Sitting down for a movie together as a family is always a favourite activity in our household. The girls are at the age now where they are able to sit through an entire movie and actually enjoy it so we’ve been working our way through a mixture of new movies and classic films. I love being able to revisit a lot of my childhood favourites and introduce them to the kids for the first time and it’s always nice to see Sophia and Grace getting into a movie I too loved as a little girl. There are so many great family flicks out there but I’m always looking for suggestions so definitely comment below and let me know your faves!
If you’re looking for ideas of a movie to check out with the kids, here are a few of the winners at our place.
Family favourites
We have sat down to watch these movies as a family and have found them to be movies that both kids and grown-ups will enjoy. Some of them the girls love so much (The Greatest Showman for example is the girls’ favourite movie this year and the soundtrack gets played every day in our household) that we often find ourselves re-watching them a number of times. These movies are always a winner in our house.
The Greatest Showman
Freaky Friday
Parent Trap
Matilda
Elf
The Lion King (live action)
Enchanted
Maleficent
Paddington
Johnny English
Sing
Childhood faves
I am loving the excuse to re-watch all of my childhood favourites. It’s so nice to be able to introduce the girls to them and the trip down memory lane also brings back a lot of great memories of watching these movies as a kid. Here are a few classics the girls have watched and absolutely loved.
With more time spent at home these days I’m always on the hunt for great movie recommendations. I feel like I’ve exhausted a lot of my favourites so in my quest to add some new movies to my list, I thought I’d turn to a few people who I know would have some great suggestions. I always like hearing other people’s fave movies, as it saves me trawling through Netflix for ages trying to find something to watch. So I’ve rounded up their picks below (including mine) in case you’re on the hunt for something to watch over the weekend. Keep an eye out over the coming weeks as I’ll be sharing more of the panel’s pick for everything from TV shows to binge watch to the best places to shop online and must-read books—everything you’ll need to get through isolation!
Me: Little Miss Sunshine: “It just brings a smile to my face every time I watch it.”
About a Boy: “Hugh Grant is so funny in this.”
The Gentlemen “The best movie I’ve seen this year.”
Rey: The Sound of Music: “Because who doesn’t love it?! I probably watch this movie once a year.”
The Departed: “Is one of my all time favourites. Great acting, great directing and keeps you guessing right till the very end.”
Jojo Rabbit: “I saw this recently and I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this film. It’s hilarious, it’s moving, it will make you think, it will make you cry.”
Tash: “I love The Notebook, Age of Adeline and Little Women – because I am a sucker for a romance and these movies I can re-watch over and over again and they make me hysterically cry. I’m laughing at myself really!”
Overboard (the old one): “I love this because Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell remind me of my mum and dad.”
Ferngully: The Last Rainforest: “The OG environmental movie.”
Ksenija: Forrest Gump: “I love Tom Hanks and his performance in this movie is still to this day one of my favourites of all time. Funny, heartwarming and one of my fave movie soundtracks.”
Moulin Rouge/Chicago: “These are in the same vein so I’ll pop them together. I am a massive fan of musicals and these two are definitely up there with my favourites (followed closely by West Side Story). They make me happy and I always end up listening to the soundtracks after I watch the movies. All That Jazz, Elephant Love Melody. Doesn’t get better.”
Titanic: “Leo and Kate, need I say more?”
Elliot: TheFirst Wives Club: “I remember so vividly watching this movie for the first time as a kid with my mum and falling in love with the character of Elise Elliot. I thought she was the chicest thing I’d ever seen. Scary how I see traits of myself in her now I’ve gotten older…”
Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette: “I have always found this film extremely meditative. There is a scene in where Marie is walking through the garden with her daughter that instils in me an ultimate sense of calm.”
TheGrand Budapest Hotel: “Anything of Wes Anderson’s has a place in my heart however The Grand Budapest Hotel stands out for it’s quick wit and unapologetic profanity.”
Films deserving an honourable mention: The Devil Wears Prada, Man on Fire, Moulin Rouge.
Phoebe: The Lion King: “I have to put the Lion King for the beautiful circle this movie has done from my childhood to now being part of my own children’s memories. The Lion King is a special moment for any family and has helped me explain the circle of life – in reality – more than once but particularly when my grandmother passed.”
Peter Rabbit: “This has that “kids-movie-that-adults-can-enjoy-too” quality, like what Shrek brought to animation and the kids’ genre to help us through their movie choices. James Corden [who voiced Peter Rabbit] is definitely having his moment in comedy right now.”
Frozen 1 and 2: “[These movies] have provided us hours of singing, dress ups, dramatic reenactments by [my daughter] Poppy and “Let It Go” is officially [my son] Billy’s very first karaoke moment caught on camera by his mummy who will be saving this for his 21st. Poppy bought me a singing Elsa birthday card that Billy now sleeps with.”
