It's easier to talk about what's in a movie than their own feelings or to talk about their feelings through what's in the movie. It's terrific to let your teenager pick a movie and then go with them to see it. One of the pleasures of having children is seeing things through their eyes. That goes for movies, too. I think the best way is to work through the schools.
Schools can support certain policies such as no television on school nights.
It does a great service when schools do this, since parents don't have to take the rap. There's a huge amount of parent education that we need to do. T here's a treasure trove of great old movies and for your kids they are brand new. The Marx Brothers, for instance and movies on Turner. Set your VCR to record and watch with your kids.