I appreciate the "Not just for girls!" and "Not just for boys!" One of the silliest things going on on social media recently has been stuff about how girls who like X movie can't possibly be feminine...c'mon people. We all love compelling human stories.
Ooh some total favorites on this list (Fantastic Mr. Fox! Little Women!) and some new ones I'm excited to watch! Every once in a while we'll get a hankering for a movie night but spend so much time trying to decide what to watch. I'll be returning to this list!!
I have strange taste in movies (I'm a big Wes Anderson fan if that tells you something). I have what I think are some great picks, but that would require me to draft too many caveats for parents. However, one of my favorites has a PG rating and at least for me a lot of resonance with today's tendency to craft fake narratives. Even if you don't usually care for Jim Carrey, The Truman Show is worth viewing with older kids. It would bore young ones.
1. The Book Thief 2. The Princess Bride 3. Saving Mr. Banks 4. Soul Surfer 5. Stan and Ollie 6. The Court Jester 7. Freaky Friday (Jamie Lee Curtis) 8. The Parent Trap (the old and reboot) 9. Prince Valiant 10. The Adventures of Tin-Tin 11. We Bought a Zoo 12. All Saints 13. Shipwrecked 14. The Bishop's Wife 15. Far From the Madding Crowd (Julie Christie and Carey Mulligan) 16. Little Women (Winona Ryder) 17. The Christmas Bells 18. Mrs. Doubtfire 19. Rookie of the Year 20. Ramona & Beezus 21. Mr. Holland's Opus 22. Horatio Hornblower 23. Amazing Grace 24. Emma (G. Paltrow) 24. Miracle on 34th Street (old and new) 25. The Drop Box
Have you watched Of Gods and Men? A French film (subtitle) about a Trappist monastery during the Algerian Civil war if I remember correctly. I would not consider it a family film for young ones based on the theme-it could be for older (high school perhaps/college). But I just had to mention it here because I think it is a beautiful film-and if you have not seen it, I think you would be moved by it....
My kids all run for sport and we watch Chariots of Fire as a family regularly per their request. I heard my oldest quote Isaiah 40 to his little sister before a race because of it! "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up - with wings as eagles. They shall run - and not be weary."
Not a movie, but we also love All Creatures Great & Small. Movie, Princess Bride!
Fantastic list! A few at the top of ours are: Dead Poets Society, Hunt for the Wilderpeople (most quoted in our household), Night at the Museum, How to Train Your Dragon, Dolphin Tale, Finding Forrester, Sandlot, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Love this list; new subscriber here. Chiming in with a few favorites - #1 is The Princess Bride (how did it get left off your list, tho?) - all the characters and all great lines: “As you wish,” “I don’t think that means what you think it means,” “You killed my father, prepare to die.” It’s fun from start to finish.
#2 (stick with me on this one) is The Lost Boys - yes it’s about Vampires, but the moral of the story is fantastic (it’s about the decision to invite evil in) and Grandpa proves to be the (nonchalant) quiet hero - the protector of his family (the one where wisdom & experience win over youth & impulsiveness) and he’s the real terror of demons - like who? Like St. Joseph, that’s who.
Besides, vampire stories are always the inversion of the source and summit of our Catholic faith (you know, “eat my body and drink my blood, or you have no life within you”). How can anybody not love that? Or, maybe that’s just me? 😅
#3 is It’s A Wonderful Life, although it gets some important theology wrong, wrong, wrong - a ringing bell means a soul becomes an Angel in heaven (ummm, nope, but a great opportunity to discuss theological truths with teens) - and it’s the American parallel of A Christmas Carol. In a word, it’s simply wonderful. What could be better?
Hm, I think I’d add Man in the Iron Mask (with DiCaprio). History, loyalty, standing up against tyranny, sacrificial love. Definitely some inappropriate moments, though.
