Popular Family Friendly Movies for Family Movie Night
Is your family movie night stuck in a rut? You can break out of the monotony with this complete list of Classic new and old Family Friendly Movies that everyone can enjoy!
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With the weather turning cold, it’s time to break out the traditional Family Movie night! When the temperatures are too cold to go outside, we love to curl up with blankets, a popcorn treat like Kettle Corn or Caramel Apple Popcorn Balls, and a great family friendly movie!
The hardest part is simply finding family friendly movies that the entire family can watch. The kids usually want something annoying and cartoonish. The older want a movie more interesting but is usually too adult for the little ones. So how do you find a movie that you all can enjoy?
I took this question to Facebook to crowdsource from all the brilliant mom minds online! And these were the most recommended family friendly movies.
All the greatest family friendly movies from old classics to even new classics! And all great for the family to enjoy together!
Top Family Friendly Movies New and Old
Now obviously you will probably find many of the most popular movies such as Disney Classic Cartoons and even Pixar aren’t on this list. Well, that’s because as a Mom – she can only take watching those movies up to about the 100th time in 2 days thanks to the little ones that insist on watching it over and over and over again.
So while those movies are classics and perfect for family movie night, maybe Mom is a bit tired of watching them and needs something that she can’t quote in her sleep.
So try these great family friendly movies out for family movie night and give mom’s sanity a break!
The Princess Bride – “Is this a Kissing Book?” Base on the Novel, this movie has it all! Fencing, Fighting, Torture, Revenge, Giants, Monsters, Chases, Escapes, True Love, Miracles!
Star Wars – Original Trilogy Does this even need an intro? Our family is completely obsessed and once that our kids grew up watching from the time they were tiny babies.
Rocketman – An unsung comedy from Disney! It doesn’t get the recognition it deserves! Accident-prone astro-nut Fred Randall is the last guy you would want on a mission to Mars. And yet that is exactly what happens!
Newsies – A True story of a group of courageous paper boys who become unlikely heroes when they team up to fight an unscrupulous newspaper tycoon. This is one of my all-time favorite musicals. And it stars a very young Christian Bale!
Hook – One of my favorite Robin Williams movies. The after story of what happens when Peter Pan grows up! Featuring Julia Robers, Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman.
Stardust – Features humor, action, romance and Witches and Pirates! A favorite for our family, especially around Halloween. Starring Claire Danes with Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert De Niro.
Holes – young Stanley Yelnats is sent to Camp Green Lake, a very weird place that’s not green and doesn’t have a lake. Once there, he’s thrown headlong into the adventure of his life when he and his colorful campmates.
Despicable Me – “IT’s SO FLUFFY!” Vying to be “World’s Greatest Villain”, Gru and his crew of hilarious minions plot the crime of the century: steal the moon – but he meets his match when three little girls steal his heart
Yours Mine and Ours – Both the old and the new version. A widowed Coast Guard Admiral and a widow handbag designer fall in love and marry, much to the dismay of her 10 and his 8 children. What crazy things happen when you combine two families into one?
Soul Surfer – you better have kleenexes for this one! It is the inspiring true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith
Hotel Transylvania – Welcome to Hotel Transylvania, Dracula’s lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up and no humans are allowed.
Sound of Music – Julie Andrews lights up the screen as Maria, a spirited young Austrian woman who leaves the convent to become a governess for Captain von Trapp’s (Christopher Plummer) seven unruly children. Her charm and songs soon win the hearts of the children – and their father. But when Nazi Germany unites with Austria, Maria is forced to attempt a daring escape with her new family.
7 Brides for 7 Brothers – my all time favorite musicals. When the eldest of seven Oregon frontier brothers announces his marriage plans, the others follow his advice and kidnap six beautiful women of their own.
Fiddler On The Roof – Norman Jewison’s adaptation of the long-running Broadway musical is set in the Ukranian ghetto village of Anatevka. Tevye the milkman, played by Israeli actor Topol, is constantly being challenged by his poverty, the romantic entanglements of his five daughters, and the prejudicial attitudes of non-Jews.
My Fair Lady – The transformation when a High-Class Gentleman takes a bet and agrees to try to transform a mere flower girl into a proper English lady.
Bedknobs and Broomsticks – a classic family favorite. When an amateur witch and three kids save England from invasion. Starring: Angela Lansbury & David Tomlinson.
Darby O’Gill and the Little People – The story of an Irish caretaker who manages to exact three wishes from Brian, king of the leprechauns.
What About Bob – this was one of the first movies I watched with the husband when we were dating. It cracked us both up. One of Bill Murry’s best! A man tracks down his doctor and insinuates himself into the family.
