Family friendly movie with good values that teens relate to?

[OneStepAtATime]

Suggestions?  Young teens, by the way, 12-14.  Not a large group, just 3.

[Chris in VA]

Christian ok?

 

We enjoyed Soul Surfer.

 

What particular values were you looking to support?

[Sarah CB]

We loved Second Hand Lions and October Sky.

[LibraryLover]

We loved Second Hand Lions and October Sky.

 

:)

 

 Apollo 13

Karate Kid

Field of Dreams

Stand By Me

A League of Their Own

[OneStepAtATime]

Great suggestions.  Christian is fine.  Some I haven't seen and some of the movies you all have listed I had forgotten about.  Thanks!

 

As for values, I mainly wanted to make certain there was no bad language (or extremely limited) and no overt references to sex and that type of topic.  I don't know exactly what the comfort level is for the other parents and I don't want to pop something in and find out there are a few swear words and a sex scene (even if only hinted at)  that I hadn't anticipated.  :)  Having a couple of families over and we had planned, after everyone ate and hung out for while, that the pre-teens and teens could go in our TV room and watch a movie while the adults visited nearby.  It was my daughter's suggestion but I wanted to make certain we had an entertaining, yet not offensive, movie.  KWIM?

 

Long term for my own kids, I was hoping to find movies that promote a strong sense of family, resilience in the face of difficult situations for a teenager, things like that.  I know as the kids get into the teen years, they will not always have me around to help out with knowing how to handle various situations.  Talking and showing by example are great, but sometimes other sources help, too.

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to make some suggestions.  Really appreciate it.

[Santi]

 

A League of Their Own is one of my favorite movies, but if you're looking for something without profanity I wouldn't reccomend it. Same for Apollo 13, Stand By Me, and Field of Dreams. I can't recommend anything as I'm a heathen and show my dd movies with cursing anyway.

[antsam]

Facing the giants

Courageous

[jewellsmommy]

Simon Birch. There is one use of profane language, sadly.

It is loosely based on A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving and  one of my favorite movies. I was 18 when I first saw it, so not a young teen, but I think that most would enjoy it.

[mytwomonkeys]

my sisters took my nieces to see grace unplugged. they loved it.  we are looking forward to it when it's out on dvd.

 

it's christian.

[mytwomonkeys]

I thought of another my kids really enjoyed

 

The Odd Life of Timothy Green

 

[Stars]

My husband remembered loving The Karate Kid and excitedly settled down with our then-5yo son to watch it.  Just a few minutes into it, he turned it off because of bad language.  Apparently, he'd seen it as a kid on TBS or something where they edited for language, and this was the uncut version.  I don't know if it had things you would object to for teens or if it was just inappropriate for preschoolers.  Not trying to criticize the PP's recommendation, but if you are very selective about language, you might want to check it out first.

[shinyhappypeople]

We Bought a Zoo

[Tina]

I see someone's already listed Secondhand Lions.  My favorite!  Also, Summer of the Monkeys?  He does find the neighbor dead, but it's a growing up type of movie.

[wingedradical]

Are they the type to enjoy Jane Austen? Several of those are available. 

 

 

[Lori D.]

Are the pre-teens/young teens male? female? a mix of both? If girls, then don't forget all the wonderful jane austin films -- actually, my teen sons enjoyed those too, when we watched as a family. ;)  Below are more ideas -- I added *** by titles that are especially family-affirming.

Animated (not just for children!)

- Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

*** How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

*** Despicable Me (2010)

- Megamind (2010)

*** The Secret World of Arrietty (2010) -- Japanese, but dubbed

- Tangled (2010)

*** Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

- Bolt (2008)

- Wall-E (2008)

- Hoodwinked (2005)

*** The Incredibles  (2004)

- Spirited Away (2001) -- Japanese, but dubbed

- Chicken Run (2000)

- My Neighbor Totoro (1988) -- Japanese, but dubbed

 

Gentle Family Films -- more recent (after 2000)

- Enchanted (2007)

- August Rush (2007)

- Akeelah and the Bee (2006)

- Duma (2005)

- Because of Winn-Dixie (2005)

- I Am David (2003)

- Holes (2003)

*** The Rookie (2002)

- The Railway Children (2000)

 

Gentle, Family Films (1980-2000)

- David Copperfield (1999)

*** Fly Away Home (1996)

- A Little Princess (1995)

*** Little Women (1994)

- The Secret Garden (1993)

*** Sarah Plain and Tall (1991) -- and seguel -- Skylark ( (1993)

- A Girl of the Limberlost (1990) -- TV movie

- Anne of Green Gables (1985)

- The Black Stallion (1979)

 

Family Classics (1930-1980)

- Oliver (1968)

*** Sound of Music (1965)

- Mary Poppins (1964)

- My Fair Lady (1964)

- Singin' in the Rain (1952)

*** Friendly Persuasion (1956)

- National Velvet (1944)

