There are many films that I think are suitable for 12 year olds, but it starts to get a little hard when given such tight limitations.

There may have been a reason why we were raised on Chariots of Fire and Red River of Life alternately.

OK, so, thus far I’ve got:

Little Women
Anne of Green Gables
Pollyanna
The Sound of Music
Emma
Miss Potter
Swallows and Amazons
Little Lord Fauntleroy
Singin’ in the Rain

I’m debating Peter Pan. There is violence. And a skeleton here and there, I think. And, y’know, Tinkerbell trying to murder Wendy in a jealous rage. And the 2003 version is generally pretty Freudian and riddled with pre-teen angst.

April: It’s funny, I thought we were brought up pretty sheltered movie-wise, but when I look back at half the stuff we used to watch I couldn’t possibly approve it for the list! :p The King and I, for instance, is suspect on many levels. The moral of the story being that cheesy dance numbers and 2 1/2 hour running times are no proof against Vice.

Edward Scissorhands might be too much of an art film to be suitable anyway, never mind the scariness. Girls would probably get bored with the slow pace of it.

I’m sure I was also watching stuff like Oliver (musical) around the age of 10-12. Bill Sykes must’ve been worthy of a few nightmares!

I agree with The Secret Garden, though - that is a good one.

What young girl does not love Annie? But then, you have not seen it!!! Disgusting.
Oh, Miss Hannigan drinks gin and makes passes at the entire cast of male characters …

Also -
Edward Scissorhands (PG ‘violence’)
Peter Pan 2003 version (PG ‘violence’)
Little Lord Fauntleroy was a favourite of mine (Ricky Schroeder as a cute little kid, and Alec Guiness, I think!)
The Secret Garden …? Never seen it.
Ella Enchanted
Enchanted

Bad word in The Princess Bride? … I can’t think of it, and it’s going t-… oh, I just remembered it!

I’m probably going to be mocked for this, but I also used to like Return to Oz. Oh, but then I see you’ve said Wizard of Oz is no good. Harumph!

I think that’s an almost impossible assignment.

Last time we watched Ever After with the small sisters, you may remember that unscripted yet perfectly timed concerted cough, which managed to obliterate said profanity with great aplomb - I don’t think they heard it at all.

The olde British version of Swallows and Amazons is smashing fare, good an’ wholesome.

I agree with the suggestion of Jane, but for gracious sake no Brontës. I caught glimpses of parts of both Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights on TV at a similar age, and not only did it give me the Nightmares, but it put me off the literature for far too long. I only rediscovered them in my twenties…

Lizzie: Hays, not Hayes. Again I have learned something new today. “The technique of murder must be presented in a way that will not inspire imitation” - laudable! Jane Austen is certainly a candidate, although doesn’t the BBC Pride and Prej contain the odd moment of well-bred English profanity? I’m not sure about the Brontes though. Which Brontes precisely? The ones with the bigamists and madwomen, or the voyeuristic semi-pedophilic professors, or the drunk and abusive husbands, or the grave-robbing? As for Eliot I’m not sure I’ve seen a film adaptation of her works, but if the books are anything to go by they wouldn’t be sizzling fare for a twelve-year-old slumber party. “There was, like, this fundy idealist and she married this old guy, who was a scholar, and he was like TOTALLY pedantic and crushed her ardent nature, it was so cool!”

Roman Holiday does have that kiss in the taxi. Pretty heady stuff. And there’s a cig, is there not?

You perceive this is a more difficult task than meets the eye.