List of the 100 Best Family Movies of all Time

#25 – The Hunger Games

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – Like many people, I have read the Hunger Games book series so I was excited and nervous for the movie to come out because I didn’t want the movie to ruin the book for me. I thought the movie was fantastic! The movie follows the book closely but it does not have every detail and there are a few differences between the two. Overall, I thought the directors did a great job at portraying the characters, scenes, costumes, etc as I imagined them to be when I was reading the books. Some people have asked whether or not the movie is too violent. Even though the movie is about children killing each other I didn’t think the violence was too gruesome or intense because you do not see all of the killing that is going on. The movie is from the perspective of the main girl, Katniss, so the deaths that are shown are the only ones that she sees; the other ones you only know about it because of the daily death count. I wouldn’t take my younger children to see it, but I do think it is appropriate for older children and adults.

Summary – Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen volunteers in her younger sister’s place and must rely upon her sharp instincts when she’s pitted against highly trained Tributes who have prepared their entire lives. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

#24 – The Thin Man

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – I have not seen this movie, I hadn’t even heard of this movie until I was compiling this list.

Summary – Nick and Nora Charles cordially invite you to bring your own alibi to The Thin Man, the jaunty whodunit that made William Powell and Myrna Loy the champagne elite of sleuthing. Bantering in the boudoir, enjoying walks with beloved dog Asta or matching each other highball for highball and clue for clue, they combined screwball romance with mystery.

#23 – Princess Mononoke

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – This is my friend’s all time favorite movie. Although she loves all of these Japanese anime. She admires the main characters in this film a lot.

Summary – Inflicted with a deadly curse, a young warrior named Ashitaka (Billy Crudup – Without Limits) sets out to the forests of the west in search of the cure that will save his life. Once there, he becomes inextricably entangled in a bitter battle that matches Lady Eboshi (Driver) and a proud clan of humans against the forest’s animal gods…who are led by the brave Princess Mononoke (Danes), a young woman raised by wolves!

#22 – It Happened One Night

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – This is another movie that I have not personally seen but it looks good to me and now I want to see it sometime.

Summary – When her father threatens to annul her marriage to a fortune-hunting playboy, spoiled heiress Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert) hops a cross-country bus to New York, where she plans to live happily ever after with her handsome new hubby. Romantic complications soon arise, however, when she’s befriended by fellow passenger Peter Warne (Clark Gable), a brash and breezy reporter who offers his help in exchange for her exclusive story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhvYYPJX608&feature=player_embedded

#21 – Rio Bravo (1959)

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – A good movie to start with if you aren’t sure if you will like John Wayne movies. Several other stars (see below) are in this movie and you can tell they enjoyed making this film. There are several underlying stories and some great music too.

Summary – On one side is an army of gunmen dead-set on springing a murderous cohort from jail. On the other is Sheriff John T. Chance (John Wayne) and his two deputies: one a recovering drunkard (Dean Martin), the other a crippled codger (Walter Brennan). Also in their ragtag ranks are an unseasoned, trigger-happy youth (Ricky Nelson) and a woman with a past (Angie Dickinson) – and her eye on Chance.

#20 – Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – I enjoy all of the Indiana Jones but this was not my favorite. It was way different to me and farther out there but it was still full of action and adventure. Good movie overall!

Summary – There’s nothing more exciting than trying to keep up with the Joneses in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Indy’s Nazi enemies are back and have kidnapped his father, Professor Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery), to get help in their search for the Holy Grail. Following a trail from America to Venice to the deserts of the Middle East, it’s up to Indy (Harrison Ford) to save his father, save the Grail and save the day in this non-stop action-packed adventure the whole family will treasure.

#19 – Spirited Away

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – A beautiful, well-done movie intended for girls. Although it is a cartoon, it is quite scary and violent and I would not recommend it until the pre-teen years.

Spirited Away is a wondrous fantasy about a young girl, Chihiro, trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free herself and return her family to the outside world.

#18 – Casablanca

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – This was not my favorite movie. I don’t really know what the hype about this movie is. I didn’t like the acting in it. I still thought it was okay but it did not reach the expectation that I had in mind.

