Below I’ve listed the movies that I remember watching during my childhood over and over again (excluding animated Disney movies – those will come later).
One of my very distinct early memories is of me sitting in my tiny chair eating mini-marshmallows as I enjoyed one of my favorite films.
This guide includes movies that the whole family can enjoy and I wouldn’t mind if my own children one day watched them repeatedly.
In The Parent Trap, two identical twins meet at camp not having known each other existed. The sisters devise a plan to switch identities in order for them to go home with their non-custodial parent. Quickly, one of the twins learns the father is about to marry an awful woman. The girls formulate many tactics to instead get their parents back together.
Favorite Part – I love when one twin cuts her sister’s fancy dress at the dance so her whole butt is visible. Plus, Maureen O’Hara is feisty and amazing in this movie.
A baby is left at the doorstep of three bachelors, presumably one of them is the father (hence the title Three Men and a Baby). These men try to take care of the baby the best they can leading to many funny moments. Plus, the 80s décor and fashion in this film are remarkable – a good history lesson for your kids!
In the movie National Velvet, a young girl is obsessed with horses. She ends up winning a contest that makes her the owner of a horse and she is determined to race the horse. In order to do so, she disguises herself as a boy. This film always puts me in a horseback riding mood.
A family adopts a Saint Bernard, named Beethoven, and he brings a lot of shenanigans to the household. The father is especially put-out by the dog. When a vet claims to have been bitten by their dog the family is distraught.
Turner & Hooch is a great Tom Hanks’ film. I love when a dog cracks a hardened soul. A cop takes in the dog of a deceased man while trying to solve the murder case and the dog drives the cop crazy. Add in a love story and you have the perfect mix for a family classic movie.
Two widows start dating only to realize each is the parent of a very large family. Combining the families might be impossible – do they dare? This movie always has me roaring with laughter.
Please see the original Yours, Mine, and Ours – not the remake!
Favorite Part – Lucille Ball’s antics when she is unknowingly over-served and gets totally drunk when meeting her boyfriend’s children for the first time.
The Sandlot is about a young boy who moves to a new town and tries to learn how to play baseball so he can join the local sandlot boys. It’s a must-see for any family with young children.
“You’re killing me, Smalls!” – I could quote this movie all day long.
In E.T., an alien ends up on Earth and befriends a boy and his family. The family tries to keep him a secret and help the alien get back to his own family.
Looking back, shouldn’t this movie have been frightening to watch as a young child? Yet, I think I’ve watched this film more than any other on this list. I even had a leather E.T. stuffed animal as a toddler.
A father invents a machine that accidentally shrinks his kids and the neighbor’s kids. The children end up in the backyard getting into some very scary/interesting situations. Can they safely make it back to the house and become regular size again?
I loved going to Disney World and playing around on replicas from the set of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, especially the big Cheerio.
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