We're off to see the wizard ...

As a group, family films have taken it on the chin from critics in recent years, not to mention legions of bored parents. The culprits: witless plots, stock characters and an undercurrent of contempt for the audience.

The irony is that some of the most intelligent and engaging movies ever made in the genre have appeared in recent years, though they are forced to compete for attention with oceans of inferior films that not only tarnish the whole category, but obscure many of the gems of the past.

As film producers themselves, Terrace Theatre owners Paul Brown and Barbara Tranter know quite well the playground in which good family films cavort, and, with the sponsorship of a prominent toy company, are bringing their annual Fisher-Price Family Summer Series to Charleston beginning Wednesday.

Inaugurated at the couple's other property, the Aurora Theatre in East Aurora, N.Y., the series unspools at 11 a.m. on successive Wednesdays through Aug. 18. Admission if free for kids 11 and under. Adults must pony up $4.

The series takes flight with "The Wizard of Oz."

"We are very excited to be doing the series here now," says Brown. "Over time, we will offer as broad a palette of films as possible, but for this first year of the series at the Terrace, the idea is to expose audiences to classics like 'The Wizard of Oz,' with a bit of a personal touch.

"We thought it would be fun to have films that most people have not seen, save on video or DVD, and give them a chance to see them on the big screen."

Rounding out the schedule are "The Sound of Music" (July 7), "E.T.: The Extraterrestrial" (July 14), "Babe" (July 21), "Home Alone" (July 28), "March of the Penguins" (Aug. 4), "The Black Stallion" (Aug. 11), and "The Secret of Kells" (Aug. 18).

"We've held the series at the Aurora for a number of years, but the idea came up a while back," Brown recalls. "When raising kids, you naturally start watching all these children's films. There are those that speak on the level of Telly Tubby (a British pre-school TV series) and those that have more dimension.

"As film producers ourselves, we tried to meld what we were enjoying with what good films could be found that spoke to kids on one level and to adults on another. Films like 'Babe' (1995), a smart movie that children kids could enjoy that also amused parents."

Together, Brown and Tranter produced the 1999 telefilm "What Katy Did" (with Dean Stockwell), from the book of the same name, while Brown earlier had produced "My Teacher Ate My Homework" (1997) with Shelley Duvall for Showtime.

"These, and others, are family films that don't insult families and adults," Brown says. "In Hollywood, there are the very smart films where the child protagonists are discovering themselves, like in 'Toy Story.' These are interesting stories about identity."

A subsidiary of Mattel, Inc., Fisher-Price has sponsored the series since its inception, now extending its sponsorship to Charleston. Brown considers the company an ideal partner.

"The company never tell us what movies to program. Those decisions are made entirely by me, my wife and our son."

For future series, the task for the Terrace will be to separate the wheat from the chaff, and, let's face it, there's lot of chaff out there. Brown's criteria are straightforward.

"I'd have to be able to, and want to, watch a film over and over again and enjoy it for it to be included," he says. "My wife and son must feel the same way. A movie has to have that ability to entice you repeatedly. With the exception of a few things, 3-D seems to be ruining that, and many animated films seem to be dominated by technology in place of story."

Since Disney does not permit exhibitors such as the Terrace to "rebroadcast" their films, the consistently clever and imaginative Pixar film canon is unavailable, but Brown still feels there's a wealth of material from which to choose.

He also believes family films are as important as ever.

"There is an international film festival for children in Toronto called Sprockets that does a wonderful job of exposing kids to new cultures while encouraging discussion among families," he says.

"If entertainment can be informative, can speak on various levels to families, that makes it pretty important. It's great when you see generations of people watching movies and getting different thrills out of it."

For information, visit www.terracetheater.com.

Reach Bill Thompson at bthompson@postandcourier.com or 937-5707.