This might be an ideal time to cozy up with some movie watching. I thought I’d put a few titles out that we’ve enjoyed and I hope others might add any recommendations they might have in the comments. Here, a few titles grew to several …
There are so many, so I’m thinking of ones that aren’t really obvious and/or so recent that they don’t need a mention (eg. Frozen or Harry Potter, for instance, although a couple of those types snuck in), but not so obscure that they’d be hard to find.
Movies often provide an opportunity to connect and relax together and are also a springboard for all kinds of conversations.
For an impressive list of movies and their potential points of interest, connection and learning, I really would suggest you have a look at
Joan Concilio’s ideas, primarily for older kids and adults here in
The Ultimate Guide to Learning from Movies and TV Shows. It has wonderfully detailed ideas and connections, whereas what I have here is sort of a lazy version of suggestions for connecting with your family over popcorn;).
Before beginning, just a reminder that because all families are different and have varying comfort levels with all aspects of content, do a bit of research first on a site such as
www.commonmsensemedia.org if you’re wanting to know more specifics about any of these.
I don’t really like putting exact ages to things because, as we all know, all are different. If you’re watching as a family, there’s some likelihood that you have a range of ages but here’s an extraordinarily general breakdown.
Younger children …
Mr. Peabody and Sherman – Race around through the history and geography of the world with the humorous characters and their time machine. Oh my goodness – so much fun, this.
Zootopia – LOVED this movie. Sure, there are great messages about perseverance, honesty, integrity and an array of great animals but the humour was the big draw for us.
Stuart Little (1 and 2, with 2 getting the highest rating here) – These films based on the E.B. White novel by the same title, were BIG favourites for S in particular. Oh my, these movies were watched and memorized. The strangely normal – seeming mix of human and personified animals is endearing with lots of lines for people of all ages to catch. S is not recommending the third movie in the series, but of course everyone’s tastes are different.
Ice Age movies (with the first 3 getting the most recommendation here) – A fun adventure with ice-age mammals, some of wild crazy disposition. The first three receive the most recommendation here, but my own favourite is the fourth, Ice Age – Continental Drift.
Night at the Museum movies – Take a full-on funny tour through many times, places and cultures. We recommend all three … Night at the Museum, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb.
Babe – This one came out before I had children so I had a quiet trip to the theatre with my mum, sister and life-long family friend, Nancy – fond memory! It was one of those movies that I had all set on video waiting for my kids to be old enough to watch with me:). A twisting, turning yet simple story of farm animals. Lots of action and endearingly funny moments:).
The Neverending Story – So here is where I recommend a movie that is from my childhood days, but that I personally never really enjoyed. The theme music, oh yes. The actual movie, no. Too melancholic and far-fetched (I know – that’s the point) for me. I struggle with fantasy and science- fiction genres. However, my youngest two got a ton out of this movie and I hear many others speaking about it with great nostalgia, so for those with different brains than mine, I think there’s obviously a lot there. I’d definitely recommend it for that reason.
Nim’s Island – Adventure, connection, relationship and courage as a girl tries to survive on an island in the South Pacific while her father is away. She lives by her wits and unknowingly encourages her favourite author to challenge herself in life-changing ways all the while.
Princess Bride – Another movie that left me underwhelmed compared to the hype from others! However, literally everybody else I know loves and recommends it, so I think if you’re looking for a solid family movie that a range of ages, this comedic fairy tale is very likely a good bet.
Fly Away Home – it’s hard to know where to start with this one. I think one of the reasons I like it so much is that a huge part of it is filmed close to where I grew up in combination with where we live now so it’s fun to see the aerial shots over many familiar places. It’s interesting and heartwarming to watch a young girl’s plight supporting the migration of the Canada Geese, but the ingenuity of her father and the development of their relationship is right on par with my reason for recommending this movie.
Little House on the Prairie – NOT the Michael Landon series, although we’ve watched and loved all of those; this is a 2005 TV series. This is more of a focus on the travels after leaving Little House in the Big Woods rather than the settled town life of Walnut Grove that the Landon TV series portrays. We watched it a long time ago but I remember us all really enjoying it. Lots of action – could be disconcerting for really young children.
