Ten Unique Family Movies

In no specific order, here are some unique movies to consider trying!

1.) Ponyo

Ponyo is a G rated movie by the famous Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. My little kids love this movie, and it's a long, slower movie (so ideal for a rest/nap time!). I love this movie too! It's a unique story about a little girl/fish who wants to be human. It involves magic, friendship, and beautiful animation.

2.) Kiki's Delivery Service

This is probably my all time favorite Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli movie. A great movie for families and a very innocent story about a girl creating her new life as a witch. It's less whimsical than Ponyo, but involves magic (mostly flying on a broom and believing in yourself). The animation is incredible. All of Studio Ghibli's movies have such beautiful scenery and animation. This movie is rated G, and my kids love this one too.

I have a few more Studio Ghibli movies for the list, but let's break them up with this super fun Indian movie...

3.) Barfi!

Barfi! is a movie from India and wow!!! My sister kept telling me to watch this movie for a few years before I finally made the time to watch it with her! And it was incredible! I told her something along the lines of, "Why didn't I watch this with you sooner?" This movie is a piece of art, with such an intriguing, heart-felt, fun, surprising story line! The main character, Barfi (as he calls himself), is both deaf and mute, leading to being misunderstood by many people. He has a very good heart and is an extremely fun loving character. The story line is intriguing, but I won't give it away. I recommend this movie to older audiences! 

4.) My Neighbor Totoro

My kids keep asking to watch this movie, so I feel bad that I sold it to someone (when I wanted money to enhance my guinea pigs' cage...). This is a G rated movie that is super whimsical. This picture is actually from the Totoro picture book, but includes the same artwork from the movie. The movie contains a family bathing scene of a father and two very young daughters (which to me is not offensive or sexual at all)- a glimpse into a Japanese cultural practice that is less common in mainstream culture in the United States. My personal opinion is that if any material in this movie is not suitable for very young kids (toddler age like my own), it could be the huge and sudden roars from Totoro! But my kids find it very entertaining and fun! Here's a little glimpse of Totoro's roars:

Like I said, my kids love this movie and think it is so fun! I think one reason they love the story is because the main characters (two young girls) are very relatable for young kids their age. This story has strong messages about family relationships and taking care of each other.

5.) The Secret World of Arrietty

Arrietty is a very creative movie with wonderful artwork. Arrietty and her family are tiny people, called borrowers, and it's really fun to see the world from their perspective as they borrow things like sugar cubes or a sewing pin from the beans (humans) they live with. This movie is rated G, but has a slightly more intense theme since one of the humans has a heart condition and is shown as being ill and weak. The borrowers also are concerned about being found by humans, and sometimes have surprising encounters with giant bugs or cats. 

6.) From Up on Poppy Hill

I love this movie! It is rated PG, and covers more cultural/political themes rather than the normal whimsical themes of Studio Ghibli movies. The city and ocean scenery are so neat and intricate. The characters are very lovable, and the story is fun and entertaining. The movie is also very relaxing and serene (as most of these Studio Ghibli movies I've recommended are). It also contains a sweet, innocent, and surprising romance.

7.) Cool Runnings

Cool Runnings has been a long time favorite of mine. I love getting glimpses into different lifestyles and cultures. This is a funny movie very loosely based on the actual history of the first olympic Jamaican bobsled team. Emphasis on the words "very loosely based." The movie turns the history into a more comical, dramatic, entertaining story. It's neat to look up the actual history of the first Jamaican bobsled team to see where the idea for this move came from.

8.) The Adventures of TinTin

The first time I saw this movie, it blew me away! It's probably still my favorite action movie. It's packed with action, humor, and great animation! 

9.) Curious George

Curious George might be my very favorite family movie, especially because it is super entertaining for my young kids, but is also very clever and fun for adults! The humor in this movie is so clean, but still makes me laugh almost every time (and we've watched it a lot). I just can't see anything wrong with this movie. It's basically the perfect family movie in my mind. 

10.) Paper Brigade

I had to include Gunther and the Paper Brigade on this list because my husband thinks this movie is hilarious! And it is! He grew up watching this movie a lot (it was one of their family favorites), and my family actually owned and watched this movie several times when I was growing up too! It's a super funny movie, and very clean. I'd definitely recommend giving it a try!

*If you're curious about the content of these movies and whether you feel it would be appropriate for your children's age range (I didn't go into detail on all of them), check out commonsensemedia.org and type in the movie you want to learn more about!*