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111 films

Family

Family films are made to be watched across generations. Disney's animated features, MGM's Technicolor adventures, British children's classics and later Pixar and Studio Ghibli titles set the tone: stories of growing up, friendship and courage, told with humour and heart. The best do not talk down to children and give adults something to enjoy as well.

Where
The United States, Britain, Japan, Germany
When
From the 1930s to today
Key figures
Walt Disney, Victor Fleming, Hayao Miyazaki, Steven Spielberg, Brad Bird
Landmark films
Snow White (1937), The Wizard of Oz (1939), E.T. (1982), My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Legacy
Created a shared cinema experience for children and parents together

What to look for

  • Child or animal protagonists
  • Humour that works at two levels
  • Clear moral stakes
  • Music and memorable characters
  • Warm, hopeful endings

Directors with the most films in this genre

Harold Lloyd6 filmsHayao Miyazaki4 filmsMajid Majidi4 filmsCecil B. DeMille3 filmsJames Algar3 filmsVictor Fleming3 filmsBuster Keaton2 filmsCharlie Chaplin2 filmsGaston Kaboré2 filmsGeorge Cukor2 filmsGeorges Méliès2 filmsGints Zilbalodis2 filmsIsao Takahata2 filmsWilfred Jackson2 filmsAbbas Kiarostami1 filmAgnieszka Holland1 filmAlan Parker1 filmAlberto Lattuada1 filmAAleksandr Ptushko1 filmAlexander Nanau1 filmAlfonso Cuarón1 filmAlice Guy-Blaché1 filmAparna Sen1 filmAri Folman1 film
See all 93 directors
AArne Sucksdorff1 filmBo Widerberg1 filmBBrian Desmond Hurst1 filmBByambasuren Davaa1 filmCarla Simón1 filmCarol Reed1 filmChetan Anand1 filmCChristine Jeffs1 filmDariush Mehrjui1 filmDDhimitër Anagnosti1 filmEdwin S. Porter1 filmElem Klimov1 filmElia Kazan1 filmFrank Capra1 filmGillian Armstrong1 filmHHenry Koster1 filmHHenry Selick1 filmHirokazu Kore-eda1 filmHou Hsiao-hsien1 filmJacques Tati1 filmJafar Panahi1 filmJan Švankmajer1 filmJohn Ford1 filmJoseph Losey1 filmJulien Duvivier1 filmKen Loach1 filmKutluğ Ataman1 filmLLi Han-hsiang1 filmLuigi Comencini1 filmMakoto Shinkai1 filmMMamoru Hosoda1 filmManoel de Oliveira1 filmMartin Scorsese1 filmMMassoud Kimiai1 filmMichael Curtiz1 filmMMichel Ocelot1 filmMike Newell1 filmMMohammad Ali Talebi1 filmNicolas Philibert1 filmNicolas Roeg1 filmNNiki Caro1 filmNorman Jewison1 filmOlivier Assayas1 filmPPaul Grimault1 filmPPawo Choyning Dorji1 filmPhilippe Garrel1 filmPPierre Étaix1 filmRamin Matin1 filmRaoul Walsh1 filmRichard Donner1 filmRRob Reiner1 filmRobert Wise1 filmSergei Parajanov1 filmSeyfettin Tokmak1 filmShohei Imamura1 filmSSophie Hyde1 filmSteven Spielberg1 filmTim Burton1 filmTTom Shoval1 filmTTomm Moore1 filmVincente Minnelli1 filmVishal Bhardwaj1 filmVVojtěch Jasný1 filmWWalt Disney1 filmWolfgang Petersen1 filmYasujiro Ozu1 filmZZahir Raihan1 filmÉÉmile Cohl1 filmÜmit Köreken1 film

