Watching movies with family is fun. The atmosphere of watching will be more pronounced especially with the people closest to us. Therefore, many are looking for the best family movie recommendations or the best family movie recommendations.
Well, therefore Dafunda Movie will share 10 titles of the best family movie recommendations that you can watch at home with your loved ones. Let’s check the list below!
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Best Family Movie Recommendations
1. A Christmas Story – 1983
Our first best family movie recommendation is A Christmas Story. The movie tells the story of a nine-year-old boy who has a big wish to fulfill on Christmas Day. That’s the simple premise of the unlikely Christmas-themed family drama comedy A Christmas Story.
Although A Christmas Story was not an instant hit when it first came out, many people consider it one of the best Christmas movies of all time and it has been included in the National Film Registry.
A Christmas Story adapts the semi-fictional book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash, which contains a series of short stories by Jean Shepherd.
A Christmas Story Synopsis
A Christmas Story is a story told by an adult narrator, Jean Shepherd, who remembers her childhood as a nine-year-old named Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley). On the day before Christmas, Ralphie looks in a toy store window and hopes to get his hands on a toy air rifle, the Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model.
Ralphie really wanted the toy, even though his mother, Mrs. Parker, refused because she was worried about the gun-shaped toy. However, Ralphie never gave up, he even wrote an essay for his school assignment from his teacher, Ms. Shields, about the toy with the theme “Christmas Wishes”.
Ralphie also expresses his desire to get the toy to Santa Claus while at the shopping center on Christmas Eve. Ralphie, who is always with his younger brother, Randy (Ian Petrella), and two friends, Flick and Schwartz, is often the target of a bully from an older kid on his way to and from school.
Meanwhile, Ralphie’s father, Mr. Parker (Darren McGavin), has won a contest and received a large prize package. Mr. Parker often grumbles and swears when dealing with the ever-troubled space heater.
In addition, every time he comes home from work, Mr. Parker is always disturbed by his neighbor’s large dog. So, the core of the movie A Christmas Story is actually quite simple, namely Ralphie’s efforts to fulfill his desire to get a Christmas present in the form of a toy air rifle. But it can be packaged so well.
2. Hachi: A Dog’s Tale – 2009
Have you ever heard of a dog’s loyalty to its master? You would definitely say that it was Hachiko. Hachi: A Dog’s Tale is a remake of Hachiko Monogatari, released in 2009. The movie adapts the true story of Akita Inu, directed by Lasse Hallstrom, with a script by Stephen P. Lindsey and Kaneto Shindo.
Hachi: A Dog’s Tale Synopsis
The story begins when Professor Parker finds a dog at the train station. The professor decided to take the dog home and take care of it. The relationship between Professor Parker and his dog, Hachiko, grew closer over time. Hachiko always waited for Professor Parker’s return in front of the station every day.
However, one day Professor Parker died before he could reach his home. Despite this, Hachiko faithfully waited in front of the station, unaware that his master would never return home again. Hachiko continued to perform this daily routine of coming to the station and waiting for his master’s return.
3. It’s a Wonderful Life – 1947
The next best family movie recommendation is It’s a Wonderful Life. The movie It’s a Wonderful Life was not very popular at first. The movie is an adaptation of a short story called The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern which is only 24 pages long and was originally published in pamphlet form.
It was later bought by RKO Pictures, a company owned by renowned director Frank Capra. However, over time, the film began to gain recognition and popularity, especially among the general public, and was eventually considered one of the best films of all time. The movie also earned five Academy Awards nominations.
It’s a Wonderful Life Synopsis
In the town of Bedford Falls, a man named George Bailey (James Stewart) who works as a construction and loan banker feels so hopeless about his life that he thinks about ending it on Christmas Eve.
However, a guardian angel named Clarence (Henry Travers) manages to prevent this, by pointing out how many people around him have gotten help from George.
The angel even gave George a glimpse into another reality of his life that was still full of positivity. Realizing that his life had value, George regained his will to live and soon realized that there were many people who helped him in difficult times, so he never felt alone and many people valued his life.
