A family-friendly film has the difficult task of appealing to multiple generations of audience members while also promoting a heartwarming message at the end of the film. Family movies may vary in ratings, but they are generally safe to watch for people of all ages. Because of that, it can be easy to dismiss these movies as not being as artistic or well-acted as films that are not made to appeal to mass audiences of all ages - but that would be a mistake. There are plenty of family films that have great acting.
A family movie is not quite the same as a kids' movie, which is meant to appeal specifically to children. These films are meant to be enjoyed by everyone and the performances in these films are extremely admirable.Some of the performances in these family movies were nominated for major acting awards.Here are ten essential family films with great acting.
10’Home Alone' (1990)
Directed by Chris Columbus
1990’sHome Aloneis one of the most beloved family films ever made. When the large and noisy McAllister family is on an airplane to Paris for Christmas vacation, Kate McAllister (Catherine O’Hara) realizes that the family forgot one of their kids at home. Viewers are treated to little Kevin McAllister (Macaulay Culkin) spending Christmas alone and fending off burglars who have figured out that the home is only occupied by a mischievous little kid.
There is a reason why Macaulay Culkin was the most sought-after child actor in the 90s: he was really, really good.A child actor with this much raw talent is hard to come by.Home Alonewas not his first film, but it was the film that launched Culkin intosuperstardom.He wasn’t the only striking performer in the film.Joe PesciandDaniel Sternbring cartoonish villains to life and Catherine O’Hara anchors the film with a grounded performance of a stressed-out mother.
Home Alone
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9’Mary Poppins' (1964)
Directed by Robert Stevenson
Disney’s 1960s movie musicaladaptationof the novel seriesMary Poppins, the story of a magical nanny, is a wonderful example of a family film that has something for everyone. It has wonderful musical numbers, colorful set pieces, memorable characters, and moving performances byJulie AndrewsandDick Van Dykeas Bert the Chimney Sweep. The entire movie feels like consuming a spoonful of sugar. It’s medicine for the soul and fun for the whole family.
Julie Andrews is, as always, captivating onscreen. She plays the titular Mary Poppins and does a wonderful job of exuding joy for her job and taking care of children.The film has a 97% onRotten Tomatoeswith several modern reviews commenting on Julie Andrews' iconic performance.In a career of legendary performances, it says a lot that Mary Poppins is considered one of her most memorable characters.
Mary Poppins
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8’Hugo' (2011)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese’sHugois an ode to child cinephiles and how cinema has always felt like magic. Based on the novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the film follows a 12-year-old boy named Hugo (Asa Butterfield) who loves to work with gadgets and clocks. He is an orphan who hides out at the train station fixing clocks. He meets a friend named Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz) and her godfather, Georges Méliès (Sir Ben Kingsley).
Not only is this heartwarming story featuring some elements of real film history, but the performances are incredibly charming. This is a star-studded cast, including its young stars, Moretz and Butterfield, who bring real heart to their characters. Both play orphaned children and shed light on the unique loneliness that comes with that. Couple that with Kingley’s mustachioed Méliès and this is one talented trio pulling the audience through the magic of very early filmmaking.
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7’Mrs. Doubtfire' (1993)
Mrs. Doubtfirehas an outlandish plot that is ultimately a hilarious and heartwarming ride.Robin Williamsis to thank for that. Robin Williams plays a voice actor whose immature behavior pushes his wife (Sally Fields) to ask for a divorce. He has visitation rights with his kids on Saturdays, provided he has a stable job. He wants a job and wants to see his kids, so he dresses up as an old woman to be his wife’s housekeeper so he can spend time with his kids.
It sounds extreme, but Robin Williams makes it work.Williams wasn’t the first choice for the part, but it is impossible to think of anyone else pulling this off. Williams is perfect in the role!Not only is Robin Williams a force to be reckoned with, butSally Field’s roleas his beleaguered ex-wife trying to move on from their divorce is incredibly empathetic. Instead of a harried, workaholic wife, she comes across as a woman at her wits' end who is simply trying to do what is best for her family. The audience grows sympathetic to her character due, in part, to Williams' character also seeing her in this light. These are masterful performances, prosthetics and all.
Mrs. Doubtfire
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6’The Wizard of Oz' (1939)
Directed by Victor Fleming
One of the most iconic films ever made,The Wizard of Ozis a cheery fantasy film that has brought families together for decades. An average teenager in Kansas is transported to the fantastical world of Oz. She takes the famous Yellow Brick Road with her new friends to meet the Wizard and asks for his help to return home and help her friends with their requests. It is heartwarming, silly, and colorful (no, it wasnot the first color film) and it has endured the test of time.
