12 Movies and Shows We Love

If you’ve exhausted your current list of family-friendly movies perhaps one of these 6 might be a novel suggestion.  Get your popcorn ready!

6 movies that we love:

1.  Mary Poppins (the 1964 classic). I find nothing objectionable in this movie and I think it holds appeal for both boys and girls.  There is one scene that might scare very young children – right after they visit the bank the children are running through a foggy alley.  A dog barks at them and they bump into Bert who has dark soot all over his face.  That’s it! Good clean fun that won’t drive Mom and Dad up a wall!  My oldest daughter had a solid year where she daily dressed up as Mary Poppins and hauled an umbrella everywhere saying, “Spit-spot!”

2.  Mary Poppins Returns. This one is also exceptionally clean.  There were a few jokes aimed more at adults but they go right over kids’ heads and I didn’t find them inappropriate. There is a scene when they are in the “bowl” that includes an intense chase scene with wolves but it ends favorably.  That scene might feel frightening for very young children.  Spoiler Alert: Part of the premise of this movie is that the children’s mother has died.  Some children might sensitive about that and, as expected, Disney doesn’t have Biblically sound theology regarding death.  It wasn’t problematic for our family, however.

3.  The Sound of Music.  Other than being awfully long, this is a great classic for children!  The very end has the Nazis chasing them through the Abbey which is a little intense.  When my children were younger we always just stopped it after the wedding scene and they were satisfied with that ending.  Honestly, quite a bit of the plot is still over their heads but at ages 4 and 6 they understand enough to enjoy this movie and the music is fantastic.

4.  Cinderella – Disney’s 2014 Version.  While it doesn’t have all the cute singing mice of the animated Disney classic, this version does emphasize the theme “have courage and be kind”.  The movie highlights Cinderella’s character and her choice to respond to cruelty with courage, kindness, and forgiveness.  The theme is so emphasized that I half expected the gospel to be clearly stated at the end! The beginning is emotional because both parents are introduced, and then both die. I would preview the beginning for more sensitive children.

5.  Robin Hood – the 1973 Disney Film.   This is an all around fun movie that isn’t a “princess” story.  Both girls and boys will enjoy this. 

6.  The Greatest Showman.  This is a musical about the life of P.T. Barnum (Barnum & Bailey Circus).  I have no idea how historically accurate it is, but it is quite entertaining for every member of the family.  You will want to preview this one, but my husband and I have found that the merits outweigh the difficulties. There are some “adult themes” that you need to be aware of.  One is that Phineas is tempted toward an adulterous relationship.  There is a kiss.  The reason I am okay with my children watching this is that the movie makes it clear that unfaithfulness is wrong.  This relationship is a big problem for P.T. Barnum and there is repentance and reconciliation that occurs.  Second, there is the word “damn” in one of the songs. There is also some violence in the movie toward the circus performers.  They experience hatred for being “odd”.  The movie makes the point that all people are valuable even if they are unique.  While not a Christian film, we have found it easy to connect Biblical principles such as “pride goes before the fall”, “Marriage is a sacred and precious union”, and “People are valuable because they are created in the image of God”.  I appreciated that the filmmakers avoided pushing current social agendas though it would have been easy for them to import those into this film.

6 Shows that are worthwhile for young children. 

My children don’t watch an excessive amount of TV, but there are times when “watching something” serves to create a moment of needed peace in the home or a distraction during a doctor appointment.  Here are a few that I recommend.

1.  Tumbleleaf on Amazon Prime.  In each episode the characters find an object that they incorporate into their play and exploration.  The characters are sweet and there isn’t a social agenda being pushed.  As a mother, I don’t find the characters obnoxious and it has encouraged my children toward exploration in their play.

2.  Guess How Much I Love You on Amazon Prime.  Perhaps you’ve read the children’s book?  This is more of the same.  British accents and a rabbit who explores nature with his friends coming home to his loving father at the end of each episode.  Very clean and all around pleasant. 

3.  Superbook on Amazon Prime.  This is about two school-aged kids who face real world problems and are transported back into Bible times through “Superbook”.  The Bible stories are fairly accurate and they aren’t dumbed down.  Some episodes can be quite intense (because some Bible stories are intense!).  I like that they don’t “cute-ify” or tame the Bible stories.  God’s word is allowed to speak for itself.  The Gospel is very clear.  This show often leaves my children asking to find the stories and read them from the Bible.  There are more resources to go along with this show that you can find at www.superbookproject.com

4.  Little Einsteins from Disney.  This show combines famous pieces of music and art as a backdrop for the “Little Einsteins’” adventures.  It will encourage an appreciation for music in your children and is a great way to introduce them to some famous composers and artists. 

5.  Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.  I am not a big fan of the new Daniel Tiger Show.  We have found the original episodes of Mister Rogers on YouTube and on Amazon.  I loved Mister Rogers as a child and my kids have enjoyed him as well.  I still want go up and hug the screen sometimes. There is a certain magical calm in the way he addressed children and the “80’s vibe” doesn’t seem to phase my children a bit.

6.  Owlegories.  This is one of our more recent finds! Each 15 minute episode has cute animated owls going off on an adventure to discover something in nature and examine what it reveals about God and show how it relates to the Bible.  After the animated part, there is a brief discussion of what was learned.  They are Biblically solid.   You can watch some of the episodes on Amazon Prime.  You can also find them at https://owlegories.com/ where they have information about their app, an online store including books, and more. 

While this isn’t an exhaustive list of good movies and shows I hope you are able to find something new for a family movie night!  Share in the comments other movies and shows that your family enjoys!