20 family movies that will make you kinder

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Pictures by Chris Columbus, Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis will captivate young viewers and will not bore adults.

1. Mary Poppins

• USA, UK, 1964.
• Musical, fantasy, family.
• Duration: 139 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

In the Banks family, everything goes awry until the east wind brings the most amazing nanny in the world, Mary Poppins, to their doorstep. In the society of this mysterious lady, anything can happen: it's easier to clean up with a funny song, a magic word will help solve any problem, and a tea party is held under the ceiling. But the father of the family, George Banks - a prim bank clerk and lover of commanding - is sure that his children, Michael and Jane, need a more serious upbringing.

The soulful musical based on the books about Mary Poppins is considered one of the best family films of all time. In 2013, a film about the film was also released - the comedy drama "Saving Mr. Banks", which tells the story of the creation of the legendary film.

Despite the fact that in the process of creating the tape, the writer Pamela Travers was unhappy with literally everything, she approved Julie Andrews for the main role, only after hearing the artist's voice on the phone. This project became for Andrews debut in a feature film and brought the actress an Oscar.

And in 2018, viewers saw the sequel to the classic, Mary Poppins Returns, starring Emily Blunt as the fairy nanny.

2. Alien

• USA, 1982.
• Science fiction, drama, adventure, family.
• Duration: 115 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 9.

A group of harmless aliens arrive to explore the Earth and accidentally forget one of their fellow tribesmen on the planet. The little lost alien finds a friend in the face of a ten-year-old boy, Elliot. But their idyll does not last long: after all, the American military does not sleep and is looking for an invader everywhere.

One of the kindest films, based on the childhood fantasies of its creator Steven Spielberg. When the parents of the future director divorced, he invented an alien friend to make it easier to cope with the worries.

3. Annie

• USA, 1982.
• Family musical.
• Duration: 126 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 6.

Red-haired orphan Annie lives in an orphanage, whose hostess, the evil Miss Agatha Hannigan, offends the girl in every possible way. By chance, the baby manages to make friends with childless billionaire Oliver Warbucks. Together they try to find Annie's parents, but Ms. Hannigan plans to take back Warbucks' promised reward herself.

Time passes, generations change, but the story of a girl who is looking for her parents is invariably liked by the audience. Published back in 1924, Harold Gray's graphic novel "Little Orphan Annie" turned into a famous Broadway musical, and later became a film. And for those who want to see a more modern version of the classics, you can recommend the remake of the same name, released in 2014.

4. Back to the future

• USA, 1985.
• Adventure, comedy, fantasy.
• Duration: 116 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 5.

Aspiring musician and ordinary teenager Marty McFly accidentally travels to 1955 with the help of a time machine created by his good friend, Dr. (or simply Doc) Emmett Brown. It soon becomes clear that due to Marty's interference, the parents of the protagonist may not meet in the past. And if the boy does not fix everything, he will most likely disappear into the present.

The film by Robert Zemeckis is a true classic of family cinema. It has a perfect balance of fantasy, drama, comedy, an interesting plot and brilliant visuals.

5. Goonies

• USA, 1985.
• Adventure, comedy.
• Duration: 114 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

Ordinary American boys go in search of One-Eyed Willie's treasure: after all, only pirate treasures will help them save their area from destruction by greedy contractors. But a gang of other villains is going to interfere with the guys in any way.

The real masters of family cinema have had a hand in this picture: the script was written by Chris Columbus and based on a plot by Steven Spielberg. The result is a touching, gripping and a bit naive film about adolescence with all its attendant problems.

6. The Princess Bride

• USA, 1987.
• Adventure, comedy, fantasy, family, melodrama.
• Duration: 98 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

The beautiful Buttercup dreams of marrying the farm laborer Westley, but her lover is captured by the Dread Pirate Roberts. Desperate to wait for the groom, Dandelion agrees to marry the vain and cowardly prince. But this was not destined to come true: right before the wedding, the girl was kidnapped by bandits.

Rob Reiner ("Misery", "When Harry Met Sally", "Until I Played in the Box") managed to shoot a cult romantic fairy tale, in which there was a place for pirates, giants and knights. But the main decoration of the film is Robin Wright, for whom the role of a princess was one of the first in a big movie.

7. Large

• USA, 1988.
• Science fiction, comedy.
• Duration: 104 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

Thirteen-year-old Joshua Baskin is seriously worried about the difficulties of adolescence. All he dreams of is to grow up and become big as soon as possible. And one day his wish is miraculously fulfilled: Joshua wakes up and discovers that he has turned into a thirty-year-old man, while remaining a child in his soul. He has to find out that adulthood is not only freedom and independence, but also the difficulties that one has to face every day.