Redwall – The whole series! This was a much beloved staple at our house, with captivating characters and plot based on the novels by Brian Jacques. These episodes tell the tale of a complex medieval society of rodents (yes, mostly mice, rats, shrews, moles, a badger, rabbit) and a snake and owl thrown in for good predatory measure. It’s a great watch and might be interesting to pair with the novels.
Two Brothers – Oh, how my boys liked this story of two baby tigers separated when young and reunited as adults – not without some drama, of course. We found this to be a good family adventure movie to watch together.
Eight Below – Antarctica, a science expedition, meteorites from Mercury, a beautiful team of sled dogs, terrifying leopard seals, an orca, southern lights all tied up in adventure, this makes for a great film. I remember moments with the leopard seal being pretty startling (as an adult), so just a heads up if you have a sensitive or easily startled soul in your family.
How to Train Your Dragon – a tale from the times of Vikings and dragon lore, a young boy traps a dragon assumed to be dangerous and has the conscience to give it a chance by … training it;). I have not personally watched this film or its sequels but it was an immediate suggested recommendation from my kids for this age group. They apparently watched all three at some point when they were younger.
The Wizard of Oz – Known affectionately to S as the “The Lizard of Oz,” at the age of three, it was some time until he switched over to word “Wizard.” This was another one that he had memorized and we all enjoyed it repeatedly. This is a really neat one to do some research on after watching, to find out more about the transition from black and white to technicolor and the production of many of the scenes.
Akeelah and the Bee – a heartwarming tale of a bright 11-year-old girl who works hard to compete in a spelling bee amidst obstacles. A story of perseverance and community support, it’s a great one.
Big Hero Six – Robotics, futuristic cities, high drama and action, this was one of the favourites here. It was another one recommended by the kids based on their memory of enjoyable characters and quick-moving plot. I remember it being a fun, energy-charged film that challenged my imagination of future technology and was just plain fun to watch.
Kung Fu Panda – Ancient China, Kung Fu, lots of animals fast adventure and humorous characterization make for a fun time and an awful lot of laughs.
Ratatouille – a rat you can love as he lives through scrape after scrape as an aspiring chef in Paris. Lots of close calls and lots of food(!), we found this to be a fun family movie.
Because of Winn Dixie – endearing characters, a lovely story, interesting characters, symbolism and an adorable dog …. Based on the novel of the same name by Kate DiCamillo, this is a really good family movie.
Lassie Come Home – I remember bringing this one home from the library because well, why not? We gave it a try and it led to a whole Lassie phase for a while. They liked the original Lassie Come Home from 1943. I think this was one of the first old movies they’d watched at that time , other than The Wizard of Oz, and they seemed to enjoy noticing the difference in filming and acting.
Heidi – there are a few versions of the film Heidi, based on the novel by Joanna Spyri. Have a look and see which one you think is the best fit for your family. Sometimes it’s fun to watch a couple of versions of the “same” movie and compare.
Jumanji – Adaptations of the 1981 Book by Chris Van Allsburg, the story is based around a magical board game, in which children try to free a man who has gotten trapped in the game. The first movie from 1995, the second and third from 2017 and 2019 are all worth a watch! I haven’t seen the last two but got recommendations from S and L, who have seen them both.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox – I loved watching this movie and I’m pretty sure the kids did too;). Based on a Road Dahl book (which is interesting because Dahl isn’t a favourite author of mine,by any stretch), I loved the quick pace and witty humour.
Older kids, teens and adults …
Mr. Church – Have you ever started watching a movie a few minutes already in and then just kept watching? This is what happened to me when my husband was watching this movie starring Eddie Murphy and I happened to sit down. We liked it so much that we watched it again as a whole family and it was really enjoyed by everyone. This is a great movie to watch with teens, I think. It’s a really nice drama that is very powerful in its own quiet way.
Geostorm – It looks as if this film didn’t receive knockout ratings but we enjoyed it very, very much. With lots of technology, science, suspense and adventure, this movie kept the interest of us all.
Hidden Figures – A film about the solid contributions three African American women made toward NASA through their leadership and supervisory positions in the 1960s, leading up to and including Apollo 11’s mission to the moon. This is some great history which, of course, is intertwined with racial and gender struggles (in that order, IMO) and some real tenacity and genius. I can’t recommend this one highly enough.
