A quick question before the suggestions are rolling in: is there any confusion on what "Family" means as a genre? And does anyone have any good definitions or explanations to share?

I don't feel really secure on this genre myself. My working definition would be: [four-quadrant movie] + [appropriate for / not objectionable for / appealing to Kids] Are there any kids' movies that AREN'T family movies?

I was confused... does a movie like Kind Hearts & Coronets count as a family movie? I mean, it's about a family... What about Ordinary People?

Here is Rotten Tomatoes Top 100 family movies. Here is Parenting magazines Top 20 family movies. Here is IMDB Top 100 family movies.

Here's a list of possible candidates. I'll hone in on my ten favorites in the coming days. Fly Away Home Watership Down Babe Finding Neverland The Neverending Story (hmm... probably fits better in Fantasy) Singin' In The Rain Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Liar Liar E.T. (this is more a family film than Sci-Fi, IMO) The Iron Giant Breaking Away The Straight Story Elf Bugsy Malone (1976) Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Gene Wilder) The Adventures of Robin Hood (Errol Flynn) Mary Poppins Pinocchio (1940) Beauty and the Beast (1991) Bambi Who Framed Roger Rabbit Pee-wee's Big Adventure The Wizard of Oz (Fantasy, I guess, but we're gonna see that a lot in the Family Films genre)) Big Harvey (James Stewart) Miracle on 34th Street To Kill a Mockingbird Chicken Run The Hunchback of Notre Dame (The 1939 version with Charles Laughton as Quasimodo, not the Disney version with song and dance at the end) The Goonies Stand By Me Home Alone Spirited Away Jurassic Park Whale Rider Little Women (1994) The Secret Garden (1993) A Little Princess (1995) And a Pixar film. My choice would be either Ratatouille, Finding Nemo or Monsters, Inc. I'm sure everyone has their own favorite.

The Lion King Shrek Home Alone Babe Alaska The Karate Kid The Wizard of Oz The Yearling or Old Yeller (classic family + animal) The Black Stallion The Incredibles or Finding Nemo or Toy Story (Pixar)

I assume "Family" also implies an MPAA rating of G or PG (not PG13 or higher)...?

Unless we include The Manson Family...

Another good list: In 2005, the British Film Institute put together a list of 50 films that all children should see by the age of 14. I haven't seen a bunch of their selections, and I'll make a point of watching them with my nephews.

In no particular order but on the basis that a family film doesn't necessarily have to be a children's film. Also, no animated movies: Local Hero Passport to Pimlico Mary Poppins My Fair Lady Time Bandits Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban (representing all the HP movies) Wizard of Oz Oliver! Bicycle Thieves ET

Not forgetting my friend's 11-year-old daughter's two favourite films: The Princess Bride and The Italian Job (1969)

In no real particular order... The Goonies Home Alone The Iron Giant The Karate Kid (1984) The Lion King Toy Story Trilogy (also, everything Pixar ever) Stand By Me Big Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Wilder version) E.T.

Bridge to Terabithia Stand by Me The Lion King Big The Goonies The Princess Bride Home Alone Toy Story

Nice list, Teddy, and lots of films that I second there. > And a Pixar film. My choice would be either Ratatouille, Finding Nemo or Monsters, Inc. I’m sure everyone has their own favorite. I hope our final list isn't all Disney+Pixar or all animated. They may dominate the current incarnation of the genre, but the genre is ultimately so much broader than that.

Which Karate Kid did you have in mind, Judy? 1984 or 2010?

So many good suggestions already that I don't have many left to add, but here goes: A Christmas Story (1983) The Court Jester (1956) Fiddler on the Roof How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1965) Raiders of the Lost Ark The Sound of Music The Wiz It's a Wonderful Life Also, I have never seen The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (1953), whose screenplay was co-written by Dr. Seuss, but it has been highly recommended.

[...] Link: Genre Essentials: Family — 10 Family Movies You Must See | Go … [...]

1/ Finding Nemo. 2/ Shrek (series). 3/ Toystory (series). 4/ Monsters. Inc. 5/ Happy Feet. 6/ Ice Age. 7/ The Lost Boys (should it be here?) 8/ Big. 9/ Casper the friendly ghost. 10/ E.T.

And 11/ Ghostbusters!

Here's the IMDB content advisory warning on The Lost Boys: "Rated R for bloody violence including disturbing images throughout, language and some sexuality" More details at the link.

A lot of the films I would of suggested have been mentioned but; The Goonies Home Alone The Indiana Jones franchise (Especially The Last Crusade) Super 8 Stand By Me Big Fish The Back To The Future series Hook The Gremlins franchise The Short Circuit franchise The Neverending Story (Only the first one) A Series Of Unfortunate Events I could always tell if a family film was successful when I would run around my house pretending to be in the movie.

