Please help me make a list of clean, wholesome family movies

[Meadowlark]

I know this has been talked about before, so feel free to link me to any previous threads.

Now that the weather is getting colder, I am once again trying to find clean movies that interest my 13 year old all the way down to my 3 year old. 

Here's what I DON'T want

-Children being disrespectful to their parents or siblings
-Bad language (inc. idiot, stupid, loser, etc) THIS IS A BIG ONE that really bothers me
-sex or any reference to
 

We've already watched a lot of the classics including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Red Velvet, Parent Trap, Pollyanna, Wizard of Oz, The Love Bug, Swiss Family Robinson, 10,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the safer Disney picks including Finding Nemo, Lion King, Little Mermaid, Meet the Robinsons, Dory, Cars, Toy Story, Beauty and the Beast.

Whenever I find a movie that looks okay, I look it up on Common Sense Media and something is always off putting to me. I cannot believe what some of these movies have in them. And my kids notice EVERYTHING so the argument that it will go right over their heads just isn't true. They hear, they see, they emulate. Personally, I'd rather not do the movie night thing altogether but it's one of their favorite things to do on a Saturday night with popcorn and the whole shebang.

Is there a grand list somewhere, or what can you add for us?

[MercyA]

I wonder if you might consider classic tv marathons? Shows like Andy Griffith, maybe?

Shirley Temple movies? Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Just Around the Corner, The Little Princess, Heidi? 

[Momto6inIN]

Good luck.

As our kids have grown, we've had the conversationseveral times that there's a reason why Mom and Dad don't watch movies unless it's kids movies with them. It's because there just isn't much that's both appropriate and entertaining for older tastes.

[saraha]

I wouldn't go with Harry and the Hendersons according to your preference. I must have watched the edited for tv version when I was young, because there is definitely some swears in it that I didn't remember.

We like old Don Knotts movies: Apple Dumpling Gang, Ghost and Mr. Chicken, Gus,  Reluctant Astronaut, Shakiest Gun in the west, How to frame a figg, Incredible Mr. Limpett, Race to Witch Mountain, Hannah Montana, all the muppet movies, neverending story, Sugar Creek Gang, Mandy movies, BBC Narnia, Nanny McPhee, Blackbeard's Ghost, Race to Space, the Westing Game, Babe, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Nim's Island, Singing in the rain, the Country Bears, Labyrinth, 60s Batman Movie, Address Unknown.

[Lori D.]

Copy-pasting my lengthy reply from the past thread of "Good family movies?". I left off Pixar and most newer Disney titles, since you already have seen those. Happy family movie watching! Warmest regards, Lori D.

_________________________________________

Check out recommendations in these past threads
Favorite classic family movies?
Favorite family comfort/feel good movies
Gentle movies for 5 to 8 year olds
Great movies for upper elementary
What movies have your kids enjoyed - not necessarily educational
Help me make a list of classic kid-friendly sci-fi, suspense, action type movies
Movies for kids and teens
Movies kids "should" watch
Family friendly movie with good values that teens relate to
Need your best family-friendly movie recommendations for my netflix queue, please
Must-see movies, kids' edition
Good cowboy or western movies

[NOTE: NOT ALL of the movies recommended in these past threads are squeaky clean or G-rated, so you WILL want to look them up!!]

My list below IS G-rated/family friendly:

SILENTS (comedy)
- Cops (Buster Keaton) (1922)
- The General (Buster Keaton) (1926)
- Sherlock Jr. (Buster Keaton) (1924)
- Our Hospitality (Buster Keaton) (1923)
- Steamboat Bill Jr. (Buster Keaton) (1928)
- The Gold Rush (Charlie Chaplin) (1925) -- link is to the. 1942 re-release by Chaplin with him narrating and his music
- Safety Last (Harold Lloyd)

BLACK & WHITE
- Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936)
- Boys Town (1938)
- Little Women (1949)
- Young Tom Edison (1940)
- Oliver Twist (1948)

BLACK & WHITE (humorous)
- Cheaper By the Dozen (1950)
- Yours Mine and Ours (1968)
- The Long Long Trailer (1953)
- Night at the Opera (1935) -- best of the Marx Brothers movies
- Way Out West (1937) -- best of the Laurel & Hardy films
- The Road to Morocco (1942) -- the best of the Bob Hope/Bing Crosby "road" pictures

