Top 10 movies to watch with the whole family
There’s nothing quite like that feeling of making popcorn, settling in on the couch with the family and enjoying a film that delights young and old alike. Here is our list of 10 of the best family movies. Did you favourite make the list?
1. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Rated: G
Year: 1968
Cast: Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Heather Ripley, Adrian Hall
It’s the film about a car that everyone knows. A single dad invents a car that can not only fly but float too. When the family test-drives the new wheels, they take a detour into a tyrannical kingdom, where all the children are locked up. What happens next is a beep, hoot and screech of fun with the family.
2. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Rated: PG
Year: 1982
Cast: Henry Thomas, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore
Info: This is a film that will be forever a favourite, which is why you have to watch this one with the family. An extra-terrestrial comes down to Earth and wanders into a child’s backyard. Wide-eyed and alien looking, he surveys the surreal landscape of forests, suburban sprawl, Halloween parades, television, and scientific labs.
3. Freaky Friday
Rated: PG
Year: 2003
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan
Info: If you want a comedy that’s appropriate for everyone, look no further. Therapist mum and rocker daughter are locked in a battle of bodies. After opening fortune cookies, they are transformed into each other. You could only imagine swapping bodies with your own mother or daughter. This one is definitely great for a chuckle or two.
4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone; Chamber of Secrets; The Prisoner of Azkaban
Rated: PG
Years: 2001, 2003, 2004
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
Info: This magical tale of wizards, friendship, school and drama is a fantastic show for the whole family. Author J.K. Rowling's beloved tales of an orphan coming into his own powers is a magical respite in an ordinary, drab, Muggle-filled world. The great thing about this is that after watching the film, you can encourage everyone to pick up the books and read them before the next sequels of the films.
5. The Sound of Music
Rated: G
Year: 1965
Cast: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer
Info: A film that all families should watch together. Cheeky children, glorious scenery, and a family fun song that can be sung over and over again after watching the movie once (trust me, this one is hard to get out of your head). Andrews is the aspiring nun-turned-nanny who finds herself on the doorstep of an intimidating widower and his seven children.
6. Spy Kids
Rated: PG
Year: 2001
Cast: Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino
Info: Action packed, family packed, fun packed. This film places kids in the heart of the action. When Carmen and Juni Cortez discover their parents are spies, they take up the family business with a vengeance. Their latest mission: to rescue their parents from Floop, the power-hungry host of a kids' show, and his horde of little people, the Thumb-Thumbs and you’ll all be taken on a fun adventure when you watch this flick.
7. Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory
Rated: G
Year: 1971
Cast: Gene Wilder, Peter Ostrum, Jack Albertson, Julie Dawn Cole
Info: Who doesn’t love orange balls of people and a world filled with chocolate rivers and all things edible. Willy Wonka says: "Invention, my dear friends, is 93 per cent perspiration, six per cent electricity, four per cent evaporation, and two per cent butterscotch ripple." Whatever the secret ingredients, the results of this film are delicious. There are a few special golden tickets to be won for a few lucky characters, follow them on their journey, but remember to bring your own snacks.
8. Whale Rider
Rated: PG-13
Year: 2003
Cast: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, Vicky Haughton
Info: A contemporary story of love, rejection and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to fulfil a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognise. This one is great for a diverse teaching of tribal culture and breaking down barriers of gender stereotypes.
9. Ella Enchanted
Rated: PG
Year: 2004
Cast: Anne Hathaway, Hugh Dancy, Cary Elwes
Info: Everyone enjoys a good fairy tale. This charming story is about Ella of Frell, a young maiden who suffers from the curse of obedience. Ella struggles to free herself from her predicament by searching for her thoughtless godmother until she finds the courage to rescue herself. Yes, some gifts can be returned! There’s a powerful message to be learnt for all of us from a simple fairy-tale film such as this.
10. The Wizard of Oz
Rated: G
Year: 1939
Cast: Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley
Info: Don’t forget to put your red shoes on for this film! A true favourite in the movie world, filled with lions and tigers, a tin man and a wicked wizard of course. Sweet Dorothy flies into town on a tornado, and meets up with a trio of unlikely travel companions for an adventure. Their quests to find a way home, intelligence, courage, and a heart are great things to encourage the grandchildren to prioritise. Make sure everyone keeps their hands and legs inside the yellow brick road.
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