The NeverEnding Family Movie List: Drama, Comedy, Musicals & Documentaries
A list by John Perritt
John Perritt's G/PG family movie list from his Family Movie Night newsletter (johnperritt.substack.com): dramas, comedies, musicals and documentaries, from Swiss Family Robinson (1960) to Ordinary Angels (2024). John's note: not every film here is an endorsement, so check the content before you press play.
- 1
Swiss Family Robinson
Movie · 1960
“Shipwrecked family builds an elaborate treehouse paradise, then fights pirates—classic Disney adventure that's more 'museum piece' than binge-worthy.”
IMDb 7.1RT 81% - 2
Pollyanna
Movie · 1960
“A young girl with an aggressive commitment to optimism takes on a town full of embittered 1910s adults and their various grudges.”
- 3
The Parent Trap 1961
Movie · 1961
“The 1961 original that proved two Hayley Mills are better than one, even if the pacing feels like a slow-motion summer camp.”
- 4
The Sound of Music
Movie · 1965
“Julie Andrews twirls on a mountaintop for 3 hours in this beloved-but-glacially-paced musical about nuns, Nazis, and the von Trapp family singers.”
IMDb 8.1RT 83% - 5
The Sting
Movie · 1973
“Redford and Newman are the ultimate 1930s tricksters in a movie so stylish and smart it makes modern heist films look like they're trying too hard.”
- 6
Annie
Movie · 1982
“A red-headed orphan trades Miss Hannigan’s gin-soaked basement for a billionaire’s mansion, singing her way through the Great Depression.”
- 7
The Natural
Movie · 1984
“A middle-aged man with a magical bat carved from a lightning-struck tree tries to save 1930s baseball while outrunning a dark secret.”
- 8
Clue
Movie · 1985
“A cult classic board game adaptation with rapid-fire jokes and three endings—beloved by Gen X, confusing for Gen Alpha.”
IMDb 7.3RT 73% - 9
Hoosiers
Movie · 1986
“The ultimate small-town basketball redemption story—inspiring if you can get past the 1986 pacing and your kid actually cares about fundamentals.”
IMDb 7.4RT 92% - 10
Top Gun
Movie · 1986
“80s fighter pilot machismo meets tragic bromance—iconic aerial shots can't save the dated gender politics and thin plot.”
- 11
*batteries not included
Movie · 1987
“Adorable robot aliens help elderly tenants fight a greedy developer—sweet concept, but 1987 is showing its age hard.”
- 12
Babette’s Feast
Movie · 1987
“A French chef wins the lottery and blows the whole jackpot on one legendary dinner for a village of pious Danes who think flavor is a sin.”
- 13
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Movie · 1988
“Steve Martin and Michael Caine have a con-man standoff on the French Riviera involving fake royalty, a fake disability, and one very real heiress.”
- 14
Big
Movie · 1988
“A 13-year-old wishes to be 'big' and wakes up as Tom Hanks, discovering that adulthood is mostly just boring meetings and significantly less fun than playing with toys.”
- 15
The Wizard
Movie · 1989
“A 90-minute Nintendo commercial disguised as a road trip movie, featuring the world's most famous Power Glove and a very young Fred Savage.”
- 16
What About Bob?
Movie · 1991
“Bill Murray is the world's most lovable nightmare in this classic comedy about boundaries, 'baby steps,' and driving your therapist to the edge.”
- 17
My Girl
Movie · 1991
“Sweet summer friendship meets devastating loss in this 90s tearjerker that will wreck you and your kid in ways you didn't sign up for.”
IMDb 6.9RT 57% - 18
The Father of the Bride
Movie · 1991
“Steve Martin loses his mind over his daughter's wedding in this warm, neurotic, and genuinely sweet 90s family comedy.”
- 19
The Mighty Ducks
Movie · 1992
“Drunk-driving lawyer coaches peewee hockey for community service and learns feelings—the 90s sports formula at its most Disney.”
- 20
A River Runs Through It
Movie · 1992
“Brad Pitt fly-fishes his way through 1920s Montana in a movie that is basically a two-hour poem about brothers who love each other but can't quite help each other.”
- 21
Rudy
Movie · 1993
“The ultimate underdog sports movie—inspiring as hell, but bring tissues and brace for some PG-era language.”
IMDb 7.5RT 80% - 22
Cool Runnings
Movie · 1993
“Jamaica's first bobsled team defies odds and stereotypes in this warm, funny underdog story that still holds up three decades later.”
