after we post
your entry on the web.
Interested in showing some
extra MU pride on your ride?
MIZZOU plates are personalized plates which may contain from one to six characters or from one to five characters plus a dash. Mizzou Collegiate plates are available only for registered Missouri vehicles.
Read more information on MU vanity plates
Want to see what YOUR Mizzou vanity plate could look like? Create a plate
(for "Select a design" pick collegiate).


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Flu scare closes second Bay Area school
Published 4:00 am, Thursday, April 30, 2009
A San Jose high school was closed for a week today after a student attended classes while sick with what public health officials have confirmed is the swine flu.
Branham High School became the second Bay Area school to be closed because of the swine flu scare. Highlands Elementary School in Pittsburg also will be closed for a week beginning today after three of four students who had become ill with flulike symptoms tested positive as having probable swine flu, said Kate Fowlie, spokeswoman for Contra Costa Health Services.
"The school closure is to help prevent the spread of illness," she said, adding that the school will remain closed through May 6.
Latest news videos
So far, she said, 13 students have had flulike symptoms.
Branham High will also be closed until at least May 6, under orders from the Santa Clara County Public Health Department. All school activities - including after-school sports both off and on campus - have been postponed or canceled.
A letter was sent from the health department to parents warning them that their children "may have been exposed to swine flu" on April 23.
A press conference on the school closure is scheduled for this morning at the health department.


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By Lorin T. SmithJanuary 19, 2010
The goal is simple: consult with a primary care provider-nurse team for all your medical needs.
This team will coordinate your specialty care, double-check your medications to make sure the prescriptions don't interfere with one another and most importantly, provide better clinical outcomes.
The concept was endorsed in a 2007 joint statement of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians and the American Osteopathic Association on the "Patient-centered Medical Home."
Madigan Healthcare System, in conjunction with the Washington state Department of Health and Washington state Academy of Family Physicians, has embraced the concept of the "patient-centered medical home" to provide primary care to the Joint Base Lewis-McChord community.
The Washington state Patient-Centered Medical Home Collaborative is a two-year test project that strives to deliver primary health care through a "team partnership" between the primary care provider and the Family, to ensure health care services are provided in a high-quality, cost effective and comprehensive manner. Thirty-two primary care practices throughout the state participate in the program, including Madigan's Family Medicine Clinic.
The project is designed to improve health outcomes for patients, improve the patient and Family's experience of care, improve primary care team satisfaction and examine the overall health care costs impacted by the medical home implementation, according to the state's Web site. Col. (Dr.) Diane Flynn, the Department of Family Medicine chief, has devoted a great deal of effort applying these recommendations to its clinics.
Advancing a patient-centered focus to health care means a change from the rigid clinic-driven system to more flexible options that benefit dual-working Families, as part of the commitment made by the Army Family Covenant signed last year at Madigan.
Family Medicine has expanded evening appointments to accommodate parents who can't take their children out of school early; simplified clinic rules; strived to achieve a one-call resolution so patients get their appointments and implemented changes to make prescription renewals more hassle-free for the patient - all components of patient-centered care, Flynn added. "Our goal is to improve each patient's experience of care and to deliver the highest quality of care possible," she said.
Providers, nurses and administrative staff have been hired to bring enrollment, panel sizes, access to care and provider-to-support ratios in line with U.S. Army Medical Command standards. Doctors and nurses have "teamed" up to share responsibility of attending to patients.
Providers like it because they receive scheduled "desk-top medicine" time to allow for telephone and e-mail communication with patients. Flynn believes it is creating a positive impact on nurse morale within the department too. "A year ago, our nurses' role was focused on taking vital signs and rooming patients, but now, nurses are teamed up with a primary care provider, and the two of them share responsibility for the health, well-being and satisfaction of their panel of patients" Flynn said. "The nurses love the medical home idea because they see the positive impact on the health and satisfaction of our patients."
Billed as a possible solution to the health care debate that has dominated the airwaves during the past year, the medical home pilot may show that it can produce better medical outcomes at a lower cost, Flynn said.