4. Mary Poppins – 1964
The best family movies usually have children in them. The musical movie “Mary Poppins” released in 1964 is one of Disney’s best musical movies to date. Mary Poppins was first introduced as a children’s novel written by P.L Traver in 1934 and consists of 8 books.
The novel was so popular that Walt Disney spent two decades acquiring the rights to “Mary Poppins” so that it could be adapted into a movie. However, the filmmaking process was met with a lot of resistance from P.L Traver who disagreed with many of the changes Disney made (a common occurrence with Disney films) and strongly objected to the use of animation in the film.
As a result, many conflicts occurred during the production process which resulted in some songs not being included in the final version of the movie.
Mary Poppins Synopsis
David Tomlinson, who plays George Banks, is frustrated by the mischievous behavior of his two children, Jane (Karen Dotrice) and Michael (Matthew Garber), which makes their nanny always resign. This is actually due to the lack of attention from both parents, especially dad who is too busy with his job at the bank.
When Banks was looking for a new nanny for her children, Julie Andrews in the role of Mary Poppins applied for the job. Mary Poppins turns out to be different from previous nannies.
With his magical powers, he slowly made Jane and Michael into more obedient children and tried to improve the relationship between father and son for the better.
5. Modern Times – 1936
Although sound films began to dominate since 1929, Charlie Chaplin persisted with his silent films. He proved his quality through the movie City Lights released in 1931, which became one of his best works and is always included in the list of the best comedies of all time.
After five years, Chaplin created Modern Times, which was originally intended to be a sound film. However, Chaplin scrapped the idea, thinking that it would ruin the unique identity of The Tramp character who was famous for his expressions and movements.
Eventually, in a film whose main idea came from a conversation between Chaplin and Mahatma Gandhi, they experimented with combining silent film with some dialog effects. In fact, in Modern Times, the audience hears The Tramp’s voice for the first time and also for the last time, because after that the character is “retired”.
Modern Times is listed as a National Film of the United States and is perfect for a top family movie recommendation.
Modern Times Synopsis
Modern Times tells the story of the Great Depression in the 1930s, when the economy was in chaos and people were struggling to find work in factories. The Tramp was one of the workers in the factory who exploited his laborers. There was an attempt to make the most of working time by removing the lunch hour.
This caused Tramp to have a mental breakdown that led to an accident at work and he had to receive treatment in a mental hospital. Unfortunately, after he was discharged from the hospital, he was involved in a demonstration and due to a (hilarious) misunderstanding, he was jailed.
6. Paddington 2 – 2017
Paddington 2 is a movie that is worth watching with your family and children, because it not only has a simple story, but also contains moral messages that can be applied in everyday life.
The movie first appeared in 2014 for the first season, and Paddington 2 came three years later, in 2017. Paul King is the director of the film and is assisted by a number of professional voice actors for animated films, including Ben Whishaw, Brendan Gleeson, Sally Hawkins, Jim Broadbent, and more.
Paddington 2 Synopsis
Paddington, who has now become part of the Brown family, is well-loved by his neighbors. He planned to buy a pop-up book about London as a 100th birthday present for Aunt Lucy. Therefore, he decided to take on a lot of work to save up and buy the book. However, the book he wanted was stolen.
When the theft occurs, Paddington tries to chase the thief but is unsuccessful and instead he is accused of being the culprit. The real thief is Phoenix Buchanan, an egotistical actor who lives near the Brown family home.
Although Samuel Gruber, the owner of the shop where the book was sold, doubted the charges against Paddington, with no evidence to back him up, Paddington ended up in jail.
7. Spirited Away – 2001
The best family movie recommendations are incomplete if they don’t include Japanese animated films. Spirited Away or Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi is an animated film by director Hayao Miyazuki. Spirited Away is one of Studio Ghibli’s most famous films. A 10-year-old girl accidentally enters a fantasy world full of spirits.
Sprited Away, is one of the two anime that won an Oscar.
Spirited Away Synopsis
The story follows the adventures of Chihiro (Rumi Hiiragi) who accidentally enters another world after going through a tunnel in the forest. There, her parents turn into pigs after greedily eating the food in the place.