IMDb 7.0RT 75% - 23
Rookie of the Year
Movie · 1993
“A 12-year-old's broken arm magically turns him into a Cubs pitching phenom—peak 90s wish-fulfillment that's aged about as well as VHS tapes.”
- 24
Groundhog Day
Movie · 1993
“Bill Murray relives the same day forever until he stops being a jerk—surprisingly deep for a 90s comedy.”
IMDb 8.0RT 94% - 25
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
Movie · 1993
“Three pets trek through the wilderness to get home—wholesome but with real peril that'll have you stress-eating popcorn.”
IMDb 7.0RT 87% - 26
Clifford
Movie · 1994
“Martin Short plays a sociopathic 10-year-old who terrorizes his uncle because he just really wants to go to Dinosaur World.”
- 27
Little Women
Movie · 1994
“The definitive 90s version of Jo March's ink-stained fingers and her sisters' chaotic, cozy attempts to grow up with plenty of heart and not enough money.”
- 28
Maverick
Movie · 1994
“A charming gambler cons his way to a high-stakes poker game in this breezy but dated 90s Western comedy that modern kids will find painfully slow.”
- 29
Heavyweights
Movie · 1995
“A 1995 Disney camp comedy where kids overthrow a fitness tyrant—sweet idea, but the fat jokes haven't aged well and it's honestly kind of a slog.”
- 30
Babe
Movie · 1995
“A piglet who thinks he's a sheepdog—and the farm animals who let him prove it. Genuinely great, not just 'good for a kids' movie.'”
IMDb 6.9RT 98% - 31
Sense and Sensibility
Movie · 1995
“The gold standard of Jane Austen adaptations that proves 19th-century dating was basically a high-stakes financial thriller.”
- 32
That Thing You Do!
Movie · 1996
“Tom Hanks' love letter to one-hit wonders is sweet, catchy, and about as controversial as a milkshake—but will modern kids sit through it?”
IMDb 7.0RT 93% - 33
Simon Birch
Movie · 1998
“A pint-sized kid with oversized faith and his best friend search for meaning in this earnest '90s tearjerker that critics hated but audiences kinda loved.”
- 34
The Truman Show
Movie · 1998
“Jim Carrey discovers his entire life is a TV show in this prescient, mind-bending satire that basically predicted social media and reality TV culture.”
IMDb 8.2RT 94% - 35
October Sky
Movie · 1999
“Coal miner's son builds rockets and dreams bigger than his West Virginia town—the STEM inspiration movie that still holds up.”
IMDb 7.8RT 90% - 36
Remember the Titans
Movie · 2000
“Disney's feel-good football movie about 1971 school integration—heavy on inspiration, heavier on life lessons about racism.”
IMDb 7.8RT 72% - 37
My Dog Skip
Movie · 2000
“A shy 1940s Mississippi boy and his terrier best friend—sweet, nostalgic, and guaranteed to wreck you emotionally.”
- 38
The Princess Diaries
Movie · 2001
“Awkward teen discovers she's secretly a princess—cue makeovers, tiaras, and Julie Andrews teaching poise with a side of royal sass.”
IMDb 6.4RT 49% - 39
The Rookie
Movie · 2002
“High school teacher bets his team he'll try out for the majors—and actually makes it. True story, pure inspiration, zero surprises.”
- 40
Napoleon Dynamite
Movie · 2004
“Deadpan cult classic about an awkward teen helping his friend run for class president—beloved by some, bewildering to others.”
- 41
Elf
Movie · 2003
“Will Ferrell in yellow tights spreading Christmas cheer and awkwardness across Manhattan—a holiday staple that's genuinely sweet under all the syrup.”
IMDb 7.1RT 86% - 42
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Movie · 2004
“Gothic orphan tale where Jim Carrey in bad disguises tries to murder children for money. It's as cheerful as it sounds.”
- 43
Miracle
Movie · 2004
“Kurt Russell coaches scrappy college kids to hockey glory against the Soviets—inspirational if you can handle 2004 pacing.”
IMDb 7.5RT 80% - 44
Pride & Prejudice
Movie · 2005
“Keira Knightley glowers beautifully through Austen's classic—gorgeous, thoughtful, but will your kid actually watch it?”
IMDb 7.8RT 87% - 45
Charlotte's Web
Movie · 2006
“A pig and spider become unlikely BFFs in this earnest but slow adaptation that will make you cry about mortality—if you can stay awake.”
IMDb 6.3RT 79% - 46
Invincible
Movie · 2006
“Mark Wahlberg plays a 30-year-old bartender who makes the Philadelphia Eagles—because apparently that was possible in 1976.”