A primary care provider that knows his or her patients and can coordinate the myriad of specialty and inpatient/outpatient care available will reduce the fragmentation of care and keep an eye on the prescriptions that could interact with medications the patient is already taking.
Technology is a key component of the medical home; patients are encouraged to enroll in MiCare, which provides online access to their personal electronic health record free of charge.
One of the biggest benefits of implementing a medical home is developing a process for preventive health care screening.
The state requires each hospital in the collaborative to report certain data, including the number of children who are up-to-date on their well-baby and well-child care; tobacco screening assessments - how many are using tobacco, and if so, how many have been counseled on quitting; how many patients have been screened for breast, cervical and colon cancer; how many diabetes patients are up-to-date and at goal on accepted standards; and how many patients aged 65 years or older are taking 15 or more medications.
Several other Military Treatment Facilities across the Army have implemented principles of the patient-centered medical home, and Flynn said the U.S. Army Surgeon General has expressed interest in expanding this concept across MEDCOM.
"If we improve outcomes, have happier staff and patients at lower cost, then we can spread that word across the Military Health System and help other clinics do this as well," Flynn said.
For more information about the Washington state Patient-Centered Medical Home Collaborative, visit the Web site at www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/WSC/Med-Home/What-is-MH.htm.


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Another erotic story from the FLOGMASTER!Copyright 1985-2016 by the Flogmaster. All Rights Reserved. Free distribution via electronic medium (i.e. the internet or electronic BBS) is permitted as long as the text is _not_ modified and this copyright is included, but _no_ other form of publication is allowed without written permission. This document _may_ contain explicit material of an ADULT nature. ***READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!*** Anything offensive is your own problem. This story is for **entertainment** purposes only, and it does _not_ necessarily represent the viewpoint of the author or the electronic source where this was obtained. All characters are *fictional* -- any resemblance to real people is purely coincidental.
Purchase this story in print form!
Don't like reading on screen? This story is available in print form in Ultimate Archive: Volume 2 at the Flogmaster's Bookstore. Purchase your copy today to encourage the Flogmaster to write more cool stories.
Strict Teacher
(****, F/ffmFM, Intense, nc school punishment)
A family challenges a teacher they wish they hadn't. (Approximately 3,683 words. Originally published 1998-03.)
"Okay, kids. It's off to school!"
Karla Wiggins began ushering her brood toward the front door. Math may not have been her strongest subject, but she quickly realized there were only two children instead of three. "Where's Beth?"
A search was instigated and soon discovered the ten-year-old hiding the pantry. A tug on the ear brought her into the kitchen where the rigorous interrogation began.
"Beth Ann Wiggins! What on earth are you trying to pull?"
"Why were you in the closet? Don't you know it's time for school? Do you want to be late on your first day?"
Beth curled her lower lip downward. "I don't want to go to school."
"Why not?"
The girl went silent and Karla looked helplessly at her older children, Marla and Jack Jr. Jack spoke up reluctantly. "She's in Mrs. Sharp's class."
"Who's Mrs. Sharp?"
"She's... a teacher."
Karla frowned. "You say that as though you aren't sure about it."
Marla blushed. "She _is_ a teacher, it's just that..."
"Some call her a monster."
"She's evil."
"Evil? What are you talking about?"
"She's mean, Mom," interrupted Jack. "Everyone knows it. She's really strict and punishes students all the time. Everyone hates her."
"Come on, she can't be that bad."
Marla licked her lips and looked at Jack and hesitated. "She... she spanks, Mom."
"Yeah. Like all the time. If you make one wrong move in her class, you're over her knee, up in front of the whole class!"
"You can't be serious!"
"It's true. She even--" Marla broke off, hesitating. Then she continued. "She even spanked me a couple times."
Mrs. Wiggins was too shocked to speak. She staggered to a chair to sit down. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"
Marla blushed. "I... I was too ashamed."
"I still can't believe it. In this day and age."
Little Beth had gone white during this conversation, her eyes giant black marbles of terror as she looked between her mom, her brother, and her sister.