OLD COLOR (light/humorous)
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1949)
- The Court Jester (1955)

OLD ADVENTURE
- Thief of Baghdad (1925) -- silent B&W Douglas Fairbanks with music of Rimsky Korsakov's symphony Scheherezad -- lovely!
- Treasure Island (1934) -- B&W
- Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938) -- B&W
- The Adventures of Robin Hood (Errol Flynn) (1938)
- The Sea Hawk (1940) -- B&W
- The Prince and the Pauper (1937) -- B&W
- Ivanhoe (1952)
- Knights of the Round Table (1953)
- Prince Valiant (1954)
- Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
- Jason and the Argonauts (1963) -- BEST animated skeleton sword fight EVER!   😄
- Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973)
- The Muppet Movie (1979)

GODZILLA / MONSTER ("kaiju") FILMS! (crazy, cheesy fun -- my boys LOVED these around age 7-9!)
- Godzilla vs. Mothra (1964) -- Godzilla, Mothra (giant moth), and singing twin "fairies"
- Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965) -- Godzilla, Morha, and Ghidhra the 3-headed dragon-like monster
- Gamera vs. Guiron (1969) -- Gamera, a flying turtle, known as the "friend to children", and aliens who want to eat the boys' brains

NEWER FAMILY CLASSICS
- The Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
- DragonHeart (1996)
- The Secret of Roan Innish (1995)
- The Secret Garden (1993)
- Sarah Plain and Tall (1991); Skylark (1993); Winter's End (1999)
- Anne of Green Gables (1985)
- The Secret Garden (1993)
- A Little Princess (1986 - Wonderworks TV mini-series part 1 and part 2) AND (1995 - film)
- The Princess Bride (1987) -- in an otherwise gentle and fun film, there is one unnecessary "s.o.b."
- Labyrinth (1986)

OLD DISNEY (live action)
- The Absent-Minded Professor (the original flubber movie) (1961) -- B&W
- The Love Bug (1968)
- Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
- Davy Crockett (1955)
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)

OLD DISNEY (animated)
- The Reluctant Dragon (1941)
- The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
- Alice in Wonderland (1951)
- Peter Pan (1953)
- 101 Dalmations (1961)
- The Sword in the Stone (1963)
- The Jungle Book (1967)
- Winnie the Pooh (1966)
- Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
- Robin Hood (1973)

OTHER ANIMATED
- Song of the Sea (2014)
- Rango (2011)
- How To Train Your Dragon (2010)
- Despicable Me (2010)
- Megamind (2010)
- Tangled (2010)
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
- The Iron Giant (1999)
- Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) -- Japanese, but dubbed
- My Neighbor Totoro (1988) -- Japanese, but dubbed
- Yellow Submarine (1986)
- The Hobbit (1977)

And don't forget the collections of cartoon shorts of Rocky & Bullwinkle (1960s); Pink Panther (1960s); and *classic* Looney Tunes (1950s-1960s).

WITH ANIMALS
- Fly Away Home (1996)
- Babe (1995)
- The Black Stallion (1979)
- The Incredible Journey (1963)
- National Velvet (1944)

CHRISTMAS
- Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
- Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
- A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
- Scrooge (1970) -- musical
- Elf (2003)

MUSICALS
- Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
- Mary Poppins (1964)
- Sound of Music (1965)
- Hans Christian Andersen (1952)
- The Wizard of Oz (1939)
- Shirley Temple musicals: Heidi, A little Princess, Bright Eyes, Curly Top, The Little Colonel, Poor Little Rich Girl, Wee Willie Winkie

MOVIES SINCE 2000
- Spy Kids (2001) -- and sequels
- Duma (2005)
- Zathura (2005)
- Enchanted (2007)
- Kitt Kittridge (2008)
- The Muppets (2011)
- Muppets Most Wanted (2014)
- Paddington (2014), and sequel (2017)
- Jungle Book (2016)

Edited September 12, 2020 by Lori D.