October Sky – Based on the true story of the son of a coal miner in the ‘50s who, inspired by the launch of Sputnik 1, would not stop holding true to his dreams and despite a lack of support from his family, made his way to NASA as an engineer.
Searching for Bobby Fischer – The story of a young chess prodigy, the adults in his life who intensely want success for him, each in their own way, and the way he handles it. This movie surprised the kids, I think. It was on the list for
Film School 4 Teens and we gave it a try and we’re glad we did. It was a lot more exciting than anyone had imagined and held everyone’s attention throughout. I highly recommend this – the opposite to an action movie, it is quietly but intensely engaging.
The Pursuit of Happyness – Oh, what a great movie this is. The very thin line that sometimes exists between functioning as a working person and homelessness is drawn starkly here. Based on a true story, Will Smith and Jaden Smith do a wonderful job portraying a father and son holding tight during perilous circumstances which are likely not as uncommon as we might imagine. It really made us think and feel.
Jobs (2013) – We watched this story of Steve Jobs’s journey to and with Apple last week. We watched Steve Jobs (2015) the next day. I loved the first one (2013) and liked/appreciated the second. Everyone else preferred the second one. Either way, they were both a good watch, highlighting the man and company behind some of the key inventions of the last several decades. Lots to talk about – business, technology, determined, pride, control, responsibility and of course, making sure we watch biographical movies with a grain of salt.
The Help – intense and wonderful. The characterization, underlying themes and so much more are off the charts in this movie. At its core, it’s a movie about the treatment of black housemaids by their white employers in 1963 and in my opinion, it’s strongly and wonderfully done. Underneath that main theme, run layers about social class, parenting, relationship, spirit, courage and survival. There is a lot to take in here. I think it’s an important film to watch.
Pirates of the Caribbean – Just because. Because it’s fun, funny, thrilling and adventurous and is a really entertaining watch for the family. The music is fantastic and it has the added bonus of four sequels because once you settle in, one POTC movie really isn’t enough. Neither is two. Or three …
My favourites are #1 and #4:).
Life of Pi – Again, not my absolute favourite but I definitely see the value in it. The rest of my family was more drawn in than I was but yes, this is movie has you thinking very deeply. It’s both adventurous and thought – provoking, full of depth and symbolism. Oh, and it’s quite terrifying in a thrilling way in several places – definitely worth a watch.
Aquaman – Fantastical movie based on Aquaman of DC Comics. This is just an absolutely great Saturday night family movie. It flows, it’s interesting, it’s action-packed – we loved it and you might to.
Black Panther – Ooh, this one we saw in the theatre in reclining seats:). We deeply enjoyed this and it was exciting to see a superhero movie with an almost all-black cast of actors. Based on a Marvel Comics character, Black Panther, this is such a good story, wonderful characterization and lots and lots of action.
War Horse – This is a really good film which is both an endearing story about a young man and his horse and a look at some of the tragedies of World War 1. There are some incredibly touching moments, an interesting plot and a range of really strong characters. We’ve watched this one more than once:).
Little Women – I don’t think this needs much introduction! For interest’s sake, watch both the 1994 and 2019 :).
The Butler – This is an exercise in perspective as well as history. Perspective meaning that it highlights what the different eras could have seemed like to an African American man born a slave in the earlier part of the 20th century, working in the White House over the course of several presidencies, and living long enough to see the first Black president. However, perspective also meaning that there are different ways to see the same set of circumstances, as we see the often painfully different approach that a father and son take to being part of a vulnerable and often disrespected population. Poignant and full of potential for important conversation.
Moneyball – we haven’t watched this one, lol, but I have heard so many good things about it and keep heading recommendations for it so thought I’d put it here.
Slumdog Millionaire – again, we haven’t seen this but it’s on my mental list of movies I’d like to see soon.
Apollo 13 – Really enjoyed this depiction of the 1970 mission to the moon. The emotions are palpable and I did find it frightening so I think you would just want to consider whether you have sensitive kids and whether they’d be affected. It’s very well done – it’s just that there’s something about terrifying situations that have actually happened that might be a bit harder on the brain. There are a couple of short adult content scenes that you inform yourself about before deciding as well.