Often combined with

Drama Comedy Adventure Animation Fantasy Romance

Top 100 rated films

  1. Jibon Theke Neya 1970 · Zahir Raihan · IMDb 9.3
  2. It's a Wonderful Life 1946 · Frank Capra · IMDb 8.6
  3. Spirited Away 2001 · Hayao Miyazaki · IMDb 8.6
  4. Children of Heaven 1997 · Majid Majidi · IMDb 8.2
  5. Howl's Moving Castle 2004 · Hayao Miyazaki · IMDb 8.2
  6. The Kid 1921 · Charlie Chaplin · IMDb 8.2
  7. Scrooge 1951 · Brian Desmond Hurst · IMDb 8.1
  8. The Circus 1928 · Charlie Chaplin · IMDb 8.1
  9. The Color of Paradise 1999 · Majid Majidi · IMDb 8.1
  10. The Sound of Music 1965 · Robert Wise · IMDb 8.1
  11. The Wizard of Oz 1939 · Victor Fleming · IMDb 8.1
  12. Wolf Children 2012 · Mamoru Hosoda · IMDb 8.1
  13. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn 1945 · Elia Kazan · IMDb 8.0
  14. Castle in the Sky 1986 · Hayao Miyazaki · IMDb 8.0
  15. Fiddler on the Roof 1971 · Norman Jewison · IMDb 8.0
  16. The Princess Bride 1987 · Rob Reiner · IMDb 8.0
  17. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya 2013 · Isao Takahata · IMDb 8.0
  18. Toto and His Sisters 2014 · Alexander Nanau · IMDb 8.0
  19. Captains Courageous 1937 · Victor Fleming · IMDb 7.9
  20. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 1982 · Steven Spielberg · IMDb 7.9
  21. Kes 1969 · Ken Loach · IMDb 7.9
  22. The Song of Sparrows 2008 · Majid Majidi · IMDb 7.9
  23. The Ten Commandments 1956 · Cecil B. DeMille · IMDb 7.9
  24. Coraline 2009 · Henry Selick · IMDb 7.8
  25. Flow 2024 · Gints Zilbalodis · IMDb 7.8
  26. Good Morning 1959 · Yasujiro Ozu · IMDb 7.8
  27. Kiki's Delivery Service 1989 · Hayao Miyazaki · IMDb 7.8
  28. The Ballad of Narayama 1983 · Shohei Imamura · IMDb 7.8
  29. The Deer 1974 · Massoud Kimiai · IMDb 7.8
  30. To Be and to Have 2002 · Nicolas Philibert · IMDb 7.8
  31. Welcome, or No Trespassing 1964 · Elem Klimov · IMDb 7.8
  32. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 2005 · Mike Newell · IMDb 7.7
  33. How Green Was My Valley 1941 · John Ford · IMDb 7.7
  34. The Goonies 1985 · Richard Donner · IMDb 7.7
  35. The King and the Mockingbird 1980 · Paul Grimault · IMDb 7.7
  36. The Thief of Bagdad 1924 · Raoul Walsh · IMDb 7.7
  37. A Little Princess 1995 · Alfonso Cuarón · IMDb 7.6
  38. Aniki-Bóbó 1942 · Manoel de Oliveira · IMDb 7.6
  39. Our Little Sister 2015 · Hirokazu Kore-eda · IMDb 7.6
  40. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 1937 · Walt Disney · IMDb 7.6
  41. Speedy 1928 · Harold Lloyd · IMDb 7.6
  42. The Kid Brother 1927 · Harold Lloyd · IMDb 7.6
  43. The White Balloon 1995 · Jafar Panahi · IMDb 7.6
  44. Willow and Wind 1999 · Mohammad Ali Talebi · IMDb 7.6
  45. Yankee Doodle Dandy 1942 · Michael Curtiz · IMDb 7.6
  46. Cops 1922 · Buster Keaton · IMDb 7.5
  47. Hugo 2011 · Martin Scorsese · IMDb 7.5
  48. Kirikou and the Sorceress 1998 · Michel Ocelot · IMDb 7.5
