Family Movie Night Home Runs

5 Top Notch Movies for Family Nights:

These movies are all wonderful. Funny, poignant, deep, and just as enjoyable for adults as for kids. They’re good picks if you’ve never seen them, and they’re just as good on many subsequent viewings.

Great movies can certainly be watched for their own sake, as all good, true and beautiful art can be enjoyed for the sheer pleasure of it. But, when the opportunity presents itself, these five also all touch on themes or present questions that make for great conversations with kids, which I’ve noted here to get you thinking as you watch.

1. Toy Story [Disney+, 1h 21m]

Friendship and loyalty

2. The Iron Giant [Hulu, 1hr 26m]

Friendship, sacrifice, and courage

3. Fantastic Mr. Fox [Amazon Prime, 1h 27m]

Identity, selfishness vs. service

4. The Mitchells vs. Machines [Netflix, 1h 54m]

Loyalty

5. The Sandlot [Disney+, 1h 41m]

Friendship, hospitality/welcoming, courage

*Yes, while PG, this movie has some mild cussing, kids chewing tobacco, and more troublingly – the protagonist boys objectifying girls. So, if you watch this with your kids, talk about those things and why they’re wrong. And also, talk about how funny the movie is, and what it says about friendship, and who the Big Bambino is just to cover all your bases. #LaurensLists #HabitsoftheHousehold