Swiss Family Robinson – The heroic tale of the courageous exploits of the Robinson family after they are shipwrecked on a deserted island. Using teamwork and ingenuity, they overcome the obstacles of nature and transform their new home into a “civilized” community.
Freaky Friday – Both Old and New Version! Understanding what life is like in the other’s shoes! A Mother and Daughter switch bodies on a Freaky Friday and discover what it is really like to be the other.
Parent Trap – Both Old and New Version. Identical twins that didn’t even know the other existed until they are forced together at a summer camp, switch places and reunite their parents.
Night at the Museum – All of them! My kids absolutely love these movies and the adults have fun with them too. They have family values, and humor, plus adventure. When good-hearted dreamer Larry Daley (Stiller) is hired as night watchman at the Museum of Natural History, he soon discovers that an ancient curse brings all the exhibits to life after the sun sets.
Ella Enchanted – On the day of her birth, Ella is given the gift of obedience, which is also a curse. Under no circumstances can Ella refuse anything she is asked to do. Tired of being taken advantage of, Ella leaves home to find her Fairy Godmother and return her unwanted gift. This simple errand soon turns into an amazing journey.
Once I was a Beehive – After losing her father to cancer, a teenage girl reluctantly joins her new step-cousin at a summer camp for Mormon girls. Full of humor for some religious culture, she discovers that there can also be similarities between different religions and find peace through her new found friendships and faith.
Miracles from Heaven – In this inspiring true story, a mother (Jennifer Garner) searches for hope and a cure when she discovers her daughter has a rare disease.
Smurfs – Combining the old classic cartoon into a humorous Movie that kids and parents all enjoy! Cute little blue smurfs for the kids and witty comedy for parents! Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris really make this one a hit!
Willow – One of the early creations from George Lucus and Ron Howard, this is a classic that our entire family loves. A reluctant dwarf must play a critical role in protecting a special baby from an evil queen. Featuring Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, and Warwick Davis.
Galaxy Quest – An All- star cast that does not get the recognition it deserves! Our kids were laughing all through the movie! The alumni cast of a cult space TV show have to play their roles as the real thing when an alien race needs their help. Featuring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, and Alan Rickman.
Goosebumps the Movie – When monsters are unleashed from their manuscripts & terrorize a town, it’s up to R.L. Stine, Zach & Hannah to get them back in their books. Another movie we love to watch around Halloween!
Kung Fu Panda (all) – One of our favorite animations! All movies have our entire family captivated by the humor and story.
Minions – All! Again, another brilliant animation that has everyone laughing from beginning to end! My kids get a little obsessive with these.
Pixels – a humorous creation from Adam Sandler that our entire family loves. And it’s clean enough I’ll let my kids watch it! An unlikely group of former ’80s video game champions step up to save the world from an alien invasion in this visually spectacular action-adventure.
Peter Pan – this must be the 2003 version. We love how they brought the classic story to life in this version. Not too childish, but not too adultish either. It’s a great balance between the two.
How to Train Your Dragon – My kids love this because it’s a cartoon. I love that it is well written to keep even adults entertained. We don’t mind when the kids ask for these movies, because we find humor in them as well!
Castle In the Sky – One of my favorite anime movies! A young boy and a girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle.
Howl’s Moving Castle – My All-time favorite Anime by Hayao Miyazaki. A brilliant Japanese director, who brings magic to the screen. And another that features Christian Bale’s voice talent! When an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking castle.
Honestly just look up anything by Hayao Miyazaki and most of them make great Family Friendly movies. My kids love them all, and so does the Husband and I.
Indiana Jones – Now maybe little kids may not like these, but our Tween boys definitely love them!
Monster House – Another favorite around Halloween. It’s animated so the kids are happy. But it has some rather whitty humor that keeps adults happy too.
Bedtime Stories – Another Adam Sandler comedy that was created specifically for families.
National Treasure – All versions again. A man must steal the Declaration of Independence to find a treasure.
The Journey of Natty Gann – In the 1930s, a tomboyish girl runs away from her guardian in search of her single father who is 2,000 miles away looking for work. The struggles and adventure she faces as she tries to cross the distance.
Sorcerer’s Apprentice – Balthazar Blake is a modern-day sorcerer with his hands full defending Manhattan against dark forces. When a seemingly average kid shows hidden potential, Balthazar takes him on a crash course in magic to become the ultimate sorcerer’s apprentice.
The Secret of Nimh – To save her ill son, a field mouse must seek the aid of a colony of super-intelligent rats, in whom she has a deeper link to than she ever suspected.
Many People also suggested a general “classic musicals”! so there are many different options there!
So there you have it! The most popular and suggested Family Friendly Movies to help get you out of the rut for Family movie night!
What are your favorite Family Friendly Movies?