My 13 year old daughter was traumatized by this movie today

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I watched it when I was 9 years old and I was so scared and sad and I couldn't stop thinking about the movie=| The grandmother scene was the one that marked me the most..=/
But, yes, it is a little bit odd in a 13 year old girl.. But she might just be sensitive to these kind of matters, right?

«Any of you *beep* pricks move, and I'll execute every *beep* last one of ya!» HB

I think it depends on how emotional she is.I saw this move when I was maybe 9 yrs. old,and I've never once been freaked out.But my friend can't even stand her dad yelling at her without crying and hiding.But she has an emotional condition I think.Then again,she could just be emotional and squeamsish.

I don't scare easily with movies,even Harry's broken arm only made me say."Ow,that looks painful."when I saw it.
So if your daughter is usually emotional or easily scared,etc.,then it's not a surprise.But if she isn't,then maybe she just doesn't like violence.

-captain_ripfang

"IT'S THE WONDER OF NATURE, BABY!!!!" --Dusty

Kids take things different ways, so it's not really that surprising that this film bothered her. But if you guys don't live in a volcanic area, then just use that as reassurance to her that she has nothing to worry about. And tell her also that while tornados do need to be respected, they're still nothing like volcanoes. And I would also recommend that you have a conversation with this school psychologist, because it doesn't sound to me like he knows how to put children's minds at ease when they're scared...

"Why is everyone saying "oh harden up" and stuff? How effing insensitive are you? SHES THIRTEEN. We watched this in 7th grade science class (while most of us were 12-13) and a girl walked out of the classroom crying. So, This girl isn't alone. And this movie is scary in some ways, because the volcano was so unexpected... Everyone is different and has different views on things so don't be so insensitive. Jeez."

People are saying "harden up" because (now) 2 thirteen year olds can't handle a rather tame movie. I come from a family of young kids (ages 5-15) who can sit through the Exorcist and virtually any other scary/gory movie without any problems. So... harden up! This movie is NOT even remotely scary and there is nothing unexpected about a volcano erupting in a movie about an erupting volcano. And I am sensitive, but I draw the line at moments such as this. If your kids can't handle something so simple (unless they had a bad experience with a volcano or a grandmother who fell into a lake of acid), then perhaps the problem lies in your parenting techniques. Either toughen up your kids, or life will... the hard way.

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That's some bad hat, Harry

I am 44, and I just watched this movie for the 2nd time in ten years. I had forgotten how sad and frightening the movie is.

No, your daughter is not goofed up or emotionally frail. I think what is important is that you talk to her so that you can help her find out why the movie is so disturbing to her. Talk to her about her concerns over death, disaster, separation from loved ones, etc. Talk to her about how it feels to say goodbye to someone you care about. Get her to look at her emotions, not fear them.

This movie in particular is not your run of the mill disaster movie. It is replete with themes that are very adult in nature, such as death by fire, drowning, claustrophobia, suffocation, the loss of loved ones...etc....and it explores these concepts in very frank depictions that are not merely there for gratuitous indulgences. The film makes you care about the characters and that is what makes the movie so emotionally gripping. In addition, the movie is more or less very conceivable, making the film that much more terrifying.

So, talk to your daughter :) Maybe watch the movie together and discuss it afterwards.

Hope that helps.

PS: I am fascinated by the number of youngsters talking about how bland or lacking in intensity this film is. I can only surmise that we now live in a day and age when most humans are emotionally stunted and simply haven't the wherewithal to be emotionally engaged on any level. I think this is a function of living in a pop-culture that is so dominated by images of gratuitous sex, violence and death that we simply have become numb to pathos.

The result is that we become individuals divorced from our emotional and spiritual selves. I offer as proof a reply in which one kid says that he found the death of Ruth after taking a bath in acid to be funny. Is this the response of an emotionally healthy human being? What sort of adult will he turn out to be?

re: an earlier reply - How any parent could even consider allowing their children to watch The Exorcist is stupefying! That film was very realistic, and that a child could watch it and find it funny, is both profoundly disturbing and sad.

The volcano was so unexpected?! LOL!

What were you expecting? The volcano doesn't erupt and the people of Dante's Peak live peacefully ever after?

It's a diaster move about a volcano... The volcano is the first thing to expect!

Are you sure it wasn't Volcano with Tommy Lee Jones? Now that's a movie that can traumatize people!