*** Little Women (1949)

- Oliver Twist (1948)

- Young Thomas Edison (1940)

 

Movies to Spark Discussion -- more for your family, NOT group movie ideas

*** Blind Side (2009) -- one very direct comment about NOT having s*x at the end of the movie

- Beyond the Gates of Splendor (2005) -- Christian missionaries and S. American natives -- some bare breasts, but completely in context of the culture -- but NOT one for mixed families

- Millions (2004) -- some mild language; one shot implies unmarried characters are sharing a bed

- Remember the Titans (2000)

- To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

 

Action/Adventure -- more recent (1980s-present)

- Hugo (2011)

- Secretariat (2010) -- some mild language

- Forbidden Kingdom (2008)

- National Treasure (2007)

*** Zathura (2005)

*** Sky High (2005)

*** Spy Kids (2001) -- and sequels #2, #3

- The Rocketeer (1991)

- Jim Hensen's The Storyteller (1988) -- TV series

- The Princess Bride (1987)

*** Labrynth (1986)

- Ladyhawke (1985) 

- The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)

 

 

PG-13 (mild language or images) -- preview

- Seabiscuit (2003)

- A Knight's Tale (2001)

- Back to the Future part 3 (1990) -- ONLY the 3rd one -- the first two have language and a threatened r*pe

 

Action/Adventure -- older (1950-1980) 

- Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973)

*** Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

- True Grit (1969) -- the John Wayne version

- The Great Escape (1963)

- Jason and the Argonauts (1963) -- BEST animated skeleton sword fight EVER! :D

- The Magnificent Seven (1960)

*** Ben Hur (1959)

- Around the World in 80 Days (1956) -- NOT the more recent version with Will Smith and Kevin Kline!!

- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)

- Stalag 17 (1953)

- Ivanhoe (1952)

- The African Queen (1951)

 

Action/Adventure -- classic (pre-1950)

- The Sea Hawk (1940)

- The Adventures of Robin Hood (1939)

- Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938)

- The Lady Vanishes (1938)

- The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)

- The Prince and the Pauper (1937)

- The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934)

- Captain Blood (1935)

- Black Pirate (1926) -- B&W silent

- Thief of Bagdad (1924) -- B&W silent

 

Humorous

- The Muppets (2011)

- Enchanted (2007)

*** Evan Almighty (2007)

- Hoodwinked (2005)

*** Elf (2003)

- The Muppet Treasure Island (1996)

- Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

- The Muppet Movie (1979)

- The Great Race (1965) -- there is one very brienf conversation about sexual equality: "what do you mean by sex", answer: "emancipated men and women, not jump into bed with wavy-haired muscle-bound man I meet"; otherwise, this is a masterpiece of comedy

- The Absent-Minded Professor (1961) -- ORIGINAL flubber movie

- Support Your Local Sheriff (1961)

- Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)

- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1949)

- You Can't Take it With You (1938)

- Way Out West (1937) -- best of the Laurel & Hardy films

- A Night at the Opera (1935) -- best of the Marx Brother films

- The General (1926) -- B&W, silent

- The Gold Rush (1925)  -- B&W, silent

- Sherlock Junior (1924) -- B&W, silent

- Our Hospitality (1923) -- B&W, silent

- Safety Last (1923) -- B&W, silent

 

Christmas

*** Elf (2003)

- Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

*** A Christmas Story (1983)

- Scrooge (1970) (musical)

- How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

- A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

- A Christmas Carol (1951) OR (1984 - TV)

*** Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

*** It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

 

[Lori D.]

...Having a couple of families over ... wanted to make certain we had an entertaining, yet not offensive, movie...

 

 

Okay, based on that additional info that this is a one-time thing, for a mixed group, from the big list I provided, my recommendations, in order, are:

 

1. one of the animated films

2. Zathura  /  Sky High  /  Enchanted  /  Evan Almighty

3. one of the Spy Kids films

4. one of the Muppet movies

5. The Black Stallion  /  The Secret Garden  /  A Little Princess  /  Duma

 

All are VERY gentle, non-offensive.

[Chris in VA]

Are they the type to enjoy Jane Austen? Several of those are available. 

 

Also, if she doesn't mind an older movie (sometimes kids do), Dear Sir is an early 60's story of a teacher, disadvantaged students and racial discrimination set in London's lower east end.

 

Oh, I think you mean To Sir, With Love.  

It's my favorite Sydney Poitier movie!

 

(It does contain some British swearing, and some other things that might be objectionable, but then, the teacher is dealing with kids and families from a rough area, so I think it's a great discussion movie--and it's WAY cleaner than many other movies!)

 

OP, do you use Focus on the Family's movie website? They have reviews of movies that include how many/which bad words, how much s3x, etc. 

[creekland]

I love Secondhand Lions and almost always go with that.

