1. The Addams Family
Why Your Kids Will Like It: It's crazy, cooky, and campy. All the elements of "frivolous" children's fantasy are present, but, unbeknown to them, the execution is superior.
Why You'll Like It: Anjelica Huston, Christina Ricci, Christopher Lloyd, and Joan Cusack round out an all-star cast that enchants on-screen. The subtlety of some humor is more adult-targeted, and, at the end of the day, the film demonstrates that even people who look and act different can be kind.
2. Casper
Why Your Kids Will Like It: Casper is cute, innocent, and gets himself into youthful trouble. Your kids will squeal with delight as he accidentally fries himself sunny side up like an egg. His ghostly uncles provide much of the comic relief, with Stinky have such potent breath he can induce fainting and Fatso emitting such hefty flatulence no child can help but laugh. The scenery in the film, most of all the magic machine, is sure to impress any
Why You'll Like It: The film is parody rich, and the references to Ghostbusters, The Exorcist, and the Terminator are a silent nod to you, the adult viewer. The film is a classic depiction of good triumphing over evil and tackles the issue of single parenthood following the death of a spouse.
3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Why Your Kids Will Like It: Based off of best-selling book series, your children are no doubt already curious about this film. Diary of a Wimpy Kid taps into the world of children and tackles the ever-popular subject of fitting in in a way that is all at once lighthearted, meaningful, and appropriate. Your kids will laugh as the "wimpy kids" have to challenge the "gorillas" in a game of capture the flag, and shake their heads as the main character temporarily loses his sense of self in pursuit of popularity.
Why You'll Like It: The film teaches a clear-cut lesson on what is important during the oh-so confusing time that is middle school. You will laugh along with your child as the legend of the Cheese Touch Unfolds and as Greg accidentally pees on his older brother, the hostile singer of awful garage band, Loded Diaper. The film is evocative of The Wonder Years, but more child-friendly, and with a bit more toilet humor.
5. E.T.
I will admit, when my dad showed me this movie at age four, it terrified me (and my mother subsequently suffered for many, many nights), so you might want to reserve the viewing of this film for older kids, as real youngsters might find parts of the film overwhelming. For me, it was the scene in which E.T. falls into the river and turns white with hypothermia, shortly thereafter ending up on a ventilator and in a body bag.
Why Your Kids Will Like It: E.T. is cute. He waddles around and eats Reese's Pieces, and Elliott, with his unwavering determination to help his other-worldly friend and flying bike is a hero to all children who ever dreamed of the impossible. Your kids will feel excitement as Elliott and his siblings try to keep their friend a secret from their seemingly clueless mother, and sit on the edge of their seats as E.T. has close encounters with death and with the authorities.
Why You'll Like It: Spielberg made it. It's a classic film about the goodness of a child and the power of determination, and the special effects were ground-breaking for the time.
Fun Fact: When building the animatronic E.T. puppet, Spielberg looked through photographs of famous people to incorporate distinctive features into the alien. The little guy's trademark wide, gentle eyes were inspired by Albert Einstein's.
6. Fly Away Home
Why Your Kids Will Like It: Baby geese are really cute. Who could not have a soft spot for baby geese? Additionally, the heroine of the film goes on to lead a cross-country flight with her father, and children will find the visuals both enjoyable and empowering.
Why You'll Like It: This film again deals with the topic of single parenthood, in particular the theme of an under-enthused young girl being raised by the father with whom she is not very close. By the film's end, however, the relationship foraged between them is strong and both characters have grown tremendously. The film is also visually impressive, feeling much more like a made-for-adults drama than a children's film. And they save the animals. Who could not like it? Jeff Daniels and Anna Paquin Star.
7. The Goonies
Why Your Kids Will Like It: There is not much for your kids to dislike in this classic 80's film, which, coincidentally, has risen to cult status among aficionados since its release. The Goonies live in a quirky world where everything is an adventure, and, on the quest to save their house, encounter a bit of humor and danger.
Why You'll Like It: Written by Steven Spielberg, this film moves at an adult pace and the stark comic value of certain elements will tickle you. Watch out for the fat Goonie, Chunk, being made to do the "Truffle Shuffle," a belly-bearing jiggle, before he is allowed entry into the homes of his fellow Goonies. If you or your children have never seen this one, place it high on your list of future rentals, as it will not disappoint.