  49. Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom 2019 · Pawo Choyning Dorji · IMDb 7.5
  50. Meet Me in St. Louis 1944 · Vincente Minnelli · IMDb 7.5
  51. The Freshman 1925 · Harold Lloyd · IMDb 7.5
  52. The Secret of Kells 2009 · Tomm Moore · IMDb 7.5
  53. Whale Rider 2002 · Niki Caro · IMDb 7.5
  54. Yoyo 1965 · Pierre Étaix · IMDb 7.5
  55. 5 Centimeters per Second 2007 · Makoto Shinkai · IMDb 7.4
  56. Alice (1988) 1988 · Jan Švankmajer · IMDb 7.4
  57. Leila 1996 · Dariush Mehrjui · IMDb 7.4
  58. Oliver! 1968 · Carol Reed · IMDb 7.4
  59. Poil de Carotte 1932 · Julien Duvivier · IMDb 7.4
  60. The Impossible Voyage 1904 · Georges Méliès · IMDb 7.4
  61. The Story of the Weeping Camel 2003 · Byambasuren Davaa · IMDb 7.4
  62. Cinderella (1950) 1950 · Wilfred Jackson · IMDb 7.3
  63. David Copperfield 1935 · George Cukor · IMDb 7.3
  64. Little Women (1994) 1994 · Gillian Armstrong · IMDb 7.3
  65. The King of Kings 1927 · Cecil B. DeMille · IMDb 7.3
  66. The Living Desert 1953 · James Algar · IMDb 7.3
  67. The NeverEnding Story 1984 · Wolfgang Petersen · IMDb 7.3
  68. The Secret Garden 1993 · Agnieszka Holland · IMDb 7.3
  69. Tomka and His Friends 1977 · Dhimitër Anagnosti · IMDb 7.3
  70. Peter Pan 1953 · Wilfred Jackson · IMDb 7.2
  71. The Cassandra Cat 1963 · Vojtěch Jasný · IMDb 7.2
  72. Little Women 1933 · George Cukor · IMDb 7.1
  73. Movie Crazy 1932 · Harold Lloyd · IMDb 7.1
  74. My Neighbors the Yamadas 1999 · Isao Takahata · IMDb 7.1
  75. Pee-wee's Big Adventure 1985 · Tim Burton · IMDb 7.1
  76. Summer 1993 2017 · Carla Simón · IMDb 7.1
  77. Summer Hours 2008 · Olivier Assayas · IMDb 7.1
  78. The Boat 1921 · Buster Keaton · IMDb 7.1
  79. The Great Adventure 1953 · Arne Sucksdorff · IMDb 7.1
  80. The Vanishing Prairie 1954 · James Algar · IMDb 7.1
  81. Treasure Island 1934 · Victor Fleming · IMDb 7.1
  82. Grandma's Boy 1922 · Harold Lloyd · IMDb 7.0
  83. Beyond the Clouds (2017) 2017 · Majid Majidi · IMDb 6.9
  84. Fantasmagorie 1908 · Émile Cohl · IMDb 6.9
  85. The Adventures of Pinocchio 1972 · Luigi Comencini · IMDb 6.9
  86. Bugsy Malone 1976 · Alan Parker · IMDb 6.8
  87. Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation 1962 · Henry Koster · IMDb 6.8
  88. The Kingdom and the Beauty 1959 · Li Han-hsiang · IMDb 6.8
  89. The Witches 1990 · Nicolas Roeg · IMDb 6.8
  90. Away 2019 · Gints Zilbalodis · IMDb 6.7
  91. Feet First 1930 · Harold Lloyd · IMDb 6.7
  92. Rabi 1992 · Gaston Kaboré · IMDb 6.7
  93. The Boy with Green Hair 1948 · Joseph Losey · IMDb 6.7
  94. Buud Yam 1997 · Gaston Kaboré · IMDb 6.6
  95. Cinderella 1899 · Georges Méliès · IMDb 6.5
  96. Flight of the Red Balloon 2007 · Hou Hsiao-hsien · IMDb 6.5
  97. The Greatest Show on Earth 1952 · Cecil B. DeMille · IMDb 6.5
  98. Youth (2012) 2012 · Tom Shoval · IMDb 6.5
  99. 52 Tuesdays 2013 · Sophie Hyde · IMDb 6.4
  100. Where Is Anne Frank 2021 · Ari Folman · IMDb 6.4