My children wholeheartedly, enthusiastically, and loudly captial-L Loved Swallows and Amazons. In the estimable tradition of The Boxcar Children or The Bobbsey twins (and based on a beloved book), it exists in a world where children are competent to  not only undertake unsupervised extended sailing-and-camping trips but also to thwart international spies. In some ways, the sumptuous, unexpectedly authentic costume and set work pulls against the suspension of disbelief required to quell the urge to call CPS on these kiddos, but for my smalls, who have little disbelief to suspend, it was a swashbuckling buffet of childhood moxie. And it has introduced the glorious “Shut up, you donkey!” into our insult rotation. Fair play.

{Swallows and Amazons screens at SIFF on Sunday, June 11, at AMC Pacific Place}