Top 25 Family Movies

Kids love the idea that life may exist beyond our solar system and that the alien in this movie loves candy as much as they do. You will be amazed at what a long way special effects have come in the 25 years since E.T. was released—remember they were state of the art at the time! (Note that for kids easily scared there are a few potentially frightening scenes, particularly at the end of the film.)

A heartwarming story of an intelligent 11-year-old girl who struggles with hiding her smarts so she doesn't get labeled as a ‘brainiac'. But once she sets her heart of competing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, against all odds, she becomes the hero every kid wants to cheer on, and cheer we did.

If you want to share some of The Inconvenient Truth messages about global warming with your kids while learning a lot about the harsh realities of existence in the Artic, Arctic Tale, a fascinating documentary about Nanu, the polar bear cub, and Seela, a walrus pup, who, along with their mothers, travel through their icebound world which is rapidly melting beneath them, is a great way to do so.

A delightful Japanese animated journey into the imagination for the whole family about two young sisters, Satsuke and Mei, who move to a house in the country to be closer to their hospitalized mother. Soon they discover that the nearby forest is inhabited by magical creatures called Totoros, and enjoy several magical adventures with them.

A young boy from a poor family wins a tour of the most magnificent chocolate factory in the world and is joined by his grandfather to experience its delights (kids love the chocolate river) and learn that being greedy does not get you anywhere in life.

Narrated by Matt Damon (with soundtrack by Bryan Adams), the animated movie tells the inspirational story of Spirit, a young mustang and leader of the Cimarron herd, who sets out on an action-packed quest to regain his herd's freedom and their homeland, digging deep to find the hero inside him.

There is something about the ideas of being left to survive with nothing but the clothing on your back, hunting for your own food, taming wild animals and freedom at a very young age you'll see in the Disney classic Swiss Family Robinson that appeals to kids with a sense of adventure (which is pretty much most kids we find).

Go old school with the 1978 version of Superman, the ultimate super hero movie with its star-studded cast of Christopher Reeve, Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman and Margot Kidder.

A story about how you can be anything you want to be if you try, Babe is a gallant farm pig who wants to become a sheep dog (to ‘save his bacon' so to speak) and gets the help of his many friends from the farm to achieve his dream.

Nim Island is a young girl who lives on a remote tropical island (who hasn't imagined that?) with her scientist father and must muster the help of her favourite author and an imaginary adventurer to help save her father from a storm.

The large and happy Baker family go through some changes when their parents change jobs, and at the end of the day realize that family comes first. Kids love imagining what it would be like to have 12 siblings and Hilary Duff fans will be happy to see their idol in the role of Lorraine Baker.

Great for any animal lover, the film chronicles the adventures of two children who take in stray dogs in a vacant hotel.

When an out-of-work actor finds himself suddenly divorced, he disguises himself as an old Scottish nanny to be closer to his kids. Lots of laughs ensue, but so do messages about the challenges of divorce and the importance of family.

Following the migration path of four animal families with breathtaking footage, Earth highlights the fragility of our world and the dramatic balance between life and death in nature, and serves as a good starting point for discussions about protecting the environment.

A 10 year-old girl, abandoned by her mother, moves to a small town to be with her father, and adopts a stray dog who helps her make new friends (we love the pet shop owner played by Dave Matthews).

The unlikely bond formed between gourmet-food loving Ratatouille (a rat) and aspiring chef Linguini and their goal to impress a notoriously hard-to-please food critic makes for great entertainment for kids and adults alike, and foodies will learn a thing or two about gourmet cooking and how fine restaurants are run.

We love every movie by Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki and this charming story about a young witch in-training who supports herself through her mandatory year of independent living by running a courier service is no exception. It's a great lesson on how to handle the responsibilities of life! (If you like it, try Ponyo, about a young boy and his friendship with a goldfish princess who longs to be human, which was widely released last year.)

A lonely young boy discovers a mysterious egg along the shores of Loch Ness and soon discovers that the strange, mischievous hatchling inside is none other that the Loch's most fabled creature. Keeping his new friend a secret becomes a challenge that kids and adults alike will enjoy, along with the beautiful scenic shots and historical backdrop of WWII.

You know the story of Dorothy Gale who is swept away to a magical land by a tornado and needs to find the Wizard to help her get home, but your kids may not, and everyone will love to see the old-school special effects.

Pleasantly plump Tracy makes it onto her favourite dance show and teaches Baltimore (and film viewers) a thing or two about racial integration, tolerance and acceptance along the way.

The story of an inept night watchman who discovers that all the exhibits in the Museum of Natural History come to life after the sun sets, is funny for young (we have some 3 year-old fans in the group) and old. Faced with the likes of a frisky T.rex skeleton or the battling armies of Romans and cowboys, Larry must find a way to control the chaos and ultimately save all the historic characters, making him a hero.

Set in the context of the eve of World War II, this classic Rodgers & Hammerstein musical about the Von Trapp children and their new governess makes hearts sing thanks to the memorable songs and the story of how Maria wins over the rowdy children along with Captain Von Trapp's heart.

Based on the true story of the attempt to create the first Jamaican bobsled team for the Calgary 1988 Olympic Games, it's a fun way to warm-up for the next Winter Olympics.

A group of boys become baseball buddies, and have a number of summer adventures along the way, including a run-in with the infamous baseball-eating dog, The Beast.

Kids can relate to the feisty character of Annie as they follow her adventures in finding a family that will take her, charming the seemingly cold-hearted Daddy Warbucks and battling the evil Miss Hannigan and her brother, and everyone can sing along!