Oops. I guess not so. 4 strikes and it's out.

I am surprised that we don't have any superhero movies on this list. I know Hollywood now makes superhero movies with PG-13 ratings and above that aren't necessarily family fare, but through much my lifetime, and my parents', superhero movies were for children or families. For example, the 1978 Superman starring Christopher Reeve was rated PG, and I recall it being pitched very much as a whole-family film at the time. (I don't recommend it for our list, though, as I think it is eclipsed by too many of the films already suggested.) Are there any superhero films you feel should be on the list? Teddy, you're right: there are a lot of fantasy films on this list. I wonder why...because kids are accustomed to and more open to "make believe"? Debbie, your friends' daughter sounds like my kind of girl! (We have a Mini of our own.) JoshHutt2, I LOVE your test for a successful family film. I might try it! One more film to add: Muppet Treasure Island (And I'll be honest. I love it for Tim Curry's performance of The Professional Pirate Song [<--at the link]).

While we're discussing family films, I have a question (okay, a few) for those of you still following this thread. I just read an amazing interview with Roberto Benigni, and got thinking about his film Life is Beautiful. In Canada it was rated PG, but in the US the MPAA rated it PG13 "for holocaust-related thematic elements". Do you feel like it's a good addition to this list? How old do you feel like a child would need to be to see the film? (I know: it depends on the specific child, but in general...) And, for those of you who watch movies with kids, at what ages have the kids in your life been able to handle subtitles? I'm the only cinephilic influence on my nephews (aged 11 and just-about-turn 13) and I really look forward to watching Life is Beautiful with them, so this is a practical, not hypothetical, question for me, and I'd really love to hear your answers.

One more: Strictly Ballroom! It's PG, it's vivid, it's funny, it's a great story. Not to watch with little ones, but should work for the middle school crowd and up. Another film I can't wait to watch with my nephews.

And one more list: 100 Recommended Childrens Movies by The New York Times Essential Library

I would have LOVED Kind Hearts & Coronets as a child, so I'm putting it on the list.

Here's our list so far, of 87 suggestions. PLEASE feel free (and encouraged) to double check and make sure your suggestions are on the list. 1. A Christmas Story (1983) 2. A Little Princess (1995) 3. A Series Of Unfortunate Events 4. Alaska 5. Babe 6. Bambi 7. Beauty and the Beast (1991) 8. Bicycle Thieves 9. Big 10. Big Fish 11. Breaking Away 12. Bridge to Terabithia 13. Bugsy Malone (1976) 14. Casper the friendly ghost 15. Chicken Run 16. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 17. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 18. Elf 19. Fiddler on the Roof 20. Finding Nemo 21. Finding Neverland 22. Fly Away Home 23. Ghostbusters! 24. Happy Feet 25. Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban (representing all the HP movies) 26. Harvey (James Stewart) 27. Home Alone 28. Hook 29. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1965) 30. Ice Age 31. It’s a Wonderful Life 32. Jurassic Park 33. Kind Hearts and Coronets 34. Liar Liar 35. Life is Beautiful 36. Little Women (1994) 37. Local Hero 38. Mary Poppins 39. Miracle on 34th Street 40. Monsters, Inc 41. Muppet Treasure Island 42. My Fair Lady 43. Old Yeller 44. Oliver! 45. Passport to Pimlico 46. Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure 47. Pinocchio (1940) 48. Raiders of the Lost Ark 49. Ratatouille 50. Shrek (series) 51. Singin’ In The Rain 52. Spirited Away 53. Stand By Me 54. Strictly Ballroom 55. Super 8 56. The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (1953) 57. The Adventures of Robin Hood (Errol Flynn) 58. The Back To The Future series 59. The Black Stallion 60. The Court Jester (1956) 61. The Court Jester (1956) 62. The Goonies 63. The Gremlins franchise 64. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (The 1939 version with Charles Laughton as Quasimodo, not the Disney version with song and dance at the end) 65. The Incredibles 66. The Indiana Jones franchise (Especially The Last Crusade) 67. The Iron Giant 68. The Italian Job 69. The Karate Kid (1984) 70. The Lion King 71. The Neverending Story 72. The Princess Bride 73. The Secret Garden (1993) 74. The Short Circuit franchise 75. The Sound of Music 76. The Sound of Music 77. The Straight Story 78. The Wiz 79. The Wizard of Oz 80. The Yearling 81. Time Bandits 82. To Kill a Mockingbird 83. Toy Story Trilogy 84. Watership Down 85. Whale Rider 86. Who Framed Roger Rabbit 87. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Gene Wilder) Anything to add while the list is still open?

Pst! If you made a suggestion already for this list, do you happen to have any DVD commentaries you can recommend for the list of Other Resources for the family genre?