Now that Emma and Lexi are 8 and 10, they’re showing more and more interest in movies that are like “real movies.” A few weeks ago Lori Wilhite of Leading and Loving It asked for recommendations on movies to watch with her family on her Facebook page. Her criteria was no animation and no talking animals–perfect for us.
Her followers jumped right in and gave a ton of great suggestions, some we’ve seen as a family and others I haven’t even heard the name. Some are recent and some have been around since before I was born. I thought I’d compile, add some of our favorites and share with you.
As with all movie viewing with your family, please pay attention to the rating, description and reviews and decide appropriateness for your own kids. PluggedIn.com is a great resource.
And in no particular order, here are 50 movies to check out with your family:
| 1. August Rush 2. We Bought a Zoo 3. Joyful Noise 4. Parent Trap 5. The Ultimate Gift 6. Dolphin’s Tale 7. The Odd Life of Timothy Green 8. Soul Surfer 9. Bedtime Stories 10. Cool Runnings 11. Jumanji 12. The Boy Who Could Fly 13. Sand Lot 14. Sky High 15. Harry Potter 16. Richie Rich 17. My Girl 18. Nim’s Island 19. Blue Butterfly 20. Whale Rider 21. The Secret of Roan Inish 22. Stand By Me 23. Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium 24. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief 25. Nanny McPhee |
26. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids 27. Penelope 28. Freaky Friday 29. Night at the Museum 30. National Treasure 31. Where the Red Fern Grows 32. Nancy Drew 33. Ramona and Beezus 34. Cheaper by the Dozen 35. Pacifier 36. Matilda 37. Secondhand Lions 38. School of Rock 39. Big Miracle 40. Journey 2 41. Swiss Family Robinson 42. Princess Bride 43. A League of Their Own 44. Cop and a Half 45. Diary of a Wimpy Kid 46. Christmas Lodge 47. Princess Protection Program 48. Hugo 49. Summer Eleven 50. Hook |
Which have you seen? What would add?
We’ve seen 45 of the 50!
Wow! I know I’ve seen most of them but not that many!
You must add “Akeelah and the Bee” to your list! Even if you are already a fan of Lawrence Fishburn, this will further elevate your respect for him. It’s an engaging story that kids can relate to, but adults will enjoy as well. It’s sweet, but not cloying.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0437800/
Rob O. recently posted…Christmas 2012
Oh, great one! Scott and I watched that when it came out but the kids haven’t seen it yet.
So many great movies on the list! I would add Unaccompanied Minors as a fun one that you can watch with the kids without worrying about language or mature themes. That’s a big one for us now, not so much language (at 13 and 15 they know the words and understand about usage) but definitely mature themes.
Thanks, I don’t think I’ve heard of that one, Carolyn!