Judy Garlandcemented herself as an icon with her portrayal of Dorothy. There arecountless stories of Garland’s mistreatmentby studios, film executives, and cast members while filmingThe Wizard of Oz.The teenager was going through a great deal of distress when the cameras weren’t rolling.It is thus doubly admirable (and tragic) that Garland was able to fight through the abuse she was facing to bring so much innocence and heart to Dorothy’s journey through Oz.
The Wizard of Oz
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5’Stand by Me' (1986)
Directed by Rob Reiner
It is a controversial pick for a family film because of its R rating, butStand by Meis considered a classic for children of the 80s and 90s. The content is dark, but its power as a coming-of-age film has endured due to the performances of the talented kids in the movie.Based on a novella byStephen King,Stand by Mefollows four boys who go on a hike to find the body of a missing child.That’s not exactly the standard plot for a family-friendly film!
The four boys are played byJerry O’Connell,Wil Wheaton,Corey Feldman, andRiver Phoenix. The film was nominated for a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar and two Golden Globes, but critics poured over the performances of the likable young men.The New York Timespointed out that the four boys were “individually likable” in their endearing roles, which helps carry the movie.
Stand by Me
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4’The Goonies' (1985)
Directed by Richard Donner
The Gooniesis a beloved child-led film from the 1980s that families continue to watch together. A group of boys tries to save their homes from foreclosure by finding the hidden treasure of a pirate named One-Eyed Willy. This adventure comedy is all about friendship as the boys band together on their sometimes dangerous journey in search of a legendary treasure that may or may not be real.
The Goonieswas a launchpad for several young actors who went on to have amazing careers.Josh Brolin,Sean Astin, Corey Feldman,Martha Plimpton, andKe Huy Quanall starred in The Goonies. For many of those young actors, this was the first job in film that they ever had. Their potential is evidentwith their performances being a huge reason the film is so enchanting. Believe it or not,The Gooniesis loosely based onreal events. Perhaps the realism behind the story helped the actors ground their performances through such a wild adventure.
The Goonies
3’Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.' (2023)
Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig
Judy Blume’s novelAre You There God? It’s Me, Margaretis a coming-of-age classic for young women. For years, Blume notoriously shot down requests to adapt her novel into a film. Writer and director Kelly Fremon Craig managed to be the one person to convince Blume to trust her with her work. This was a wise decision on Blume’s part because the filmAre You There God? It’s Me, Margaretis nearly perfect! One of the most perfect parts of this film is actressRachel McAdamsplaying Margaret’s mom.
Rachel McAdams is a fantastic actress with an incredible range. This is, after all, the same woman who brought Regina George to life. She plays a mother trying her best inAre You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, and it might just bethe best performance of her entire career. She is so natural and believable as Margaret’s mother that it feels like the role she was meant to play.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
2’Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' (1971)
Directed by Mel Stuart
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factoryis a delightful family film. A poor boy named Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum) wins a golden ticket to visit the chocolate factory of an eccentric candy mogul named Willy Wonka. He and his grandpa are awarded a group tour through the factory. As the tour goes on, the other kids become selfish in their desire for candy and get kicked out of the factory in a variety of musically interesting ways until Charlie and his grandpa are the only two left standing.
Roger Ebert saidthis is"probably the best film of its sort sinceThe Wizard of Oz. It is everything that family movies usually claim to be, but aren’t: delightful, scary, exciting, and, most of all, a genuine work of imagination".Itisa genuine work of pure imagination, andGene Wilder’s playful, darkly comic yet soulful portrayal of Willy Wonka has a lot to do with that! No shade toTimothée Chalamet, but Gene Wilder IS Willy Wonka.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
1’E.T.' (1982)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
1982’sE.T.is a wonderful family friend about family and one’s desire to be “home”. Home is where the heart is, whether that heart belongs to an alien or a human! E.T. is an alien who was left behind when his alien family came to Earth to collect forest samples. Elliott, a human boy, finds him and tries to help E.T. go home while evading capture by government agents.
The cast ofE.T.is another who’s who of young actors who would go on to have amazing careers.Drew Barrymoreplays the adorable younger sister to Elliott, played by the delightfulHenry Thomas.Thomas was so good as a young actor that his audition tape forE.T.continues to circulate online as an impressive display of his natural talent.In the video, Thomas cries while delivering a passionate monologue trying to save E.T. from government testing. At the end of the audition, Spielberg audibly tells him, “Okay, kid, you got the job.”
