THE BEST FAMILY MOVIES

My family loves to watch movies, especially during the summer months when the pace of our life is slower. If you're like most families, you go to the latest releases section of the movie store and look there. Why not watch some movies with your family that you might have forgotten about? I have compiled a list of G and PG movies that my family has really enjoyed and I think yours will too. Here is my list of our top ten family movies:

1. Where the Red Fern Grows

Rating: G
Time: 98 minutes
Synopsis:

You had better get the tissues handy because this movie will make you cry. Set during the Great Depression, Billy is a young boy from the Ozarks. He wants some hunting dogs more than anything in the world. His family can't afford to buy Billy dogs, so he works and saves his money for two years to buy some red-bone coon hounds. Billy's grandfather is one of the biggest influences in his life and helps him make his dream come true. This movie has adventure, action, drama and ultimately tradgedy. The ending is one of the best I have ever seen. It is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

2. A Christmas Story

Rating: PG
Time: 96 minutes

Synopsis:

This Christmas classic about an Indiana family is set in the 1940's. Nine-year old Ralphie desperately wants a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. His mother, his teacher, and even Santa tell him that he'll "shoot his eye out" if he gets the gun. He begins an all out campaign until Christmas day to convince Santa and his parents that the gun is safe. This movie is filled with hilarious family scenes including one where Ralphie has to wear a bunny suit and another scene with turkey stealing dogs from next door. Don't wait until next Christmas to rent this movie. It's too good to wait that long.

3. Ice Age

Rating: PG
Time: 81 minutes

Synopsis:

Of all the animated movies I have watched with my kids, this is my favorite. During an ice age migration a friendship forms between an unlikely trio of animals. Manny the wooly mammoth, Sid the sloth, and Diego the tiger work together to rescue a baby and return him to his tribe. The story centers around their journey and the adventures they have along the way. Prepare to laugh yourself silly.

4. The Sandlot

Rating: PG
Time: 101 minutes

Synopsis:

This story of a boy's first summer in a new town is set in the 1960's. Scotty Smalls, a dorky fifth grader, is worried that his summer will be a bust. Luckily he lives near the coolest member of a neighborhood gang. Scotty learns how to play baseball and makes tons of friends in the process. They play ball on an old sandlot that backs up to a house with a huge, monstrous dog. This fun and warmhearted movie will have you remembering the simple pleasures of being a kid in the summertime. It is a winner for the whole family.


5. Holes

Rating: PG
Time: 114 minutes

Synopsis:

Stanley Yelnats has been sent to a Texas juevenile detention camp called Camp Greenlake for stealing a pair of tennis shoes. Every day Stanley is required to dig a hole that is five feet wide and five feet deep with a shovel. The warden tells him that this exercise is to develop his character, but is that the real reason all of the boys are digging holes? This movie was made from a novel by the same name by Louis Sachar. I enjoyed the interesting subplots that tied the present with the past. Everyone in your family will enjoy this original story with a picture perfect ending.

6. Daddy Day Care

Rating: PG
Time: 85 minutes

Synopsis:

This is one of Eddie Murphy's funniest family movies. He plays Charlie, a father and ad executive who loses his job. He and his friend Phil decide to open a day care center when they have trouble finding quality day care for their kids. Although parents are reluctant at first to leave their kids with two dads, they soon have a booming business. There are many hilarious scenes between the dads and the kids, including a classic bathroom scene, a wrestling match between two vegetables, and sugar induced chaos. No matter how many times I watch this movie with my kids, they always laugh, even when they know what is coming next.

7. Finding Nemo

Rating: G
Time: 100 minutes

Synopsis:

Marlin, an overprotective father, is on a quest to find his young son Nemo, a clownfish, when he wanders too far from home and is captured. Marlin has many exciting adventures along the way and makes interesting new friends. He meets up with Dory, a blue tang fish with a memory problem. The voice talents in this animated movie are a big part of what makes it great. Marlin is voiced by Albert Brooks and Dory is voiced by Ellen DeGeneres. She is hilarious as Dory and the perfect free spirit complement to Marlin's uptight personality. Your family will love this film!

8. Home Alone

Rating: PG
Time: 103 minutes

Synopsis:

Kevin, a young 8 year old boy, finds himself home alone at Christmas time when his family travels to France for vacation. At first he is very happy to have the house to himself, but then he realizes he misses his family. The main part of the plot is when Kevin discovers that burglars are hitting houses in his suburban Chicago neighborhood. He decides that he needs to defend his home against two bungling burglars. He sets traps in every area of his house including broken glass ornaments by the living room window, a nail gun by the kitchen door, and heavy paint cans suspended from the ceiling. This movie is an action-packed film that is great to watch any time of the year.

9. The Indian in the Cupboard

Rating: PG
Time: 95 minutes

Synopsis:

This is one of the more original movies I have ever seen. Omri receives a very special gift for his ninth birthday. The magical wooden cupboard he receives can transform plastic toys into living, breathing animals and people. Omri first puts a toy Iroquois Indian into the cupboard and Little Bear comes out. Of course Omri wants to find out what would happen if he brought a cowboy to life. Then we watch the fireworks as the cowboy and the Indian discover each other. This terrific family movie teaches important lessons as it entertains.

10. Back to the Future

Rating: PG
Time: 109 minutes

Synopsis:

This time travel movie centers around the premise of being able to travel back in time and change future events. Marty McFly, a teenager in 1985, travels back in time using a time machine invented by Doc Brown. He gets sent back to 1955 where he runs into his mother and father when they were his age. He prevents them from meeting and then he has to set the world straight again before he can return to the future. Christopher Lloyd is great as Doc Brown. The whole family will enjoy this comedy by Universal studios.