- Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day– Alexander is having a very bad day but so is everyone else in his family.
- Annie– The 1982 original with Carol Burnette as Miss Hannigan is a classic.
- Back to the Future– When 1980’s teen Marty McFly is sent back to the 1950’s, he finds himself in a position where his being there might change the events of the future.
- Beauty and the Beast– The original is amazing and it was the first animated film to be nominated for an Oscar in 1992. The 2017 live action version is just as amazing.
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory– My daughter and I are partial to this Johnny Depp/Tim Burton version of the Roald Dahl book.
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang– One of my all-time favorite movies, this is the story of widowed inventor Caratacous Potts, his children Jemima and Jeremy, and candy heiress Truly Scrumptious. When Potts invents a flying car, he tells his Truly and his children the story of evil Baron Bomburst who is out to steal his invention.
- Escape to Witch Mountain– Tony and Tia are siblings who have amazing psychic powers. Kidnapped by a millionaire who plans to exploit their powers, the brother and sister escape with the help of a widower.
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial– Elliott stumbles upon E.T. in his backyard and must come up with a creative way to get the creature back to his home planet.
- Finding Nemo– When Nemo goes missing, his father tries frantically to find him. With the help of memory challenged Dory, this adventure proves you just have to keep swimming.
- Freaky Friday– The original 1977 version starring Jodie Foster as Annabel Andrews who switches places with her mother on Friday the 13th.
- Gnomeo and Juliet– A very clever children’s movie, a modern take on the classic tale. Produced by Elton John, it’s full of his songs and made a fan out of my daughter.
- The Goonies– When two boys find a treasure map, they bring some friends along to help them find it, but someone else is looking for it as well.
- Grease– John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John as Danny and Sandy. Grease is the word.
- Harry Potter {and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and the Chamber of Secrets, and the Prisoner of Azkaban}– The first three movies in the beloved book series are just as interesting as the books.
- Home Alone– When youngest sibling Kevin gets left home alone while his family heads to Paris, he must use all of his cunning skills to beat two would be robbers at their own game.
- Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey– Dogs Chance and Shadow, along with cat Sassy get dropped off at a friend’s ranch when their family goes on vacation. The three pets find themselves on a journey to find the family they think it’s returning to pick them up.
- The Karate Kid– Daniel is new to Southern California and quickly finds himself the target of bullies. With the help of Mr. Miyagi, Daniel trains with the martial arts master to defend himself.
- The Little Mermaid– Ariel is a teenage mermaid who will do anything to get herself a pair of legs and walk on land.
- The Little Rascals– My daughter loves this movie, and I love that she loves it. The classic TV show gets a 90’s makeover.
- Mary Poppins-Another one of my all-time favorite movies, Mary Poppins is the story of the magical nanny who mysteriously shows up one day to help the Banks family. Julie Andrews won an Oscar for her role as the supercalifragilisticexpialidotious nanny.
- Mary Poppins Returns– The 2018 sequel is just as much fun as the original and Emily Blunt is a wonderful Mary Poppins.
- Matilda– Another Roald Dahl classic made for the big screen. Rhea Perlman and Danny DeVito star as self-absorbed parents to Matilda, an inquisitive and smart little girl who wants to do nothing besides read.
- Mr. Mom – I love this movie about Michael Keaton who plays auto engineer Jack, who loses his job and becomes a stay-at-home dad.
- The Muppet Movie– Kermit, Miss Piggy and the gang embark on a cross country trip to Hollywood. Someday you’ll find the rainbow connection…
- The Peanuts Movie– The Peanuts were my favorite when I was a kid, so I was so happy to share this movie with my daughter when it came out in 2015.
- Pete’s Dragon–This beloved tale is the story of an orphan and his friend, a great, big green dragon. The remake is also very good.
- Pippi Longstocking– Red headed Pippi moves into her father’s home, Villa Villekulla, and befriends neighbors Tommy and Annika. The three try to save Pippi’s fortune from being stolen by thieves.
- Pippi on the Run– Two Pippi movies because we love Pippi! The tale of the eccentric little girl with crooked braids and a colorful horse continues.
- The Parent Trap– Before Lindsay Lohan, there was Hayley Mills who plays identical twins separated at birth by their parents’ divorce. When they are reunited years later at summer camp, they conspire to get their parents back together.
- Star Wars IV: A New Hope– While this says Star Wars IV, it’s really Star Wars I. If showing your kids Star Wars for the first time, this is where you start.
- Uncle Buck– John Candy stars as the lazy, carefree uncle who comes to take care of his brother’s kids one weekend.
- Wonder–My daughter loved the book and she loved the movie. And I cried every time I saw a commercial for it, so you know it’s a good one.
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