A Small Disclaimer: There is one scene containing a skeleton among the ruins of pirate treasure.
8. Hachi
Why Your Kids Will Like It: Hachi is really just too cute, and his loyalty is moving, even for the youngest of viewers. Your kids will delight in seeing Hachi meet Gere's character around town, and the lengths he goes to to be with his master.
Why You'll Like It: It's innocent, moving, and shows a new side of Richard Gere. Truly a beautiful film about the love a man and a dog can share.
A Small Disclaimer: Have the tissues ready.
9. Hook
Why Your Kids Will Like It: A whimsical twist on the classic Peter Pan story, the visuals in Hook will have your kids mesmerized. Something about taking the narrative out of the context of a cartoon and into live action makes the elusive Neverland that much more enchanting.
Why You'll Like It: In addition to the same reasons as your children, you will take particular delight in seeing appearances from Julia Roberts, Robin Williams, a highly caricatured Dustin Hoffman, and even Phil Collins.
10. Labyrinth
Why Your Kids Will Like It: Labyrinth takes Place in a magical world guaranteed to be unlike anything your kids have ever seen in film so far. Filmed in the era before CGI was prevalent, puppeteer/director Jim Henson truly outdid himself in this one. The visuals alone will have your kids watching this one over and over again.
Why You'll Like It: Aside from the fact that it stars Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie and features a few awesome musical numbers (and trust me, I loathe musicals... but then again I love Bowie), you will appreciate Sarah's determination to save her baby brother and the incredible amount of growing up she does under pressure. This film is truly enjoyable for people of all ages, and is one of our shift staples here in the MacArthur store.
11. A Little Princess
***This movie will probably be better suited for watching with young girls.
Why Your Kids Will Like It: Adapted from the novel and influenced by the 1939 version starring Shirley Temple, A Little Princess is an escape into a magical world which will have your own little princess captivated. The daughter of a wealthy British soldier Sara Crewe has to leave her home in India for a New York boarding school when her father leaves for World War I. When he is presumed dead and Sara presumed poor, it is through her friendship with the house servant and her vivid imagination that she is able to keep her spirit and her sense of grace intact.Why You'll Like It: Nominated for an Academy Award for best Art Direction, the film is visually stunning and has a unique aesthetic which you will not likely forget quickly. Additionally, it carries the important message of persevering even when life becomes incredibly difficult, and, when put in a historical context, is racially radical in Sara's befriending of Becky.
12. The Little Rascals
Why Your Kids Will Like It: This film portrays children as functioning completely independently from adults, a notion which is always intriguing to children, but which is perhaps so successful in this film because of all that the little rascals accomplish. Your children will go green with envy when they see the clubhouse and go kart that the He-Man Woman Haters Club has managed, all being under the age of eight, to build for themselves, and will laugh as they see Alfalfa bite into a sandwich spiked with kitty litter and get chased across the lawn by a Doberman in his underpants.
Why You'll Like It: It's charming and somehow evocative of an earlier time, perhaps due to the fact that it was inspired by Our Gang and even features some of the original cast members as the new kids' parents. Daryl Hannah, Donald Trump, Mel Brooks, Whoopi Goldberg and Reba McEntire make cameos, and you will appreciate the lessons the film teaches your children about honesty, friendship, and even kindness across the genders.
13. Matilda
Why Your Kids Will Like It: Matilda has magical powers, but unlike Harry Potter, she is stuck in a disenchanting and nonmagical world. Consequently, her antics are able to shine in greater boldness than in they'd be able to in the films about her magical "brethren." Your child will love watching Matilda make pancakes and make a deck of playing cards fly around her in the room as she dances. Even young viewers will be impressed by the proclivity of Matilda, who is not only magical, but also highly intelligent and has a great thirst for knowledge, devouring books from the time she is old enough to sign for a library card and walk herself hime.
Why You'll Like It: Emerging from the same production studio as Garden State, Pulp Fiction, and Freedom Writers, Matilda is pure gold in the form of a children's film. Aside from the film's high valuation of education, you will enjoy watching the on-screen chemistry created by Danny Devito and Rhea Perlman in this rare shared performance in which they play a sleazy used car salesman and a bleached blonde bingo maniac, respectively. Paul Reubens (aka Peewee Herman) makes a cameo appearance as an FBI agent as well, the irony of which is lost on few adults.
