Modern life and its inherent distractions can seem to conspire against family time. But movies still have the power to bring everyone together with tales of friendship, adventure, love, or laughter. To help parents pick the best films to screen for a family night on the couch, this guide breaks down hundreds of great movies by plot, age appropriateness, and tone, ensuring safe viewing for everyone. The Ultimate Family Movie Guide is also filled with photos, illustrations, best lines, and film facts, making it a handy reference that can be revisited over and over again.
Family Movie Guide
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs • This pioneering achievement in animation is the fairest of them all.
Duck Soup • Slapstick meets satire in this Marx Brothers classic.
The Wizard of Oz • The best movie posse ever seeks out what’s real in Oz.
Dumbo • When this little elephant flies, our hearts soar.
Bambi • The little dear whose name has become synonymous with real-life deer.
It’s a Wonderful Life • This tribute to human decency still feels fresh every holiday season.
Singin’ in the Rain • A silent-movie star becomes the talk of the town when he goes public with a new partner.
The Red Balloon • Imagine floating your way through the City of Light.
Old Yeller • A boy and his dog—why, that’s a story as big as the plains of Texas itself.
The Sound of Music • The hills are alive with Julie Andrews’ star power.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang • This baby doesn’t just have wheels. Check out its wings, too!
Pippi Longstocking • While other young girls may dabble in mischief, this one makes it an art form.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory • The parable that asks if any price is too high to pay for a life of endless chocolate.
Sounder • A mother and son set off on a journey of justice after the family patriarch is sent to a prison camp.
The Black Stallion • The bond between a boy and his steed leads both to an epic race against the fastest horses in the world.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrail • Steven Steven Spielberg reminds us that looking for a way to get back home is only human.
Back to the Future • Michael J. Fox takes a cool ride to rescue life as we know it.
Big • No, no, in this case the kid really did grow up too fast.
Home Alone • Today’s tip: If you’re planning to burglarize a house, first be very sure Macaulay Culkin isn’t inside.
Babe • The tale of how one unstoppable little pink pig beat the system.
Toy Story • Once you get to know them, you’ll find your toys are as neurotic as people are.
The School Of Rock • In this grade-school classroom, they bring the noize.
Elf • Remember the true spirit of Christmas, one jolly green toymaker at a time.
Night at the Museum • The after-hours activities of the residents give new meaning to the term “graveyard shift.”
The Greatest Showman • All the world’s a stage in this musical origin story for American showman P.T. Barnum.
Paddington 2 • After working hard to buy a present for his Aunt Lucy, Paddington’s gift is stolen, leading to another adventure.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse • It’s hard to focus on high school when you’ve got uncontrolled superpowers and an all-powerful enemy to fight.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines • A family fights for connection as technology takes over. Are we there yet?
Soul • Tackling life and death’s biggest mysteries in a way that’s playful and profound.
Luca • A tale of friendship with real legs rises to the surface.
From Page To Screen
Peter Pan • Bedtime stories turn real for Wendy and her brothers when Peter Pan leads...