[HazelAnne]

We watch most PG and up movies through Vid Angel or Clearplay, which edits whatever you want out of movies (language, violence, physical affection, etc). Here is a list of movies that seem family appropriate- though, since we use filters, there could be some problematic things we missed. 

Meet the Robinsons

A Little Princess 

The Willoughby’s 

Sarah Plain and Tall

Ernest and Celestine

Up

Kendrick Brother films (Flywheel, Overcomer, War Room) 

The Secret Garden

Pick of the Litter (documentary)

The Call of the Wild

Pete’s Dragon (newer version)

Secretariat (2010) 

The Jungle Book (2016)

Charlotte’s Web 

Dolphin Tale & sequel 

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe 

Prince Caspian

Monster’s Inc.

Prince of Egypt

Joseph

Veggie Tales Full Length Movies 

The Tale of Despereaux

(sorry for double spacing, don’t know how to fix)

[Selkie]

The Paddington Bear movies are awesome for all ages.

[Momto6inIN]

2 hours ago, HazelAnne said:

We watch most PG and up movies through Vid Angel or Clearplay, which edits whatever you want out of movies (language, violence, physical affection, etc). Here is a list of movies that seem family appropriate- though, since we use filters, there could be some problematic things we missed. 

Meet the Robinsons

A Little Princess 

The Willoughby’s 

Sarah Plain and Tall

Ernest and Celestine

Up

Kendrick Brother films (Flywheel, Overcomer, War Room) 

The Secret Garden

Pick of the Litter (documentary)

The Call of the Wild

Pete’s Dragon (newer version)

Secretariat (2010) 

The Jungle Book (2016)

Charlotte’s Web 

Dolphin Tale & sequel 

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe 

Prince Caspian

Monster’s Inc.

Prince of Egypt

Joseph

Veggie Tales Full Length Movies 

The Tale of Despereaux

(sorry for double spacing, don’t know how to fix)

We use Vid angel and I used to love it but they have a lawsuit settlement with Disney and so those movies are not available anymore and it's not as worth it anymore. Does Clearplay allow Disney? How does it work?

[Pippen]

I don't know if something like this still exists, but when our kids were small we had a DVD player with TV Guardian. We could set the filtering preferences, which were read off the closed captioning. It opened up a lot of movies that had just a few spots that were problematic for us. 

 

[sassenach]

Re: Clearplay

We watched transformers so many times on Clearplay that we forgot the real movie has a bunch of sexy references. When we eventually retired the clearplay, I was so taken off guard. It was like watching National Lampoons Christmas Vacation without the TV version. 

[sassenach]

I really loved Ramona and Beezus, though I don’t remember if it 100% meets your standards. I think it may. 

[carriede]

The Peanuts Movie

Christopher Robin, assuming yall have a Pooh Bear background

[ktgrok]

I will say that although Yours, Mine, and Ours is an absolute favorite of mine (the old version), it does have a scene that is about the teen girl feeling pressured into sex. Nothing explicit is said, but the inference is there. (her new stepfather is the one who explains that she shouldn't let herself feel pressured, and that the guy telling her that she should do it if she loves him doesn't know what love is about...he says this AS he's taken her mother to the hospital to give birth, and makes it clear that family, babies, the messy business of life are what love is really about)

So the message is good, but that IS there. It's actually my favorite scene. But might not work for you. 

ooh - found the exact quote: 

“If you want to know what love really is, take a look around you. ...It's giving life that counts. Until you're ready for it, all the rest is just a big fraud. All the crazy haircuts in the world won't keep it turning. Life isn't a 'love in;' it's the dishes and the orthodontist and the shoe repairman and... ground round instead of roast beef. And I'll tell you something else: it isn't going to a bed with a man that proves you're in love with him; it's getting up in the morning and facing the drab, miserable, wonderful everyday world with him that counts.”
― Frank Beardsley

[Ausmumof3]

Paddington 2 was fun and cute,  we also like the Peter rabbit movie.  There is maybe a bit of disrespect in Peter rabbit but I can’t remember it just had a bit of that vibe whereas Paddington didn’t at all.

Edited September 13, 2020 by Ausmumof3

[Ausmumof3]

Call of the wild that came out recently is probably ok too.  And I and the younger two quite liked the older Dora movie as well although I think I would have struggled to get DH through it.  It was kind of funny though because it was kind of about how Dora had been homeschooled in the jungle and had to adapt to high school.

