Great family movies are not hard to find these days. It seems companies like Disney and Sony Pictures have found just the right formula to pack the seats for every new release. Take a pinch of celebrity voice over, a scoop of amazing animation, and simmer in an underdog rising above it all story and you have the makings of 90% of the family movies released in recent memory. See one and you have and you have seen them all. This site is dedicated to the few brave movies that broke that mold. These timeless classics are more than just movies. They are family events that evoke conversation as well as the imagination.
Labyrinth (1986)
Fifteen-year-old Sarah accidentally wishes her baby half-brother, Toby, away to the Goblin King Jareth who will keep Toby if Sarah does not complete his Labyrinth in thirteen hours.
Flight of the Navigator (1986)
Flight of the Navigator. Oh, what a lucky kid whose parents or guardians introduce this gem into their world of Sponge Bob and Monster High. Time travel genre flick at it's finest. Kids don't often truly consider the future but this film allows them to witness the massive impact of the passage of time and familial bonds while offering the acute adorableness of squishy alien life forms. Well, one life form anyway. Sci-fi can be adorable, y'all! The fact that this ordinary, random kid who struggles with adolescence and is constantly irritated by his little brother renders him familiar and relatable. The circumstances under which he becomes accidentally involved, however, make him a pseudo hero. Here is a kid who doesn't remember anything about the eight years he spent traveling the universe but must reconcile what he is told about that experience to his memories of his prior life and how those memories approach him in the present day as a considerably aged mother, father, and brother. They are different but the same. He is the same but different. But one glaring truth remains. What you know and what you love matters most even if you don't realize this fact. Max is an alien seemingly incapable of emotion but comes to know and love David to the point that it becomes clear to him (it?) that David needs to be returned to his own time and place so he can realize this for himself. Maybe the result of that experiment is more important than anything else. Just make sure your kids watch the movie, folks. Compliance, indeed.
Lemony Snickets (2004)
Not all children’s movies have to be bright and cheerful with jolly characters and happy endings. Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events is anything but cheerful and jolly, but the same darkness that provides its unsettling edge also makes it a delightfully enchanting movie for kids of all ages, even the grown up variety. Looking and feeling very Tim Burton-esque, A Series of Unfortunate Events is chock full of weird and wonderful visuals and imagery. The movie is bursting at the seams with special effects, but each one is precisely blended into the story-telling.
Coraline (2009)
“Coraline” lingers in an atmosphere that is creepy, wonderfully strange and full of feeling. This is a marvelous family story, tapping into all sorts of childhood dreams and nightmares involving Mommy, monsters and heroic youngsters. This eccentric and deliriously inventive fantasy finds stop-motion auteur Henry Selick scaling new heights of ghoulish whimsy, buoyed by a haunting score that works its own macabre magic. Take care with the audience that you choose for this one. The dark setting and "other" characters can be quite terrifying to the meek of heart.
Bye Bye Birdy (1963)
Sure there are obvious musical classics, most produced by Disney, that many children are familiar with but this one is a bit different. This movie focuses on the idolization of a teenage dream way before One Direction was a thing. Yes, there was Elvis, of whom the movie's titular heartthrob was not so subtly inspired (a realization brought forth by adulthood) but show me a kid today who can identify that dude in one of those romantic posters featuring other young and famous lost souls of yesteryear who have met a tragic and untimely end. Watching this evokes a sense of nostalgic wonder that children aren't readily able to identify but what some of us have come to discover is a feeling that is truly ageless. First real love meets first fantasy love and the repercussions thereof when those worlds collide is so much fun to watch. Kids tend to appreciate that they are watching something great even if they don't quite understand why it is great.
Newsies (1992)
Newsies was met with largly negative reviews when it was released in 1992. Don't let the press dissuade you though. I will admit that the songs can't compete when compared to the likes of Annie or Frozen. That being said this film more than makes up for it's musical shortcomings by presenting you with a great story paired with amazing choreography. The film is based on true events surrounding the 1899 Newsboys Strike of 1899. Along with the entertainment this film has prompted a slew of conversations with my kids about this time peroid. That is always a plus in my book.
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008)
Brace yourself for this one. The soundtrack overtook my household like a hurricane. Neil Patrick Harris, Felicia Day, and Nathan Fillion belt some of the most charming and addictive songs that you are likely to ever hear in your life. This incrediable soundtrack is only the start. You will be immersed in the story of the film's "hero", an up and coming super villian. You will laugh, you might cry, but you will never regret watching this movie. Just a note, a bit of viewer discretion is advised due to some mild language and violence.
Adventures in Babysitting (1987)
If you were a kid in the late '70s or early '80s, you probably grew up wondering why things were so boring when you were left with a sitter. Well, you can thank "Adventures in Babysitting" for that. This 1987 flick totally raised the bar for what a night away from your parents entailed. In the movie what begins as just another night of babysitting turns into an action packed tour of the city of Chicago. Every turn keeps your eyes glued to the screen as you just have to know how they get out of this one. You had better up and show this one to the kids. Disney has recently announced it's plans to do a re-boot of this classic. Make sure that your kids know "the real version".
Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991)
Like movie quotes? Then this movie is for you. When mom leaves to Australia for the summer the kids are left with a maniacal babysitter. Not to worry, the old bat soon dies off and the kids are left to fend for themselves. The movie keeps to a classic theme of kids thrown into adult roles. The outcome is a wonderful message to apreciate being a child while you can and more memorable quotes than a self help book. The dishes are done man!