In many ways, the success of the film was determined by the excellent performance of Tom Hanks, for which the latter was even nominated for an Oscar as Best Actor. To make the scene more authentic, Tom Hanks was first played by David Moscow, playing little Joshua, and only then by Hanks himself.

8. Honey, I have reduced the children

• USA, 1989.
• Family, comedy, fantasy.
• Duration: 93 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 3.

Keen inventor Wayne Zalinski came up with an incredible machine that can shrink objects. The children of the protagonist Nick and Amy, together with their friends, the Thompson brothers, manage to accidentally turn on the device and become the size of a speck.

Joe Johnston's directorial debut (Jumanji, The First Avenger) turned out to be incredibly successful: the gripping story of how dangerous the most ordinary world looks from the point of view of a tiny man, received two full-length sequels. A series of the same name was even filmed based on the film.

9. Home alone

• USA, 1990.
• Christmas comedy, family.
• Duration: 102 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 5.

The large McCallister family is about to spend the Christmas holidays in Paris. In the eerie morning bustle, parents forget their youngest son Kevin at home. The same one sincerely enjoys the long-awaited loneliness, but soon he has to face two robbers breaking into empty houses.

Most have at least once in their lives watched the classic Christmas tape by Chris Columbus and remembers both the warm festive atmosphere and the kind of black humor that makes the children's film interesting for adults. By the way, Exclusive: Home Alone reboot in the works appeared not so long ago! information about the upcoming sequel. Apparently, Macaulay Culkin himself may well take part in the restart.

10. The Addams family

• USA, 1991.
• Fantasy, black comedy.
• Duration: 99 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 9.

The colorful Addams family lives in a gloomy old mansion on the outskirts of a small town. The head of the Gomez family suffers from a long separation from his brother Fester, with whom they quarreled a quarter of a century ago. Gomez's sneaky lawyer, dreaming of getting the Addams family fortune, sends them a swindler, whose son is like the missing Fester.

Meanwhile, the Addams children - Wednesday and Pugsley - are convinced that the newly arrived uncle is not at all who he claims to be. Therefore, they are trying to bring adventurers to clean water and open their parents' eyes.

The debut film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld was extremely successful. Perhaps, the fact that the writers worked on the picture, together with Tim Burton, created "Edward Scissorhands" and "Beetlejuice" played a role. The Addams Family still stands the test of time: this is a rather deep story about how frightening infernal eccentrics in fact turn out to be much more united and kind-hearted than decent ordinary people who do not shy away from any meanness.

11. Captain Hook

• USA, 1991.
• Adventure, fairy tale, drama.
• Duration: 144 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 7.

The ever-busy lawyer Peter Benning discovers that he is the grown-up Peter Pan, who has forgotten about his past. Now he needs to return to Neverland in order to save his own children, who were kidnapped by his old enemy - Captain Hook.

If the original books about Peter Pan are a veiled story about growing up, then Steven Spielberg's bright fairy tale is an attempt to talk with a young and not so audience about how difficult it can be to regain a child's direct perception of the world.

12. Mrs. Doubtfire

• USA, 1993.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 125 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 0.

Divorced father of three, Daniel Hillard misses his offspring, whom he was only allowed to see once a week. Then the resourceful Daniel changes into the charming Mrs. Doubtfire and is hired by his ex-wife as a housekeeper.

The leading actor Robin Williams improvised so much on set that director Chris Columbus even had to use multiple cameras simultaneously in his scenes in order not to miss anything. The film was awarded an Oscar for the best make-up and hairstyle, which is not surprising, because Williams spent 4-5 hours in the dressing room every day.

13. Free Willie

• USA, France, 1993.
• Family, adventure, drama.
• Duration: 108 minutes.
• IMDb: 5, 9.

Twelve-year-old notorious tomboy Jesse, who works in the aquarium, meets the smart killer whale Willie there. At this time, the owners of the establishment decide to kill Willie and pass it off as an accident in order to receive an insurance payment. But these insidious plans are not destined to come true: Jesse is going to desperately fight for the life of a friend.

The story of the touching friendship of a mischievous boy and a killer whale is one of the favorite childhood films of the 90s generation. The film received two sequels, each of which featured an "actor" already known from the first film - a male killer whale named Keiko.

14. Matilda

• USA, 1996.
• Comedy, family run.
• Duration: 102 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 9.

The gifted girl Matilda was not at all lucky to be born into a family of narrow-minded and greedy Wormwoods. Parents are not only not amazed at the amazing abilities of their daughter - they are generally not interested in her life, because they are too busy with their own. In the meantime, Matilda must use all her extraordinary mind and supernatural abilities to save the school from the evil and eccentric headmistress Agatha Trunchball and help the kind teacher Miss Honey return to her home.