[sassenach]

Togo was really good. Action packed. It does have dogs in peril, but there's a happy ending. 

[J-rap]

Some of the old Disney ones were fun, like the The Computer Who Wore Tennis Shoes and The Absent-Minded Professor.   How about musicals?  The 3-year-old might not quite be ready for musicals yet, but I'm thinking The Sound of Music, The King and I, Merry Poppins, etc.

[City Mouse]

The only thing I can think of are Veggie Tales. We are not a particularly religious family, but we spent a lot of time watching Veggie Tales when the kids were younger.

[HazelAnne]

18 hours ago, Momto6inIN said:

We use Vid angel and I used to love it but they have a lawsuit settlement with Disney and so those movies are not available anymore and it's not as worth it anymore. Does Clearplay allow Disney? How does it work?

I think Clearplay does work with Disney. 
 

We have a Clearplay DVD player we use. There is an online Chrome extension that can be used instead, but it has limited movies. I think it does movies through Amazon, Netflix, and some Disney Plus. (This is what my husband is telling me). 

[hippiemamato3]

I don't know anymore if we're a religious family, but we are cautious of what our kiddos watch. I do have to say, though, that sometimes watching more mature-themed shows/movies with kids can bring up really good conversations about your own family's values. If you never talk about some things because they never come up, kids will find their information elsewhere, and may likely come to conclusions about things that are opposing your own family's values. Just a thought! (I mean this for tweens+ age of course.)

[Mothersweets]

Captains Courageous (1937)

The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit (1968)

[Random]

I can really sympathize with you.  We don't watch a lot of movies.  Isn't there a company that will "clean up" a movie and send you the DVD?  I can't remember the name, but it's not Vid Angel or Clearplay. 

I didn't see Oddball recommended, yet.  It's adorable.  There is a scene where an unmarried couple has 'their first breakfast together' but my kids think the guy came over for brekkie-there's nothing romantic portrayed.  Adults will probably assume the couple has moved in together.  There is another scene where the same couple travels together, but it's for work.

What did you think of the new (2011) Tin Tin movie? 

Have you seen Sue Thomas, FBEye?  It's on PureFlix or you can buy it on Prime. 

We have enjoyed Andy Griffith on Prime.  Also, the Expedition Overland series about a group of guys who take overlanding trips from the tip of Alaska to Patagonia, Argentina is fun to watch.

Wild Hearts Can't be Broken?  There's a kiss.  It's easily predicted and can be fast-forwarded through.  The guy is clearly in love with the girl but she's too young.  He waits years for her and then they are married.

The new Dr. Dolittle? 

Below are movies I liked that I will name so you can check out.  These are movies I would FF through parts or use the parts I didn't appreciate as a point of discussion.  My kids are 12-18.

Invincible, Remember the Titans, Invictus, Hidden Figures

 

[Acadie]

These tend to be girl-centric, and you'll need to figure out what age limitations work for your family, but there are soooooo many fabulous movies on this list:

https://www.amightygirl.com/movies-tv

I also really like https://www.commonsensemedia.org for family movie reviews. Sometimes a parent review flags something that the site's review does not, so I think it's worth reading parent reviews when they're available. If you start with the Mighty Girl list and check reviews on Common Sense Media I think you'll find tons of great family movies--many titles mentioned above are on the list. 

[happypamama]

Possibly The Greatest Showman. The hint of a possible affair and a kiss is discreet and handled well IMO. There are some hard topics discussed, so you may want to look it up on common sense and all. Honestly, my little guys didn't mention the hard stuff and were just all about the songs and costumes and stunts and the ELEPHANT!  And my oldest teen simply loved it. 

[Sk8ermaiden]

Oh man, that's tough, because so many of the older "classic" kids movies that avoid adult content are SO much worse about the bullying language. It's always shocking when we watch them and I'm constantly reminding my kids that we don't talk to people like that. If I think of any of ours that fit the bill, I'll post them. I was thinking Ever After with Drew Barrymore might come close, but the stepmother definitely uses those words, and she gets a little implied-mildly-seduce-y with a guard to get what she wants.