A baker's dozen of movies all boys should see

There's recently been a spate of lists of classic films all children should see  (here's one, and here's another). These are usually compiled with the desire to give children a decent grounding in movie history, and I certainly have no objection to that - I really can't tell you how important movies were to me growing up. But I’ve decided to come over all moralistic and compile a list based entirely on the life lessons the films teach.

I was partly motivated by seeing Avatar two years and wondering just how many truly dreadful lessons children would take away from it: America is always wrong, technology is always evil, living in forests close to nature invariably makes you noble, and the powerful are always oppressors. What a bunch of crap!

I realise many of the moral lessons I’ve identified in my chosen films will sound trite – but, then, the truth often tends to. So, in no particular order:

Zulu – patriotism, bravery, courage, steadfastness, sacrifice and respecting your enemy are to be admired, and just because a cause is hopeless doesn’t mean you should abandon it.

High Noon – the people you rely on will sometimes prove wanting: occasionally, you really will have to go it alone, and it doesn’t always end badly

It's A Wonderful Life – as long as you’re not an evil person, no matter how bad things seem, the world really wouldn’t be a better place without you

It Happened One Night – charm and humour will get you a long way: and there are times when turning down rewards is the right thing to do

To Kill A Mockingbird – stick to your principles, no matter how unpopular, and resist general hysteria

Night of The Hunter – there's evil in the world and monsters exist: be on your guard (and, if possible, seek the help of a tiny old Christian lady with a gun)

The Grapes of Wrath – people’s misfortunes are not always their fault, and ordinary folk are often the most decent of all

Groundhog Day – life tends to offer us more than one chance to get it right

On The Waterfront – don't do wickeds things just because your friends tell you to 

Doctor Zhivago – when people who're sure they're right set about creating utopias, they always turn out to be living hells

Henry V – if you're ever given the chance to lead, this is how you do it (and whenever you get a chance to duff up the French, take it!)

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance – if you stand up to bullies, help will usually arrive (although you can't always guarantee it'll be in the form of John Wayne with a rifle)

Invasion of the Bodysnatchers – beware of the herd mentality: we were born to be different

I realise that morality isn’t gender-specific, but I’ve come up with a list of films for boys simply on the basis that I used to be one, and I don’t have any daughters – I’ll leave it to others better qualified than I to come up with a suitable list for girls.