Netflix or Amazon
Your family wants to watch a good movie, and you need help picking a good family movie. Without spending too much time searching, I found the following movies streaming on either Netflix or Amazon.
- Early Man
- Incredibles 2
- Five Fingers of Marseilles
- Christopher Robin
- A Quiet Place
- Disney’s Earth
- Alvin and the Chipmunks
- VeggieTales Takes a Look at a Meaningful Life
- Dolphin Tale
- The Sandlot
- Lady Bird
- Logan
- Kull: Skull Island
- Boss Baby
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid – The Long Haul
- Little Italy
1. “Early Man”
Early Man brings laughter to the household because the movie is cute and filled with fun and likable characters. Dug, voiced by Eddie Redmayne, is a prehistoric caveman with goofy friends. The situation is hilarious, where the invaders are challenged to a game of soccer because Dug and his tribe need to win back their home.
The movie will capture your family’s attention because the kids relate to the innocence of the idiots, and adults will find the story funny. The undertone of humor in the situations makes parents chuckle. The claymation takes the story to a whole new level of brilliance.
2. “Incredibles 2”
Incredibles 2 is an ideal family movie because it is about a family of superheroes. Other superheroes are also enthralling to see how the family adjusts to being superheroes when mom, Elastic Girl, leaves the family at home with dad in charge. Jack-Jack’s superhero powers are totally out of this world. Brad Bird wrote and directed the movie. His screenplay flies along with tight dialogue and plenty of funny moments. I strongly recommend this movie for family movie night because it is pure entertainment and will satisfy all ages.
If you want to watch back-to-back movies, I strongly recommend the prequel, Incredibles. Again, Brad Bird directs a funny and action-packed film for the whole family.
My library includes both movies because, on family movie night, we all agree to watch Incredibles. I loaned the Blu-ray to friends who haven’t seen it yet. When they return it, they profusely thank me as we discuss our favorite scenes.
Any scene with Edna is my favorite. She is such a funny and quirky character. In Incredibles 2, she goes way out and befriends Jack-Jack.
All the voice actors’ return in Incredibles 2 shows how capable Bird is as a director. Pixar will not fail you because the voice actors create delightful characters.
3. “Five Fingers of Marseilles”
Five Fingers of Marseilles is a western set before and after Apartheid in South Africa. The inhabitants of Marseilles are under the oppression of a corrupt police force, and Five Fingers is a group of rebels that stands up to it.
Tau executes two police officers, and he flees the town. The Five Fingers breaks up, and Tau chooses a life of crime and gets arrested.
Two decades later, he is discharged from prison as the dreaded outlaw known as The Lion of Marseilles.
He returns home wanting comfort and reconnection with those he had disregarded. Tau is entangled in another injustice and rebuilds the Five Fingers. Together they fight for justice.
Scripted by Sean Drummond, the story is believable and moves along quickly. Directed by Michael Matthews, the movie is in English with subtitles.
4. “Christopher Robin”
Winnie the Pooh, along with his best friends of the Hundred Acre Wood, leaves home for the big city to help Christopher Robin, who is now a father and in the workforce, become the loving and playful boy he used to be.
The journey is delightful, with silly Pooh and friends trying so hard to help Christopher. The movie will capture your heart.
5. “A Quiet Place”
A Quiet Place trailer is an intense and scary movie. The story follows a family who must be quiet. Directed by John Krasinski, the supernatural thriller stars Krasinski and his wife, Emily Blunt. The film is enthralling and made so much money that the studio is producing a sequel.
6. Disneynature’s “Earth “
Disneynature celebrates each Earth Day with the release of a documentary celebrating Earth, the environment, and animals. The first of the series was Earth, released in 2009. The movie set a documentary opening-day record, grossing $4 million from 1,804 theaters.
The concessions person explained that the movie theater had four loaded school buses for the 10:00 am showing. He talked about the kids swamping concessions with orders of sixty kids’ treat packages. Disney conducted an all-out campaign to encourage schools and families to attend the Earth Day opening, a wise move on their part.
Three Animals Tell the Story
In the movie Earth, we are introduced to a mother polar bear and her two cubs as we first catch sight of their snouts peeking out from their winter den. The movie charts several other animals, but the documentary focuses primarily on these three animals to tell the story of Earth: the polar bears, humpback whales, and African elephants. It is by far an epic film, giving the attention this endangered planet deserves.
Any movie night can become your own special Earth Day by watching a Disneynature film or one of the older Disney films about nature called True Life Adventures. Adventure movies focus on wildlife, and an Oscar-winning series initiated by Walt Disney himself. He truly loved wildlife and saw the importance of conveying the message to keep your planet sustainable. Once your family views a Disneynature documentary, you can discuss the need to change our living habits and help preserve our planet Earth, and the importance of keeping it intact for many generations to come.