Eleven Great "Family" Films
I appreciate the "Not just for girls!" and "Not just for boys!" One of the silliest things going on on social media recently has been stuff about how girls who like X movie can't possibly be feminine...c'mon people. We all love compelling human stories.
Ooh some total favorites on this list (Fantastic Mr. Fox! Little Women!) and some new ones I'm excited to watch! Every once in a while we'll get a hankering for a movie night but spend so much time trying to decide what to watch. I'll be returning to this list!!
I have strange taste in movies (I'm a big Wes Anderson fan if that tells you something). I have what I think are some great picks, but that would require me to draft too many caveats for parents. However, one of my favorites has a PG rating and at least for me a lot of resonance with today's tendency to craft fake narratives. Even if you don't usually care for Jim Carrey, The Truman Show is worth viewing with older kids. It would bore young ones.
1. The Book Thief 2. The Princess Bride 3. Saving Mr. Banks 4. Soul Surfer 5. Stan and Ollie 6. The Court Jester 7. Freaky Friday (Jamie Lee Curtis) 8. The Parent Trap (the old and reboot) 9. Prince Valiant 10. The Adventures of Tin-Tin 11. We Bought a Zoo 12. All Saints 13. Shipwrecked 14. The Bishop's Wife 15. Far From the Madding Crowd (Julie Christie and Carey Mulligan) 16. Little Women (Winona Ryder) 17. The Christmas Bells 18. Mrs. Doubtfire 19. Rookie of the Year 20. Ramona & Beezus 21. Mr. Holland's Opus 22. Horatio Hornblower 23. Amazing Grace 24. Emma (G. Paltrow) 24. Miracle on 34th Street (old and new) 25. The Drop Box
Thank you for including Master & Commander. That’s one of my all time favorites for it’s virtue and ideas of courage and honor.
Have you watched Of Gods and Men? A French film (subtitle) about a Trappist monastery during the Algerian Civil war if I remember correctly. I would not consider it a family film for young ones based on the theme-it could be for older (high school perhaps/college). But I just had to mention it here because I think it is a beautiful film-and if you have not seen it, I think you would be moved by it....
My kids all run for sport and we watch Chariots of Fire as a family regularly per their request. I heard my oldest quote Isaiah 40 to his little sister before a race because of it! "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up - with wings as eagles. They shall run - and not be weary."
Not a movie, but we also love All Creatures Great & Small. Movie, Princess Bride!
Fantastic list! A few at the top of ours are: Dead Poets Society, Hunt for the Wilderpeople (most quoted in our household), Night at the Museum, How to Train Your Dragon, Dolphin Tale, Finding Forrester, Sandlot, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Love this list; new subscriber here. Chiming in with a few favorites - #1 is The Princess Bride (how did it get left off your list, tho?) - all the characters and all great lines: “As you wish,” “I don’t think that means what you think it means,” “You killed my father, prepare to die.” It’s fun from start to finish.
#2 (stick with me on this one) is The Lost Boys - yes it’s about Vampires, but the moral of the story is fantastic (it’s about the decision to invite evil in) and Grandpa proves to be the (nonchalant) quiet hero - the protector of his family (the one where wisdom & experience win over youth & impulsiveness) and he’s the real terror of demons - like who? Like St. Joseph, that’s who.
Besides, vampire stories are always the inversion of the source and summit of our Catholic faith (you know, “eat my body and drink my blood, or you have no life within you”). How can anybody not love that? Or, maybe that’s just me? 😅
#3 is It’s A Wonderful Life, although it gets some important theology wrong, wrong, wrong - a ringing bell means a soul becomes an Angel in heaven (ummm, nope, but a great opportunity to discuss theological truths with teens) - and it’s the American parallel of A Christmas Carol. In a word, it’s simply wonderful. What could be better?
Hm, I think I’d add Man in the Iron Mask (with DiCaprio). History, loyalty, standing up against tyranny, sacrificial love. Definitely some inappropriate moments, though.