"I'm sure she wouldn't spank a girl that doesn't deserve it," said Karla firmly. "Now, Beth, you are going to go to school and be a good girl and you won't get spanked." Karla turned to the other children. "When your father comes home tonight we will discuss it and perhaps telephone Principal Jacobs and protest this treatment. I certainly don't approve of physical discipline."
* * * * *
Beth got the first spanking of her life just before break. She'd gone to class as her mother had instructed, and she'd been as good as gold. She'd sat quietly, had obediently done everything the horrible Mrs. Sharp had instructed, and tried not to watch as two boys were spanked for talking during the first lesson.
Even when Billy Bragg had pulled her pigtails she hadn't said anything. When he kicked her twice during reading she'd remained silent. But just before recess, when the rubber band snapped off her neck, she'd yelped loudly. Mrs. Sharp would hear no excuse -- she dragged the terrified girl to the front of the classroom, flipped her down across her lap, exposed her white panties, and began to spank her soundly just as the recess bell rang. No one in the classroom made a move to leave.
Beth cried and kicked and fussed as though she was being broiled alive. Mrs. Sharp spanked her harder, and scolded her frequently. "Lie still, you little tramp!" she roared. "Or do I have to spank you all during recess?"
The concept of spending the next ten minutes in that painful position was truly incomprehensible to poor Beth. She wailed in protest and tried her hardest to lie still. Finally it was over. Mrs. Sharp set her back on her feet and instructed the class that they had permission to leave.
Still crying, Beth practically ran from the room. She couldn't bear to look at anyone, so she went straight to the restroom, where she could cry in peace.
"Hey, Beth -- what's the matter?"
Beth looked up and through a teary blur saw her beautiful, sophisticated, older sister. She burst into tears again, and ran to hug Marla. Slowly, through choked sobs, the story of her humiliating ordeal came out.
Marla was furious. "That witch! She had no right. That Billy should have gotten spanked, not you. I'm going to go have a talk with woman!" She kissed her little sister on the forehead and left the restroom.
Mrs. Sharp was erasing the blackboard when the teenage girl entered. Her hawk eyes spotted the girl and without turning she said, "Marla Wiggins, grade 8. I haven't seen you in years. Did you miss my discipline?"
Marla blushed, flustered. Her courage began to dwindle. "I wanted to talk to you about my sister."
"Ah, that would be Beth. A nice girl. What about her?"
"You spanked her this morning."
"So she didn't deserve it. It was that Billy Braggs who stung her with a rubber band."
"If your sister wasn't such a tease the boys would leave her alone."
Marla's face grew warm. "I bet the boys never teased you," she thought bitterly, but she didn't say that. Instead she responded, "It wasn't her fault."
Mrs. Sharp put down her eraser and approached the thirteen-year-old. "Are you the teacher here or am I?"
"Uh, you are."
"And who decides what is fair or not?"
"You do."
"Exactly. And I felt Beth needed some discipline and I administered it. My reasons are my own. You may go."
Some sixth sense told Marla she ought to turn and leave, but she resisted. "That's not _fair_!" she shouted. "She's just a little girl and has never been spanked before. You can't just go spanking whoever you want whenever you want!"
"My word!" exclaimed Mrs. Sharp. "You've gotten quite a tongue since leaving my class. Have you forgotten how I deal with impertinent children?"
Marla paled and shook her head. A cold fear enveloped her belly. She remembered all too well the costs of her mouth in Mrs. Sharp's fifth grade class!
Before she could move, however, the tall dark-haired woman had snatched her wrist and was dragging her forward. "No! Please!"
But her protests were ignored. Mrs. Sharp's grip was steel. She pulled Marla across her lap with one hand, the other smacking the teenager's plump rear through her taut blue jeans. Marla yelled and kicked. Mrs. Sharp just spanked harder and faster.
Marla couldn't believe this was happening. It didn't hurt that much through her jeans, but she was mortified. She was in eighth grade! What if one of the fifth graders came back from recess and saw her here? She would never live this down!
After just a few dozen spanks with her hand, Mrs. Sharp reached over to her desk and retrieved the dreaded wooden hairbrush she kept right on top. The familiar sight terrified Marla, who began to cry as the brush smacked her backside. The teacher held nothing back but spanked as hard as she could and the sting really warmed Marla's bottom. She broke down and wept, bitter tears coursing down her distressed face.