7. “Alvin and the Chipmunks”
Alvin and the Chipmunks were super popular in the late 1950s and then returned in 2007 as computer-generated images, known as CGI. The three little rascals look more real than ever now. Like the movie poster says, “Things are going to get messy.”
JETT Records executive Ian Hawke, a former college roommate, rejected his most recent song. To make the story even more interesting, Dave had, at one time, a relationship with Claire Wilson, his next-door neighbor.
Favorite Scene
Alvin and his two buddies sing “Only You And You Alone.” Dave realizes he discovered three diamonds in the rough.
The movie takes off, and the Chipmunks sing the songs he writes, and he keeps them fed and sheltered. The singing and montages in the film are brilliant. Jason Lee does a fantastic job of playing off the little CGI animals.
One of my favorite scenes is when Theodore wakes up in the middle of the night, scared from a nightmare. Dave helps him feel safe by letting him sleep in his bed. Very cute; any parent or child will relate to this scene, later revisited with Uncle Ian in a rather poignant scene.
Little Rascals
But the chipmunks, being little rascals, cause some problems for Dave. But they are so adorable you can’t help but laugh, which makes this an ideal family movie. A cute scene is when Alvin tries to create the mood for Dave’s reunion dinner with Claire. The dinner becomes odd. She bails on Dave when he confesses, “My life is being sabotaged by talking chipmunks.”
Alvin and the Chipmunks want to make up for the blunder, so they record a song and get a record deal with Ian Hawke. Now, Alvin and the Chipmunks are more famous than the Jonas Brothers. The little animals are working so hard to keep up with the demand. Dave worries about them and tries to get control over the situation. With missed opportunities and Hawke’s underhanded scheme to steal the chipmunks, Dave lets them go. Hawke tells the chipmunks to call him Uncle Ian. He wants to make money off them without their well-being in mind. The little guys are overworked. They miss Dave, and Dave misses them.
Family Can Watch Together
Directed by Tim Hill, the movie is fun for anyone, but it’s one the family can watch together without worrying that parents will get bored or that jokes will go over the kids’ heads. The talented cast and voice actors make the movie. Some of the cast members are Jane Lynch from Glee, Justin Long as Alvin, Matthew Gray Gubler as Simon, Jesse McCartney as Theodore, David Cross as Ian Hawke, and Jason Lee as Dave.
Behind-the-Scenes
The Alvin and the Chipmunks DVD has a behind-the-scenes featurette detailing how they created the chipmunks’ singing. It is well worth the look, and you will discover the real singers of the movie.
8. “VeggieTales Takes a Look at a Meaningful Life”
The VeggieTales, in general, are great family movies because they are light and fluffy. The jokes are clean, and the situations are hilarious. Sure, the tales bring in the Christian faith, so what? They are fun, and kids and parents have a good time watching the veggie characters interact with each other without legs or arms, yet they still move things around in the air as if they have extremities.
They carry books and a football. The veggies don’t walk with legs. They bounce to and fro because they are vegetables.
One such VeggieTales movie that went directly to DVD is It’s a Meaningful Life – A Lesson in Being Content. The story is somewhat like Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life. The classic movie follows a sad businessman as he reflects on how his life has turned out, and he wishes he had never been born. An angel guides him to the right path by showing how important his life is. The movie boasts James Stewart, Lionel Barrymore, and Donna Reed.
Would Life Be Better?
The VeggieTales character Larry the Cucumber plays Stewart, who loves playing football and wants to play in the Salad Bowl. He wants to be famous for all the fortune that goes with fame. But he gets injured in a game, and his dream ends. Many years later, silly-but-sweet Stewart cares for his family and friends. He loves his job at the toy train factory.
He ponders what he would be if he weren’t injured, had become a famous football star, and had made lots of money. Would life be better? He changes the past to show Steward what it would be like if it had happened the way he wanted. A moral is learned through Christian teachings, and Stewart learns a lesson about life.
Multi-Grammy Winner – Steven Curtis Chapman
What the movie is really about is the song “Meant to Be,” produced by Steven Curtis Chapman, a multi-Grammy winner as well as a Dove Award winner. Of course, It’s a Meaningful Life has the traditional new silly song called “Goodnight Junior.”
You can even visit the VeggieTales website and download some excellent activities from the movie for kids and parents to do together. The DVD includes cool family bonus features, such as sing-along songs, interviews, audio commentary, and the Meaningful Family Life Guide.