14. The Parent Trap (1961 version!)
******This movie will probably be better suited for watching with young girls.
Why Your Kids Will Like It: It's impossibly untrue, and it involves a secret scheme, something which inherently appeals to children. Also coming into play is the wicked stepmother to be, Vicki, a character so vile, it is easy to take delight in the twins' tricking of her. It's interesting to watch how each of the girls live in each other's lives, and your child will be curious to see how successful the twins are in passing.Why You'll Like It: It's all in good fun, and it hails from an era when films were wholesome and family values were upheld. Women will enjoy looking at the early 60's fashion. Something about the good intentions of the days of yore will strike a nostalgic chord with you that Hannah Montana, in its ever-failing attempts at wit, does not.
15. Pirates of the Caribbean (This film is rated PG-13)
Yes, this film deviates from the "unequivocally family friendly" range of G/PG ratings, but it is such a great family film that it deserves a mention. Also, please keep in mind that even though it has a bit of a stricter rating than the other films on this list, it is made by Disney and according to imdb, it earned its rating for "action/adventure, violence." Having viewed this film myself several times, I can relate to you, the discerning parent, the following regarding these elements:
1. The fight scenes are epic, and they do cause quite an adrenaline rush.
2. Any violence is highly stylized/made humorous. There is no gore of any kind in the film.
3. The greatest cause for concern as a parent is that, under the light of the moon, there are a few scenes in which captain Barbossa and his crew turn into skeletons, to which some children have a sensitivity. However, Disney takes great care to make the crew seem humorous and simple-minded, and consequently they are not very intimidating.
Why Your Kids Will Like It: It's an utterly thrilling escape into an exotic world of swashbucklers, sea monsters, maidens, and vigilante justice. Your children will immediately feel affection for the oft-confused but always successful Jack Sparrow, and cheer him on in his quest against captain Barbossa. Older children will even appreciate the romantic side plot that develops between Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley.
Why You'll Like It: This film has an incredible ability to transport audiences of all ages, and you will appreciate an all-star cast that includes Geoffrey Rush and Johnny Depp. At the end of the day, the good guys win. On the way, there is a bit of romance, a lot of humor, some adventure, and an abundance of breathtaking scenery to keep you thoroughly attached to the screen. Parents of particularly picky boys might benefit from picking up one of the Pirates films on the next movie night, though it has something for everyone.
16. The Santa Claus
Why Your Kids Will Like It: This movie is not just for Christmas time. At the tender age of 6, I received a VHS copy of this, which my younger brother and I wore into a skipping jumble of ironically placed "festive" music. Your kids will adore the North Pole in the movie, abundant with toys, elves, and holiday confections. The modern twist on santa's magic, such as a CD cookie dispenser in the sleigh, makes the movie feel current and appeals to the sensibilities of the modern kid more so than the black and white santa stories you see on TCM every year.
Why You'll Like It: Tim Allen, though thought of as accessible to children, is an adult's comic, and his bitterness and disenchantment is not that of your typical cartoon Grinch. Jabs at going to therapy and the woes of divorce and mid-life weight gain will have adults smirking, and all of the family bonding and crackling fires will leave you feeling warm and cozy.
17. Toy Story:
Why Your Kids Will Like It: It entertains the idea that your toys come to life when you are out of the room and has the child-friendly aesthetic for which Pixar has become famous.
Why You'll Like It: It promotes teamwork and enforces that things change in life, but that with a positive outlook everything will be okay. Having been released in 1995, Toy Story will impress you with its animation, from the smooth movement of the characters to the level of expression on their faces. The story of the underdog, which is Woody's story, has something to offer for audiences of all ages.
18. Up:
Why Your Kids Will Like It: What could possibly be more whimsical than the idea of tying balloons to your house and flying off into the sky? Kids will laugh at the grumpiness of Carl and the silliness of Russell and Dug when they see that the sky really is the limit in this instant classic.
Why You'll Like It: Much of the nuance in this film will go over your child's head, as it was not intended to be solely for children. You will sympathize along with Carl as he loses his wife, and be glad for him as the sense of joy in his life is renewed.
-posted by Anna
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