Top 10 Best Family Movies of All Time

Due to its discussion of more serious and dark themes like death, we recommend Stand by Me (1986) to families with older children.

Based on a Stephen King story, the film is a coming-of-age story about a group of four pre-teen boys who set out one day to look for a dead body in the 1950s in the wilderness of Oregon. The film shows a good balance of grown-up drama, childhood friendship and adventure. It also features some great performances from its four leads Wil Wheaton, River Wheaton, Corey Feldman and Jerry O’Connell.

If your kids loved Jurassic World, get them to watch the film that started the franchise. Seeing how they’ll react to 90s special effects and knowing which version they like better would be an interesting experiment to do.

What more rewatching, you could also see also how well the film holds up after more than two decades. Don’t feel too obligated to watch the other two Jurassic films though, us true fans just pretend they never happened.

It’s crazy to think that some of the kids who watched Finding Nemo the year it was released probably have their own kids now. Imagine watching a film you loved as a child and seeing your own children be fascinated by it.

Pixar’s Finding Nemo is a great tale (pun intended) about how far a father’s love for his son can take him and how important it is to have a family, whether by blood or by choice. Watch it back to back with Finding Dory (2016) and you got yourself an amazing family movie night.

Inspirational sports films are always a great choice to watch as a family.

If you haven’t watched it yet, we highly recommend Remember the Titans (2000), a film about a white high school football team newly integrated into a black team from a nearby school.

Set in early 1970s Virginia, the film chronicles the challenges the team faces. Watching this film with your kids is also a great opportunity for you to discuss issues about race in a casual, non-serious setting.

The power of this film lies in its ability to entertain people of differing generations. Reminisce your childhood with your kids by rewatching this classic family movie starring a cute Macaulay Culkin as Kevin, a kid accidentally left at home by his family a few days before Christmas.

A movie is a great tool for teaching your children about independence and self-reliance. Just remind your kids that those fun hijinks Kevin pulled off on those two thieves trying to rob his home won’t translate well in the real world.

An adaptation of Roald Dahl’s children’s book of the same name, Matilda (1996) tells the story of a young girl with telekinetic powers who also happens to love reading. The film is a great family movie as it offers a lot of teachable moments without getting too preachy. Besides, the film’s main character Matilda is an excellent role model for your kids to look up to and hopefully emulate. It teaches the importance of family (may they be the blood-related or chosen), education and determination.

This Studio Ghibli film’s story may turn you off on paper, but trust us, this is something your family will enjoy.

The film tells the story of a girl who’s trying to save her family after they turned into pigs by a witch by working at a bathhouse filled with demons. We know what you’re thinking. But the film’s animation turns this somewhat disturbing premise into a beautiful entertaining film that would tickle you and your kids’ imaginations.

Just be sure to watch the film’s English dubbed copies as reading subtitles aren’t ideal for keeping children’s attention on this film.

Akeelah and the Bee (2006) is another film that’s filled with plenty of valuable lessons for children from overcoming challenges to achieve your goals in learning how to stand up against peer pressure. It tells the story of a smart girl with a passion for words. Watch as she, helped by her community, makes her way to the top to join the prestigious Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Now, this is an easy choice because practically every kid loves this movie. We’re sure nobody would object if you decide to rewatch Frozen (2013) for the nth time during family movie night. The film is just unbelievably rewatchable and quotable. The songs, the story, the animation–Frozen is the perfect family movie. Never mind those people who complain about it being overrated.

It’s never too early to introduce your kids to great cinema. Kidding aside, The Princess Bride (1987) remains a classic film for a reason and that’s because it transcends generational barriers to appeal to almost anyone.

So get your spouse and kids on the living room couch and relive the classic fairytale adventure following the beautiful princess, Buttercup, and the hero, Westley, who will save her from an evil villain. Just be careful of being too enthusiastic, you don’t want to ruin your family’s viewing experience by quoting the entire film from memory. There’ll be plenty of other times for that.