The Blind Side – We thoroughly enjoyed this movie. There were deep emotions, lots of sports drama and a good dose of humour. The only thing that kept running through my mind was that it seemed sort of fairy-taleish – and yet it’s based pretty solidly on a true story. It was a great testament of family, dedication and loyalty. It made us all think a little more broadly and had lots of fun moments sprinkled throughout.
To Kill a Mockingbird – Obviously a classic and a film based on a very moving and important book. The guys and I watched the movie after reading the book and although they enjoyed the movie, they really missed a lot of the additional details from the book. There was a lot of, “ Hey, I thought we’d see …” or “Wait, what about that character….?” so although I definitely recommend the movie, we loved the book much more.
Les Miserables – We’ve watched both the musical version as well as the non-musical and enjoyed both in different ways. I’m not sure which I’d recommend – I really missed the music at first when we watched the non-musical version, but having the dialogue really began to grow on me after a while. Les Mis is so well-known, it can be easy to focus on the music and drama, but underneath it all are some really rich themes about class, self-respect, sacrifice, determination, loyalty, faith and forgiveness,
Fiddler on the Roof – Really love this. Like Les Miserables, we watched the film just before going to see the live production, and we found a lot of humour in the film, as well as wonderful music and dancing, of course. Sadly that is all against the backdrop of the upcoming eviction of the Jewish people. Again, lots here!!
Brooklyn – L and I just watched this one last night. It’s a drama set in the 1950s, as a young woman from Ireland adjusts to life in Brooklyn, falls in love and deals with a tragedy from back home. It was really good in a quiet sort of way … good enough that I would watch it again.
The Karate Kid (2010 version) – This was a great movie that highlights hard work, perseverance and friendship. It’s also fun to see some of China. The older Karate Kid movies are good as well and we liked them too but Jaden Smith does a great job in this one.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood – We watched this recently and well, it’s Mr. Rogers! It’s kind of interesting to see Mr. Rogers making a comeback of sorts. This film dealt with more serious issues than I’d anticipated as Mr.Rogers helps a grown man come to terms with his anger and hurt from his relationship with his own father – it was pretty heavy actually. We also see some interesting aspects of Mr. Rogers himself. Tom Hanks is quite fantastic in the role…
And that’s a wrap!
Whew!
Your turn! Any thoughts or recommendations?
Such a fab list Erin, thanks. We too have been working our way through all the Star Wars movies, not for the first time it has to be said 🙂 Most of us big SW fans, except for my husband and our eldest, they’ve always been more of a Trekkie persuasion, but they’re coming round 🙂
Recently enjoyed the newer Jumanjis. And finally I have someone who’ll watch Little House on the Prairie with me – reading the books with my 7 year old and we’ve just watched Season 1 on DVD together. Wasn’t aware of another series so will look into that. We’ve also just started reading Heidi so now you’ve got me thinking I could research some of those films.
As for more ideas, I’ve been told to suggest Moana by my 7 and 21 year old, and Christopher Robin with Ewan McGregor, also by my 21 year old. Have to confess I slept through most of both those films, doesn’t sound good does it? But no reflection on the films, I’m reliably informed they were great. Maybe too obvious though?
Those are great suggestions, Hayley – thank you to you and yours! We have seen Moana but not Christopher Robin – appreciate the idea:). I’m chuckling about the Star Trek vs Star Wars comment. The kids and I enjoy Star Wars (moderately for most of us, a bit more seriously for one), but my husband is a Star Trek fan and doesn’t cross the line into Star Wars very easily …
Yep, if I’m honest, it’s only my daughter that’s coming round. But most of us happy to watch Star Trek too, sometimes 🙂
Hi Erin, we’ve been working our way through the Star Wars series. Our youngest missed the phase the older ones went through so it’s all fresh for him and nostalgic for the older ones. We decided to start with the prequels so I guess we are watching them in order depending on how you look at it. Thanks for the great list. It’ll be nice to have handy🙂.
Making your way through the Star Wars series sounds fun! Thanks for the idea. Which ones do you prefer? The original three or the newer ones?