Summary – Casablanca: easy to enter, but much harder to leave, especially if your name is on the Nazi’s most-wanted list. Atop that list is Czech Resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henried), whose only hope is Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), a cynical American who sticks his neck out for no one… especially Victor’s wife Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), the ex-lover who broke his heart. So when Ilsa offers herself in exchange for Laszlo’s safe transport out of the country, the bitter Rick must decide what’s more important – his own happiness or the countless lives that hang in the balance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLU41jUnWM4

#17 – It’s a Wonderful Life

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – This Christmas film is very good. I highly recommend it to everyone; watch it with your family. It has a wonderful message, it portrays that family and friends are far more important than money.

Summary – An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would had been like if he never existed.

#16 – 12 Angry Men

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – This black and white movie is suspenseful and has an interesting story. It is fascinating and entertaining to watch the 12 men work together to make a decision on a case.

Summary – Eleven jurors are convinced that the defendant is guilty of murder. The twelfth has no doubt of his innocence. How can this one man steer the others toward the same conclusion? It’s a case of seemingly overwhelming evidence against a teenager accused of killing his father in “one of the best pictures ever made” (The Hollywood Reporter)

#15 – The Sound of Music

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – Maria is a mother-like figure to the Von Trapp children while she is their governess, but she later becomes their mother when she marries Captain Von Trapp. She is very loving and kind to the children as if they were her own. The Sound of Music is a wonderful classic that everybody must see at least once in their lifetime. This is one of my all time favorite movies!

Summary – In this true-life story, Julie Andrews lights up the screen as Maria, a spirited young woman who leaves the convent to bring love and music to the home of Captain Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) and his seven children.

#14 – Anne of Green Gables

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – This is a delightful movie that is very family friendly and fun to watch as a family. Anne takes you on lots of adventures and there is never a dull moment with Anne! This is a must see!

Summary – An orphan girl, sent to an elderly brother and sister by mistake, charms her new home and community with her firey spirit and imagination.

#13 – To Kill a Mockingbird

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – This movie is a classic. Teachers in almost every high school in America play this film because of the great lessons learned: honesty, fear, justice, racism, judgement, and selfishness. Gregory Peck does a phenomenal job at playing Atticus Finch. If you haven’t already seen it, I would recommend doing so in the near future!

Summary – Gregory Peck won an Oscar for his brilliant performance as the Southern lawyer who defends a black man accused of rape in this film version of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The way in which it captures a time, a place, and above all, a mood, makes this film a masterpiece. The setting is a dusty Southern town during the Depression. A white woman accuses a black man of rape. Though he is obviously innocent, the outcome of his trial is such a foregone conclusion that no lawyer will step forward to defend him–except Peck, the town’s most distinguished citizen. His compassion defense costs him many friendships but earns him the respect and admiration of his two motherless children.

#12 – Beauty and the Beast

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – I love this movie so much! This is a must own and watched over and over. This is Disney at their best! One of my all time favorite movies for sure.

Summary – Follow the adventures of Belle, a bright young woman who finds herself in the castle of a prince who’s been turned into a mysterious beast. With the help of the castle’s enchanted staff, Belle soon learns the most important lesson of all – that true beauty comes within.

#11 – Lord of the Rings – Return of the King

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – This was my favorite of the series. I enjoyed the fact that you finally get to find out what happens in the series which is satisfying. The actors continue to do a great job, the fight/war scenes are well done, and the ending is perfect.

Summary – The final battle for Middle-earth begins. Frodo and Sam, led by Gollum, continue their dangerous mission toward the fires of Mount Doom in order to destroy the One Ring. Aragorn struggles to fulfill his legacy as he leads his outnumbered followers against the growing power of the Dark Lord Sauron, so that the Ring-bearer may complete his quest.

#10 – Rebecca

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – This is another classic but is slow moving and drags on a little but you still get the feel of suspense with this film. Rebecca has themes of adultery and incest which you might not want your children to view.

Summary – After a whirlwind romance, mysterious widower Maxim de Winter (Olivier) brings his shy, young bride (Fontaine) home to his imposing estate, Manderley. But the new Mrs. de Winter finds her married life dominated by the sinister, almost spectral influence of Maxim’s late wife: the brilliant, ravishingly beautiful Rebecca, who, she suspects, still rules both Manderley and Maxim from beyond the grave!

#9 – Philadelphia Story

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – I first saw this movie when I was a teenager and didn’t care for it too much. But I recently re-watched it and I quite enjoyed it the second time around. The acting is just wonderful. I found myself wishing it was in color because of the fancy house and yard. It’s hard to go wrong with three superb actor/actresses.