"Oh please!" she gasped. "That's enough, please!" As one of Mrs. Sharp's students Marla had been spanked on several occasions, but never more than a couple dozen swats with the brush. But now Mrs. Sharp was taking full advantage of Marla's maturing body, peppering every inch of her broader backside with heavy-duty wallops.
"All right," sighed Mrs. Sharp finally. "Have you regained a civil tongue?"
"Yes, Ma'am!" wept Marla. She staggered to her feet clutching her sore rear and sniffing.
"Then get out of here!"
* * * * *
"She what!"
Marla explained again. Her bottom still ached unbearably. She could hardly sit down. Jack shook his head, astonished.
They were in the cafeteria at lunchtime. Marla had slipped away and walked to the high school to find her brother. She didn't know what else to do. She couldn't imagine telling her parents. But Jack would know what to do.
"That bitch!" he growled. "She ought to be fired!"
"That's what I thought."
Jack looked at his watch. "I have study hall at 1:30. I'm gonna bail and go have a talk with Mrs. Sharp. She can't get away with this."
Marla nodded and left, feeling a little better. Jack Jr. was a junior and a linebacker on the football team. No junior high teacher would push him around.
* * * * *
Athena Sharp was explaining the significance of the Declaration of Independence when there was a knock at the door. She stopped, grimacing. She hated to be interrupted.
"Just a minute, class."
Outside in the hallway stood a tall young man. He looked vaguely familiar, though she was sure she'd never had him as a student. Damn shame, too, she thought grimly. He looked like he could have used some discipline. He wore a letterman's jacket from the high school and his jeans were tight and revealing.
"Mrs. Sharp? I'm Jack Wiggins. I want to talk to you about my sister. Sisters, really. Beth and Marla."
An amused smile broke out across the woman's face. "Is this about their spankings?"
The boy flushed. "Uh, yes."
"Well, what about them?"
Jack glanced past Mrs. Sharp. The entire fifth grade class was staring at them. He shifted nervously on his feet. "Uh, could we talk about this out here?"
"Of course not. You've interrupted my class, young man, and I want to know why. And it had better be a good reason or you'll get what for!"
Once again the boy blushed. Mrs. Sharp guided him inside the classroom, where he stood fidgeting, trying not to look at the young faces staring at him. Gritting up his courage, he faced the teacher.
"You punished my sister without cause."
"Are you referring to the _spanking_ I gave Beth Wiggins? Or the hairbrushing I gave Marla Wiggins?"
Jack heard the classroom gasp. His face went hot but he wasn't half as embarrassed as Beth was right then, or Marla would be later.
"Both," he muttered.
"Young man, I don't have to justify myself to you. You have no business being here. Leave at once or I shall administer punishment myself."
"Now Mrs. Sharp--" began Jack sternly, but he was cut off.
"That's it!" cried the teacher furiously. She stomped to her desk and opened the top drawer. She drew out a large wooden paddle. It was over a foot long and as thick as a finger. A dozen dime-sized holes were drilled in two rows down the middle.
"Over my desk!"
Jack stared at the woman, a bewildered expression on his face.
Like a robot, Jack obeyed. It was obvious he was helpless before the enraged teacher. She spun him around, bending him forward across his desk. His mouth was open but he didn't speak. Mrs. Sharp stepped behind him and raised the paddle high.
"Now stay still and take it or I'll drop your pants and paddle your bare butt right here in front of everyone!"
Gritting his teeth, Jack stayed in position while the teacher gave him several dozen terrific cracks. He groaned and wiggled his butt a bit, and yelped at a few, but he seemed determined to be stoic throughout the punishment. Mrs. Sharp's fifth grade class watched with bulging eyes. They hadn't been that quiet since... well, since never.
"Had enough, boy?"
Jack grunted.
"Okay, here's another dozen." The paddle whirled through the air again and again. This time Jack was teary-eyed when she stopped.
"Had enough?"
"...yes, Ma'am."
"Good. You may go."