9. “Dolphin Tale”
Dolphin Tale is a true story that follows a teenage boy, Sawyer, played by Nathan Gamble. Sawyer meets his best friend, a dolphin, washed up on Clearwater Beach in Florida. Dolphin is named Winter, who loses her tail after being snagged in a crab trap. He decides to take responsibility for Winter at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and his life changes.
The dolphin plays herself in the movie, making it realistic for families to watch. The Blu-ray/DVD offers several perspectives on the dolphin’s story. The featurettes are entertaining but educational at the same time.
Sawyer helps find a prosthetic expert to fit Winter with a prosthetic fin—a fantastic and unbelievable feat – never been done before. I encourage families to watch this movie together because it is one of the best family movies I have ever seen. The film will tug at your heartstrings, featuring a talented cast including Morgan Freeman, Ashly Judd, and Harry Connick Jr.
10. “The Sandlot”
The Sandlot is a movie everyone in the family can enjoy because its story has both tension and apprehension, making it a film kids can watch with their parents. The film is about kids growing up in the 1960s, when kids could play on the streets and have more freedom. They didn’t need permission to go places or to stay in touch with their parents. They just played and had fun all day.
Scotty, a new kid in the neighborhood, tries to make friends with the kids who play baseball on the sandlot. It’s hard at first, but the boys come around, and the adventure begins. Scotty learns to play baseball as the story follows him and his buddies on an adventurous summer quest to retrieve a baseball with a Babe Ruth autograph. The movie entertains audiences of all ages, featuring some of the wildest moments, scary situations, and a first kiss. All nine boys grew up that summer and became best friends. The film is enchanting and a fun comedy.
11. “Lady Bird”
The movie is not only filmed in my hometown but also about it. I marvel at the phenomenon of connection. That’s the feeling I have toward Lady Bird because it’s set in my hometown.
Greta Gerwig’s movie follows a teenage girl, played by Saoirse Ronan, who calls herself “Lady Bird” and goes to a Catholic school similar to Gerwig’s High School.
The story is charming, no matter where you live, because it is about being a teenager with a prominent dream to go to college and be away from home.
She tries to be who she really is while contending with the crazy life of high school and her relationship with her mother.
And, Lady Bird received esteem at festivals, from the public, and the industry.
12. “Logan”
Hugh Jackman stars under the direction of James Mangold. Mangold’s notable credits include Walk the Line, which he co-wrote; The Wolverine; Girl, Interrupted; Cop Land; Knight and Day; Ford v. Ferrari; and 3:10 to Yuma.
An operation run by the government turns mutant kids into killers. Logan begins mentoring a mutant girl with two claws rather than his three. The movie is dark and gets more serious, but laughs and merriment appear toward the end.
A Harry Potter alumnus, Tom Felton, looks mighty mean, suntanned, and ready to be the wicked, bad guy.
13. “Kong: Skull Island”
Being promoted as a reimagining of the beginning of the mythic Kong, an exciting, creative venture, I acknowledge that remakes are not original. Yet, the movie is supposedly original, so don’t name it Kong.
The movie follows a diverse group brought together to research an uncharted island in the Pacific. The island is stunning, but dangerous. The group adventures into a strange and unfamiliar island, and they are unaware of exploring the realm of the mythic Kong.
14. “The Boss Baby”
The Boss Baby is a hilarious movie that the family is sure to like. The impact of a new baby’s arrival is told from a delightfully unpredictable narrator, a heatedly creative 7-year-old named Tim.
The voice of Alec Baldwin dons a suit and speaks in a sly, animated way. The movie’s heart-filled message about the meaning of family should appeal to the whole family.
15. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid – The Long Haul”
The last Wimpy Kid movie has a new cast, and it looks entertaining, although a road trip? I could be amusing. Watch the trailer, and you might see some familiar faces from the earlier movies.
16. “Little Italy”
Little Italy focuses on two childhood friends, Leo (Hayden Christensen) and Nikki (Emma Roberts). The movie is directed by Donald Petrie, who brought us Miss Congeniality, starring Sandra Bullock.
As in a classic story, Leo and Nikki become attracted to each other when they are adults. Their parents’ own contentious pizzerias put a bite on their passionate romance. If you are familiar with the story, this particular one is not a tragedy. Some classic stories end unhappily, but this romantic comedy is safe for a blossoming romance.
Streaming Movies are Rewarding
Watching a good movie with the family can be rewarding on many levels. They are upbeat, funny, and honorable. Whether you rent them on Netflix, Amazon, or cable, the stories share a message that the whole audience can relate to, refreshingly.