Summary – Here comes the bride! And the ex-husband. And a gossip-rag columnist on assignment. Here come Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and James Stewart in a peerless comedy romance (directed by George Cukor) about a faultfinding, bride-to-be socialite who gets her comeuppance and an unexpected Mr. Right.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=j_Y1jRb2-uE

#8 – Raiders of the Lost Ark

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – How can you go wrong with Indiana Jones? This segment like all of the others is full of intense action and cliffhangers. This movie will definitely keep you on your toes.

Summary – Indy (Harrison Ford) and his feisty ex-flame Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) dodge booby-traps, fight Nazis and stare down snakes in their incredible worldwide quest for the mystical Ark of the Covenant. Experience one exciting cliffhanger after another when you discover adventure with the one and only Indiana Jones.

#7 – Back to the Future

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – This is one of my family’s all time favorite movies. We would watch it over and over when I was growing up.

Summary – When teenager Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is blasted to 1955 in the DeLorean time machine created by the eccentric Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), he finds himself mixed up in a time-shattering chain reaction that could vaporize his future – and leave him trapped in the past.

#6 – All About Eve

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – I have not seen this movie but it has great reviews and has won a record amount of awards. It looks like it is very interesting and I plan on seeing it at some point.

Summary – From the moment she glimpses her idol on Broadway, Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter) strives to upstage Margo Channing (Bette Davis). After cunningly stealing Margo’s role, Eve disrupts the lives of anyone close to the actress in this timeless cinematic masterpiece that earned a record 14 Oscar Nominations, winning six – including Best Picture!

#5 – Lord of the Rings – Two Towers

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – This was my least favorite out of the series. I still thought it was good movie. There is a lot of fighting scenes and action.

Summary – The Fellowship has broken, but the quest to destroy the One Ring continues. Frodo and Sam must entrust their lives to Gollum if they are to find their way to Mordor. As Saruman’s army approaches, the surviving members of the Fellowhip, along with people and creatures from Middle-earth, prepare for battle. The War of the Ring has begun.

#4 – The Avengers

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – I LOVED this movie! I would recommend watching the other films beforehand, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America, you will understand more of the references and what is going on, but it is not a necessity. This film has action, adventure, drama, intensity, and humor. The special effects, characters, and scenery were top notch. The actors did an incredible job at portraying their individual characters; it was easy to connect with them. The were a lot of one-liners that were funny and one of my favorite scenes was with Loki and the Hulk. Parents should know there is a lot of violence in this movie but no gore/blood. There are some minor profanities but no f-bombs, sex, or nudity. I wouldn’t bring my younger children to see this movie but anybody 13 and older should see it!

Summary – Marvel presents Marvel’s The Avengers, the Super Hero team-up of a lifetime. Iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America assemble for the first time ever in this new action-packed Marvel saga, starring Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself needing a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster.

#3 – Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review –I liked this movie because it was interesting and has good actors. It was a good beginning to a great storyline.

Summary – With the help of a courageous fellowship of friends and allies, Frodo embarks on a perilous mission to destroy the legendary One Ring. Hunting Frodo are servants of the Dark Lord, Sauron, the Ring’s evil creator. If Sauron reclaims the Ring, Middle-earth is doomed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIgkpEgCV-I&feature=player_embedded

#2 – Roman Holiday

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – I was so happy to see this movie so close to the top. Yes, it’s in black and white but that doesn’t mean you need to dismiss it. The acting in it by Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck is sooo good. The film’s plot is original and captivating. It’s entertaining and definitely clean and so nice to see Audrey right at the beginning of her career. I also love all the shots in Rome: I love seeing how it looked back then (which really isn’t all that different from now).

Summary – Roman Holiday was nominated for ten Academy Awards, and Audrey Hepburn captured an Oscar for her portrayal of a modern-day princess rebelling against her royal obligations who explores Rome on her own. She meets Gregory Peck, an American newspaperman who, seeking an exclusive story, pretends ignorance of her true identity. But his plan falters as they fall in love. Eddie Albert contributes to the fun as Peck’s carefree cameraman pal.

#1 – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Grade: A

Mommy Bear’s Family Movie Review – This a great ending to a well-known series that a lot of people love. It is very intense and has a lot of violence in the movie. It is one of the better ones in this series.

Summary – In the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here.