While in this strange world, Chihiro meets Haku (Miyu Irino), a teenage boy who is the embodiment of the Kohaku River spirit. Haku guides Chihiro to survive in the strange and frightening world by suggesting she work at the bathhouse that Yubaba (Natsuki) runs.
Chihiro goes to great lengths to bring her parents home and restore them to their former glory. She’s willing to do anything, including working as a maid in a bathhouse for God spirits and erasing part of her name.
8. The Pursuit of Happyness – 2006
The next best family movie recommendation is The Pursuit of Happyness. The movie starring Will Smith and his son, Jaden Smith has a heartfelt story and is perfect for you to watch with your family. This movie is based on a true story, namely Chris Gardner’s journey in pursuing success.
In this movie, Smith portrays the character of entrepreneur Chris Gardner who tries his best to become a famous stockbroker. Being homeless, being left behind by his wife, taking care of his children alone, are all featured in Gabriele Muccino’s movie.
The Pursuit of Happyness Synopsis
Set in 1981 San Francisco, California, the movie follows the lives of Linda and Chris Gardner and their 5-year-old son, Christopher, who live in a cramped apartment.
Things got tough for the family when they could no longer afford the rent and the bills kept piling up, resulting in Linda deciding to leave Chris and move to New York City.
In fact, Linda wanted to take Christopher, but Chris asked her not to.
Chris then chose his path as a stock broker, inspired by someone he met on the street. He landed an unpaid internship at brokerage firm Dean Witter Reynolds, but during this period, his finances were running low.
The situation worsened when he was kicked out of his apartment and became homeless. But this predicament pushes Chris to work harder and try to get a job at Dean Witter Reynolds. The main challenge: will Chris be able to get the job and improve his living conditions?
9. The Wizard of Oz – 1939
Another classic movie that has the best family elements is The Wizard of Oz, released in 1939. This movie adapted the children’s storybook by Victor Fleming before moving on to Gone with the Wind.
The Wizard of Oz has a great story, musical score and characters. Featuring Judy Garland and Frank Morgan, the movie won two Oscar categories for Best Original Song and Best Original Score.
The Wizard of Oz Synopsis
Dorothy, a woman who is annoyed that her neighbor is trying to kill her dog, decides to run away from home. On her way, she realizes that her actions are only causing trouble for the people at home. However, when she decides to return, a huge storm hits and takes her to a fantasy world.
10. Wonder – 2017
Wonder is an American family drama film released in 2017, with Stephen Chbosky as director and screenwriter alongside Jack Thorne and Steven Conrad. The movie is an adaptation of the novel of the same name, which was published in 2012 and written by R. J. Palacio.
The cast of the movie includes Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, Jacob Tremblay, Noah Jupe, Izabela Vidovic, Mandy Patinkin, and Daveed Diggs. Although the production cost of the movie was only US$20 million, the movie earned US$305 million.
Wonder Synopsis
It tells the story of a boy named August “Auggie” Pullman with Treacher Collins syndrome who tries to fit in. Auggie lives in a brownstone in Brooklyn with his mother Isabel (Julia Roberts), father Nate (Owen Wilson), older sister Via (Izabela Vidovic) and dog Daisy.
Auggie was born with a rare medical facial deformity called “mandibulofacial dysostosis”. He has undergone 27 different surgeries to see, smell, speak and hear. During this time, Auggie was home-schooled but when he was approaching fifth grade his parents decided to enroll him in a private school Beecher Prep.
Before entering the school, Auggie met the Principal who took him around the school with three other students, Jack, Julian, and Charlotte. When he first entered the school, Auggie did not make any friends at all. However, it wasn’t long before he formed a very close friendship with Jack.
However, when Auggie enters his class, Jack says he doesn’t know Auggie. Julian and his friends, Amos, Miles, and Henry, make fun of Auggie behind his back by saying that they would kill themselves if they looked like Auggie.
So that’s a list of family movie recommendations or the best family movie recommendations according to Dafunda. The movie titles above are the result of community voting and combined with several movie ranking sites. For those of you who have other best family movie recommendations, please share them in the comments column!