* * * * *
Jack scurried down the hall. He was livid and boiling with rage. How dare that bitch do that! He rubbed his butt briefly and considered stopping at the restroom for a quick examination, but decided against it. Time was of the essence here.
He rapped on the glass of the administration offices. "Can I borrow your telephone?"
The receptionist looked at him in surprise, but nodded. Jack quickly dialed home. "Mom?"
* * * * *
Karla Wiggins left rubber on her driveway as she floored the accelerator. She headed straight for the junior high, steam pouring out of her ears. It was nearly two-thirty. She still had time.
Jack Jr.'s story still echoed in her head. Spanked! All three of her previous babies! How was it possible? Just this morning they had left her home as sweet, innocent children, and now in the span of a few hours they had been beaten, publicly tortured and humiliated. Who knew what mental scars that experience would leave? Oh, did Karla Wiggins have a few words for a certain Mrs. Athena Sharp!
The last bell was ringing just as Karla hopped out of her car, so she had to fight against the tide of traffic exiting the school. A couple children helpfully directed her in the direction of Mrs. Sharp's fifth grade classroom, which she sadly discovered, was deserted.
Milling around the room in frustration, Karla checked the teacher's desk to make sure she was in the correct room. Right away she noticed the big wooden hairbrush sitting in a prominent location.
"My God!" she gasped softly. "Is that what she used?"
She picked it up. It was heavy and remarkably solid. The flat back was smooth and worn and looked large enough to cover a sizable portion of a even an adult's backside. Karla couldn't imagine what damage it would inflict on a tiny child.
"May I help you with something?"
Karla turned at the voice. A tall, slender woman wearing a clingy blue skirt stood in the doorway.
"I'm Mrs. Sharp. You have an interest in my hairbrush?"
Hastily Karla dropped the brush on the desk. Her face burned hotly. She was confused. The tall woman was youthful, quite attractive, and nothing like she expected from the ogre-like description her children had given. The woman was so fit Karla decided she must work out regularly. No wonder she'd been able to tame Jack Jr. so easily.
"Uh, I'm Karla Wiggins," she stammered.
"Ah, Beth's mother. Yes, I think we met once, a few years ago when your daughter Marla was in my class."
Karla remembered her. "That's right! I'd forgotten. Marla did great in fifth grade. Her test scores the past few years haven't been as good."
"Marla would rather talk with her girlfriends than study," remarked Mrs. Sharp sternly. "I wouldn't allow that if I were her mother."
Suddenly the purpose of her visit came back to her. Karla raised herself stiffly. "You are not her mother. Nor are you the mother of Beth and Jack Jr. You had no right to... to... _attack_ them the way you did!"
Mrs. Sharp's face grew cold. "Are we still harping on that? Doesn't anyone in your family listen to instructions? I specifically told Marla and Jack that they had no right to impose their views on me. And neither do you, Mrs. Wiggins. _I_ am Beth's teacher and I shall administer punishment as I see fit."
"Why you can't--"
"I can and I will. If you don't like it, you may remove Beth from my class. Although sound discipline is exactly what she needs. It's obvious she doesn't get enough at home."
"How dare you--"
"Please leave, Mrs. Wiggins. There's nothing to discuss."
"The hell there's not!" roared Karla, grabbing the woman's arm and turning her around. "You physically assaulted my children and I will not tolerate that!"
"I can see where Jack and Marla get their attitude," said Mrs. Sharp calmly. "Perhaps you are in need of the hairbrush, too."
Before Karla could think she was being dragged forward by her right earlobe, Mrs. Sharp snatching up the big hairbrush from her desk. She plunked herself down in her chair and guided Karla across her lap.
"Stop this! What do you think you are doing?"
"It's obvious you are in just as much need of a serious lesson as your children, Mrs. Wiggins. I'm going to give you that lesson."
"How dare you! Ohhh!" gasped Karla as a heavy object struck her full bottom with a loud smack. "Oooh, that hurts! Stop this!"
WHACK! responded Mrs. Sharp. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!
"Aahhhhh!" screamed the mother of Beth, Marla, and Jack Jr. She was stretched out in an undignified sprawl across the tall woman's lap, her hands bracing herself on the floor to keep from tumbling onto her face, and her big butt was sticking right up in the air. She couldn't believe the hot, scalding pain that was flooding her rump. She kicked her legs and howled.