Staged by Danny DeVito based on the book of the same name by Roald Dahl, the film will make children laugh and empathize with the characters, and give parents a reason to look at themselves from the outside. After all, sometimes adults really behave like Harry Wormwood: “I'm smart, you're stupid; I am big, you are small; I'm right, you're wrong."

15. Jumanji

Jumanji

• USA, 1995.
• Adventure, fantasy, comedy.
• Duration: 104 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 0.

One day, the son of the owner of a shoe factory, Alan Parrish, finds a strange board game "Jumanji", which he decides to try with his friend Sarah Whittle. As a result, right before the eyes of the amazed girl, Alan disappears without a trace.

26 years later, young Judy and Peter Shepard find the game and rescue Alan from captivity: it turns out that he was thrown into the jungle. Now the heroes must join forces to end a terrible game in Jumanji together and bring Parrish back to his time. But this is not so simple: after all, they are opposed by wild animals, poisonous plants and the mad hunter Van Pelt.

The adventure film directed by Joe Johnston with the brilliant Robin Williams in the title role has collected a large box office and fell in love with the audience. Based on the picture, they even created an animated series of the same name, and in 2017 they decided to return to the theme of Jumanji in a sequel called Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. Moreover, in the new tape, the mystical game transforms from a board into a cartridge for a console.

16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

• USA, UK, 2001.
• Fantasy, adventure, family.
• Duration: 152 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

The young orphan Harry Potter is a real burden for malevolent relatives: Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. But on his eleventh birthday, the boy learns that he is a wizard. Now Harry has to become a student of the Hogwarts school of magic, find friends and enemies there, and also find himself in the center of events that are somehow connected with the mysterious philosopher's stone.

A kind film by Chris Columbus tells not only about fantastic powers, but also about love for parents, friends and school. Largely thanks to the skill of famous British actors and the enchanting music of John Williams, it is the first film about a wizard boy that remains a favorite among many fans of J. K. Rowling's work.

17. Lemony Snicket: 33 misfortunes

• USA, 2004.
• Adventure, comedy, family, fantasy, neo-noir.
• Duration: 108 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 8.

After a terrible fire deprived the young Baudelaires of their home and loving parents, the children go to live with a distant relative, Count Olaf. Only now he is not a count, but a sullen villain, planning to take possession of the children’s inheritance.

Director Brad Silberling has created a truly fabulous and slightly dark story that tells how important it is to be resourceful and smart in the face of the enemy. Despite the fact that the studio hoped for a continuation of the franchise in the spirit of the series of films about Harry Potter, the sequel was never removed. But in 2017, based on the series of novels "Thirty-three misfortunes" on the streaming service Netflix, a series was released.

18. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

• USA, UK, 2005.
• Musical, fantasy, comedy.
• Duration: 115 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 6.

Eccentric manufacturer Willy Wonka announces that children who find golden tickets in branded chocolate bars will have the opportunity to enter the famous chocolate factory. One of the lucky ones becomes a kind and good boy from a poor family, Charlie Bucket, while the other four who won the lottery are spoiled and narcissistic children, whom Mr. Willy Wonka will certainly teach a lesson.

A fantastic film by Tim Burton based on the novel of the same name by Roald Dahl tells how much a family means to a person, even if it seems that you are out of luck with relatives. In addition, you can also watch the classic film adaptation of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Here the manufacturer is played by the genius Gene Wilder, for whom this role has become one of the most recognizable acting jobs.

19. Enchanted

• USA, 2007.
• Family, comedy, fantasy, musical.
• Duration: 107 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 1.

The main character Giselle, a princess from the fabulous drawn country of Andalasia, turns out to be in New York against her will. There she meets the cynical divorce lawyer Robert Philip, who does not believe in true love and romantic stories with a happy ending.

The main diamond of the film is undoubtedly the actress Amy Adams, who perfectly embodied the collective image of the classic Disney princesses. The picture is kindly ironic over the old works of the studio and at the same time looks like a great declaration of love for the entire golden fund of cult Disney cartoons.

20. Keeper of time

• USA, 2011.
• Adventures.
• Duration: 126 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 5.

A little orphan named Hugo Cabre lives at a Paris train station. From his father-watchmaker, the boy inherited only the talent of an inventor and a strange broken wind-up doll, the secret of which he will have to discover together with his new girlfriend Isabelle.

The master of gangster tapes, director Martin Scorsese surprised everyone by filming a wonderful children's adventure film based on Brian Selznick's book "The Invention of Hugo Cabre". The main role was played by then still very young actor Ace Butterfield, who recently starred in the acclaimed Netflix series Sex Education.