 

Other choices I haven't seen listed include:

 

Gifted Hands - the Ben Carson story - great story

Chicken Run - a claymation SUPER cute comedy loved by all I've known who have seen it

 

I also love To Sir With Love, but many kids find it tedious to follow the dialect... :(  MY kids loved it, but they've been brought up with many different movies and have a more discerning, mature, taste.  Kids at school will tell you within 5 minutes if they are interested in a movie.  They don't give it any time to develop a story and have a hard time following an indepth story - esp with the dialect added.

 

Secondhand Lions and Chicken Run I've shown at school and never had a disappointed kid.  Gifted Hands I can't show due to it being somewhat Christian.  It's not overtly so IMO, but I'm not sure exactly where the line is and don't want to be responsible for our school getting bad press.

[tammyw]

Great lists here! A few we haven't seen :)

[Lizzie in Ma]

You could always use Twilight as an object lesson on what NOT to do. ;)

[OneStepAtATime]

You could always use Twilight as an object lesson on what NOT to do. ;)

Chuckle...yeah, don't even get me started.  

[Vida Winter]

Lori, thanks for the list!  :thumbup:

[RootAnn]

- A Knight's Tale (2001)

 

Just watched Karate Kid the other night & WOW, the profanity! I didn't remember that.

 

Wanted to mention that as much as I love A Knight's Tale, there is one nude man (from the back) shot and one 'sex scene' (more implied, but definitely there). When I watch it with the kids, they are used to me hitting the "skip to next scene" button when we get to a certain part. They are so far satisfied with "it doesn't add anything to the plot-line." 

 

If you can find it, the original Cheaper By the Dozen is a great family film, IMO.

[jeninok]

October sky is a fantastic family movie, my 12 year old just loves it. The old Disney version of Robinhood is universally loved, as is The Sword in The Stone.

[Homemama2]

What about the Hobbit?  It has some battle scenes but no cussing.

 

[OneStepAtATime]

I honestly didn't remember profanity in The Karate Kid, either, until I popped in the original to watch with my son a few weeks ago.  Yikes!  Was I just clueless?  :)

[AuntPol]

We Bought a Zoo

 

We watched this tonight and my teens who hate all family movies loved it.

 

There was one curse word that gets a bit drowned out by a lion roar but more noticeable if you have on close captioned. I don't remember any others. One of the characters is a homeschooled girl.

[Korrale]

As a kid I loved the back to the future series. I wonder if they are worse than I remember though.

 

As for a family movie. I love Dreamer. It has Dakota Fanning in it. It is a horse movie.

[Lori D.]

As a kid I loved the back to the future series. I wonder if they are worse than I remember though.

 

 

 

Original movie = 4-letter words, a lot of enticing/trying to entice, and a disturbing threatened r*pe.

Sequel = more 4-letter words, adult sexual references.

Third = still some language, but less than the first 2; only a very few mild sexual references.

 

 

It really left me scratching my head -- what was *with* movies of the 1980s and early '90s, with all the swearing...??!

[momtoamiracle]

Corrina corrina

Ever after

The princess bride - there is a curse at the end when Inigo kills count Rugen

The original yours mine and ours with Lucille ball and Henry Fonda.

[La Texican]

Dr. Dolittle

Ghostbusters

Honey I Shrunk the Kids

Shrek series

Madagascar

The Croods (violent cavemen, but Funny!!)

Sky High

(I like comedy, if you can tell.)

[momtoamiracle]

Love comes softly

Sarah plain and tall, Skylark, Winters end

The shunning, the Confession

Little women

[Korrale]

Original movie = 4-letter words, a lot of enticing/trying to entice, and a disturbing threatened r*pe.

Sequel = more 4-letter words, adult sexual references.

Third = still some language, but less than the first 2; only a very few mild sexual references.

 

 

It really left me scratching my head -- what was *with* movies of the 1980s and early '90s, with all the swearing...??!

Thank you! I figured there would be more inappropriateness than I recalled. I know when I was younger there was a lot that would go right over my head.

I remember watch ghostbusters as a kid and being scared of it. I had no idea until years later that it was a comedy!

[OneStepAtATime]

Original movie = 4-letter words, a lot of enticing/trying to entice, and a disturbing threatened r*pe.

Sequel = more 4-letter words, adult sexual references.

Third = still some language, but less than the first 2; only a very few mild sexual references.

 

 

It really left me scratching my head -- what was *with* movies of the 1980s and early '90s, with all the swearing...??!

My husband and I were streaming a movie the other night that we remembered liking as pre-teens, and started watching it in the family room not worried that the kids were in the next room playing a board game...until the nudity and the bad language began flowing off the screen.  In shock, we realized that the only time we saw the movie was the seriously edited version that aired on TV, not the theatrical release.  (I realized afterwards that most of the movies I saw as a kid,including The Karate Kid and Back to the Future, were the edited and bleeped out ones on TV).  Wow, what a difference!  Thank goodness the kids didn't walk through!  Needless to say, we shut it down.    :blink:

[daijobu]

School of Rock