Mrs. Sharp continued to pound on the woman's ass. She spanked Karla much longer than she had Jack Jr., and it was a broken and contrite Karla Wiggins that departed Cedarville Junior High that day. She tiptoed meekly to her car and drove home at a sedate pace.
* * * * *
Willie Jacobs was settling down before the television set to enjoy his after dinner cigar when someone rapped on the door. Marge was chatting away on the telephone in the bedroom, so Willie dragged himself to his feet and stumbled toward the door.
"Yes?" he asked. The man was tall and heavily built, his face grim with anger. His eyes darted nervously toward Jacobs and for a second, Willie thought he would turn away. Then he stepped forward and held out his hand.
"I... I'm Jack Wiggins," he began. "My daughters attend your school. May I have a word with you?"
"Ah, well, uh... can't this wait until morning?"
Mr. Wiggins face grew a shade darker. "No, it cannot."
"Oh, all right. Come on in. I was just watching Jeopardy."
"Sorry to interrupt, but I must talk to you about one of your teachers. A Mrs. Sharp."
Willie froze in the midst of seating himself in his Lay-Z-Boy. "Oh." He sat heavily, realizing with despair he'd miss the Jeopardy final round for sure. "What seems to be the problem? Mrs. Sharp is an excellent teacher."
"Perhaps. But she... well, this is a little awkward..."
"Spit it out."
"She assaulted my wife."
"She what?"
"This morning she unfairly spanked my daughter Beth in front of the whole class."
"I thought you said she assaulted your wife?"
"I did. You see, my older daughter, Marla, went to talk to Mrs. Sharp because of how she'd punished Beth -- and then Mrs. Sharp spanked her, too!"
Jacobs sighed. "So she spanked both your daughters."
"Well? Kids get spanked all the time. What does that have to do your wife?"
"I'm getting to that. Marla went over to the high school and told my son Jack Jr. about Mrs. Sharp."
"She went over there during school hours?"
"Yes. During lunch, I believe."
"Leaving school grounds without permission is not permitted."
"That's not the issue here," said Jack impatiently.
"The breaking of school rules is always an issue, Mr. Wiggins. But please, continue."
"My son was upset... at Mrs. Sharp's blatant disregard for procedure... so he came to the junior high to speak with her."
"During school hours?"
"High school children are not permitted--"
"I know, I know. I'll reprimand him, okay? Now will you please listen?"
Jacobs grunted.
"When Jack Jr. spoke with Mrs. Sharp, she... well, she spanked him with her hairbrush!"
"A big black thing? Made of wood? About yea big?"
"Uh, yes."
"Terrible thing. Terrible."
"My wife agrees with you. She went to talk with Mrs. Sharp and the teacher spanked her with the hairbrush too!"
Principal Jacobs was clearly uneasy, fidgeting in his chair. "Uh... you, uh... didn't go to speak to her... yourself, did you?"
Jack Wiggins halted his frantic pacing. His jaw was clenched and his face dark as midnight. "Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering."
"As a matter of fact, I just came from Mrs. Sharp's house."
Jacobs grimaced and covered his face with his hands. "You didn't."
"I did."
"Let me guess -- the razor strop? Or was it the oak frat paddle?"
Life seemed to drain from Jack Wiggins. He stared at Jacobs as though witnessing a miracle. "You... you know?" he muttered weakly, stumbling to a nearby chair and collapsing. He winced as he sat down. Looking at the beefy older man across from him, he flushed furiously and looked out the window. "The paddle."
"Makes sense. You're wearing corduroy pants. Too thick for the strap."
Wiggins shook his head. "Well?"
"Well what?"
"Well, what are you going to do?"
"To do?"
"Are you deaf? Why do you keep repeating everything I say!"
"I'm supposed to do something?"
"Hell yes! My entire family just got attacked by one of your teachers!"
Jacobs laughed gruffly, struggling to his feet. "Just what do you suppose I do, Mr. Wiggins. Fire her?"
"That would be a start."