- 47
We Are Marshall
Movie · 2006
“Matthew McConaughey coaches a grief-stricken college town back to life through football—tissues required, but it's a bit formulaic.”
IMDb 7.1RT 48% - 48
Glory Road
Movie · 2006
“The true story of how Texas Western's all-Black starting lineup changed college basketball—and America—in 1966.”
- 49
Nacho Libre
Movie · 2006
“Jack Black in stretchy pants wrestling for orphans—it's either peak comedy or peak cringe, depending on your tolerance for absurdist silliness.”
- 50
Enchanted
Movie · 2007
“A cartoon princess gets yeeted into modern Manhattan and discovers that real love is messier (and better) than a fairy tale.”
IMDb 7.1RT 93% - 51
“The third Narnia film sails into mediocrity—watchable fantasy adventure, but even the dragon can't save the sluggish pacing.”
IMDb 6.3RT 50% - 52
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Movie · 2013
“A daydreamer finally lives his own adventure—gorgeous visuals, sweet message, but maybe a touch slow for the TikTok generation.”
- 53
Maleficent
Movie · 2014
“Disney's iconic villain gets a sympathetic origin story that's visually stunning but emotionally darker than you might expect.”
- 54
Paddington
Movie · 2014
“A marmalade-loving bear teaches a London family (and all of us) about kindness, belonging, and the proper way to flood a bathroom.”
IMDb 7.3RT 97% - 55
Wonder
Movie · 2017
“A fifth-grader with facial differences navigates mainstream school for the first time in this tear-jerker that'll have the whole family ugly-crying.”
IMDb 7.9RT 86% - 56
A Dog's Purpose
Movie · 2017
“A dog dies. Then dies again. And again. It's a tearjerker assembly line disguised as family entertainment.”
IMDb 7.3RT 35% - 57
Paddington 2
Movie · 2017
“A marmalade-loving bear goes to prison for a crime he didn't commit—and somehow makes it the most heartwarming movie you'll watch this year.”
IMDb 7.8RT 99% - 58
The Greatest Showman
Movie · 2017
“Hugh Jackman sings, dances, and completely rewrites history in this infectious musical that's more 'greatest spin' than 'greatest show.'”
IMDb 7.5RT 56% - 59
Leave No Trace
Movie · 2018
“A father and daughter living off-grid face hard truths about love, trauma, and letting go—quietly devastating and beautifully made.”
IMDb 7.1RT 100% - 60
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society
Movie · 2018
“A cozy WWII book-club drama that's sweet as pie—but moves slower than a 1940s telegram.”
- 61
Little Women
Movie · 2019
“Greta Gerwig's brilliant, non-linear take on the March sisters is both a period piece and a modern meditation on women's choices.”
IMDb 7.8RT 95% - 62
Christopher Robin
Movie · 2018
“Ewan McGregor reunites with Pooh in a surprisingly melancholy (but sweet) meditation on adulting—more for nostalgic parents than sugar-rushed kids.”
- 63
Dude Perfect: Backstage Pass
Movie · 2020
“A behind-the-scenes look at the five guys who turned backyard bottle flips and basketball trick shots into a global sports-entertainment empire.”
- 64
My Octopus Teacher
Movie · 2020
“A burned-out filmmaker befriends a wild octopus in a South African kelp forest and learns profound lessons about life, death, and curiosity.”
IMDb 8.1RT 93% - 65
Cruella
Movie · 2021
“Punk rock villain origin story that's visually stunning but morally murky—think Devil Wears Prada meets Ocean's Eleven with actual murder.”
IMDb 7.3RT 75% - 66
Matilda the Musical
Movie · 2022
“Roald Dahl's beloved underdog gets the full musical treatment—whimsical, empowering, and just scary enough to keep things interesting.”
IMDb 7.0 - 67
Wonka
Movie · 2023
“Timothée Chalamet sings and dances as young Willy Wonka in this surprisingly earnest, candy-coated origin story that's more 'follow your dreams' than 'nightmare factory.'”
IMDb 6.9RT 82% - 68
A Million Miles Away
Movie · 2023
“Farm fields to outer space: Jose Hernandez's inspiring journey proves the American dream isn't dead, just really, really hard to achieve.”
IMDb 7.3RT 89% - 69
Ordinary Angels
Movie · 2024
“True-story tearjerker about a hairdresser battling her own demons while saving a dying kid—tissues required, cynicism optional.”
IMDb 7.4RT 84%
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