"Look Mr. Wiggins, what's done is done. Nothing can change that. Go home, forget about this. It's water under the bridge."
"Are you insane? That woman is a menace!"
"Of course, Mr. Wiggins. A menace one had better not provoke." Principal Jacobs spoke slowly, enunciating his words carefully so the man wouldn't miss his meaning.
"You mean you're just going to ignore--"
"Yes, Mr. Wiggins, and you are going to do the same."
"Enough, Mr. Wiggins. I had to watch Jeopardy standing up for two weeks the last time I criticized Athena Sharp -- there's no way I'm going through that again for you!"
Jacobs ignored the stunned expression on Jack Wiggins' face and escorted him to the door and pushed him through. "Have a good evening, Mr. Wiggins," he said firmly, and pushed the door shut.
He hoped Mr. Wiggins would take his advice and drop the matter. If he didn't and tried to take it to the school board.... Willie Jacobs shook his head. Getting paddled in front of the school board wasn't his idea of fun, but perhaps that's what it would take for Wiggins' to learn his place. As several of the more outspoken school board members could attest, Athena Sharp always got her way.


text:
Notforgotten Farm ~ original folk art & needlework designs…
offering our own original patterns, supplies & wooden accesories for needlework
~ including ~
cross stitch, punch needle, rug hooking, wool appliqué & embroidery.
please visit our blog:
Blessed be,
Peter & Lori Brechlin ~ Proprietors
Notforgotten Farm ~ original folk art & needlework designs…
offering our own original patterns, supplies & wooden accesories for needlework
~ including ~
cross stitch, punch needle, rug hooking, wool appliqué & embroidery.
please visit our blog:
Blessed be,
Peter & Lori Brechlin ~ Proprietors
- All 467
- cross stitch patterns 152
- punch needle patterns 99
- rug hooking patterns 57
- finished folk art 85
- applique patterns 9
- FREEHAND xstitch pattern 3
- embroidery patterns 4
- simple sewing patterns 3
- Primitive Rug Hooks 3
- Valdani Collections 3
- Linens & Supplies cross 5
- Little Stitches CLUB 1
- Prim Punch Needle CLUB 1
dsmeme on Jul 20, 2017
Love the material and your site! Fast shipping and reasonable prices! Thanks so much! Debra!
ronda on Jul 19, 2017
Love this design! Thank you
Notforgotten Farm's Shop
Hello Friends & Folk ~ my name is Lori Brechlin and I am a needlewoman/folk artist...
My needlework designs & folk art are influenced and inspired by my love of this old farmhouse we live in ~ simple, humble and fun...primitive and a bit whimsical too ~
Selling my wares on Etsy was a natural transition for me as an artist/designer ~ I enjoy creating & offering original designs and Etsy has proven to be an exciting outlet enabling me to reach clients and customers globally.
I am an author/designer with the Kansas City Star Quilt company and have been featured in the following publications: Early American Life, Country Sampler, Country Home, Primitive Quilts and Projects, Just Cross Stitch, Country Marketplace and the Wool Street Journal magazines.
Together with my husband Peter, we live in rural Virginia on an 84 acre farm named Notforgotten Farm ~ it is here that we follow our muse, care for our animals and create our wares.
Around the web
Shop members
Lori Brechlin
Owner, Designer
Working with needle, thread, linen & wool are my very favorite things to do... I am a published Needlework Designer/Author with the Kansas City Star Quilt Company, and have had my designs published in numerous publications
Peter Brechlin
Owner, Craftsman, Chief Cook & Bottle Washer
Working with wood, & taking care of our Friends here at the farm…my two favorite things to do.
Shop policies
Digital downloads
Payment options
- Accepts Etsy Gift Cards and Etsy Credits
- Money Order
- Check
Returns & exchanges
- Custom or personalized orders
- Digital downloads
- Items on sale
Privacy policy
- To communicate with you about your order
- To fulfill your order
- For legal reasons (like paying taxes)
More information
Frequently asked questions
Wholesale availability
I gladly offer my paper patterns only for wholesale to shops who wish to carry them. Please contact me with your Shop Name and State Resale Number.