Our Favorite Kids Movies

We adults may not “look like children,” says Alain de Botton, “but we are inside.” Which is to say that you don’t need to be a Disney adult to enjoy some good, wholesome, family-friendly entertainment. Far from it! It turns out that children’s films remain one of the most reliable places to find profoundly human stories for all ages. Having stood the test of many viewings, these are a few of our favorites.

The Wolf Man (1941) is one of Universal’s OG horror classics, and though it’s maybe not a good fit for little kids, it is a great starting point for older ones wanting to ease into the genre. The famous poem written for the movie and recited by the beautifully accented Maria Ouspenskaya — “Even a man who is pure in heart, / And says his prayers by night, / May become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms, / And the autumn moon is bright” — sets the tone for this atmospheric thriller. Cast consists of a deep bench of talented character actors, with Lon Chaney Jr. playing the eponymous Wolf Man; Lawrence “Larry” Talbot, his father, played by Claude Rains of Casablanca fame; and Evelyn Ankers, known as Queen of the B-Movies, plays Larry’s love interest Gwen, not to mention Bela Lugosi and Ralph Bellamy in supporting roles. It’s that old story: man is bitten by a werewolf, man tries to leave town to save everyone he loves once he realizes he is a monster, father tries to protect son from his obvious delusion, things go tragically sideways quickly. Interpretations abound, but realizing one’s own low anthropology is certainly among them. – Josh Retterer

Swiss Family Robinson (1960): It can be hard to find a movie for little kids that is engaging but not overstimulating. After watching a slew of animated action movies, I was skeptical that my boys would be able to sit still for this one, but they were glued to the screen the entire time. It begins with a shipwreck, which is then followed by a shark attack (!). For the next two hours, a family of five is stuck on a deserted island and transforms an exotic jungle into a theme park. Yes, some of it is dated, but what makes this movie timeless is that it takes children’s desires for real adventure seriously. Tigers and pirates are a legitimate threat to one’s survival. Life is not safe, but its dangers are what brings this family together. Best line: “The world is full of nice ordinary people with nice ordinary houses on the ground,” says Father Robinson to his wife. “But didn’t you ever dream of having a house up in a treetop?” – Sam Bush

Mary Poppins (1964): As my dad liked to remind me, Mary Poppins was the first movie I ever saw, and I saw it with him. It was one of his favorites, a movie that he turned to on Sunday nights while grading papers in the living room. And what a comfort it is: the grace and mystery of Mary Poppins, combined with her insistence on order and structure, work together to create an environment in which Jane and Michael can flourish — and, in the end, Mr. Banks too. Mary Poppins is never anti-imagination or anti-fun, but she is a proponent of balance. The film offers a window for children to see how adults can be more than one thing and how adults need saving too. – Sarah Gates

The Phantom Tollbooth (1970): Growing up overseas, I didn’t watch much TV, but I wore out the small cache of VHS tapes my parents had accumulated. Some of my faves were predictable, including six fantastic flicks from (what you might call) Disney’s middle classic period — i.e. 1961, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1970, and 1973. Yet, The Phantom Tollbooth, an MGM Chuck Jones joint, always stood out from the rest of my go-tos. Looking back, it’s a very quirky story, and I’ve still never read Norton Juster’s source material, but two essential images from the movie are forever seared into my imagination: (1) that of Chroma the Great dramatically conducting the sunset (a great early image of God for me), and (2) that of Milo finally getting the two feuding brother-kings — Azaz the Unabridged (lover of words) and The Mathemagician (lover of numbers) who rule separate halves of the Kingdom of Wisdom — to realize how alike they are. As The Mathemagician protests, “We’ve never agreed on anything, and we never will!” “So you admit you do agree with Azaz about something — you agree about disagreeing,” Milo reasons. Then it dawns on the king: “I’VE BEEN TRICKED!” – Ben Self

My favorite kids movie is a tie: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) and Coraline (2009). Both movies are lessons in temptation and in learning that getting what you want is not always a good thing. In Willy Wonka, the lesson was learned too late for most of the kids, save Charlie, and in Coraline, she learned it, but nearly at the cost of her parents. Just like Jesus was tempted in the desert, or, more to the point, Adam and Eve in the garden, temptation makes sense and can even be a little bit exciting, but the final result can have real consequences. Both of these movies express that point perfectly for kids … and adults. – Dennis Sanders

The Muppet Movie (1979): Mockingbird is a pretty Muppet-y organization. Not only are a number of us big Jim Henson fans, but there’s an emphasis on play and an allergy to taking ourselves too seriously that I think is mirrored in the Muppets. For me, this movie is maybe the purest distillation of everything I’ve always loved about the Muppets. From the running gags, fourth wall breaks, incredible Paul Williams songs, and literally explosive humor to zany characters and wonderful wide-ranging celebrity cameos (everyone from late ’70s favorites like Steve Martin, Richard Pryor, and Madeline Kahn to stars of the ’40s like Milton Berle, Bob Hope, and Orson Welles!) with a tender, beating heart at the center of it all. A number of years ago, there was a Facebook meme where you had to choose the three fictional characters who best represent your personality. I chose three Muppets: Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear, and Sam the Eagle. Deeply influential. – Joey Goodall

The Goonies (1985) is a movie that feels foundational to my childhood. It was the first time I saw people my age undertaking an adventure entirely on their own — and though I couldn’t have articulated it at the time, that felt like freedom to me. Sloth’s inclusion in the group redefined for me what belonging, and family, could mean. And the conversion of the disinterested parents at the beginning of the movie to the frantic ones at the end was a reminder of the omnipresence of parental (and, to stretch the comparison, divine) love, even when it isn’t always visible. – Stephanie Phillips

My Neighbor Totoro (1988): When I finally watched this lovely movie in my early twenties, I instantly regretted waiting so long. I’d avoided it for years because the cheesy 1994 VHS cover at my local library turned me off, even at nine or ten years old. But the film itself is a delight. It’s as if Ozu had made a Disney movie! It’s the story of a family in 1950s Japan who move out to the country near the hospital where the mother is being treated for a long-term illness. It’s quiet, meditative, funny, and moving. The two young sisters, Satsuki and Mei, are realistically portrayed. They’re curious and imperfect and lovable in their imperfection. Maybe the most Mbird-resonant idea in the film is that Totoro, the Cat Bus, the Soot Sprites, and the other magical creatures that populate the story are not imaginary but real presences in the girls’ world (even if adults can’t see them), and arrive to help the girls from outside (extra nos) when they are needed the most. – Joey Goodall

The Land Before Time (1988). Not only did this movie teach me about grief (IYKYK), but it also taught me about the essential role that friendship plays in cultivating hope and strengthening faith, even on the long and dangerous pilgrimage to the Great Valley. – Jeb Ralston

Field of Dreams (1989): After hearing mysterious voices, a man goes to basically any lengths to try to honor and ultimately reconnect with his lost father. Sounds like the human condition to me! I’m still not sure exactly why I was so drawn to this film, but I watched it on repeat as a kid. Some folks may take issue theologically with the whole “If you build it, they [he?] will come” thing, but I’m convinced Field of Dreams had a foundational role in my spiritual formation, though I had no idea of its impact at the time. – Ben Self

Hook (1991): Peter Pan seems to be one of those stories that comes back around for each generation, but nothing will top this 1991 interpretation starring Robin Williams. Maybe that’s just because I was in the target demographic when it came out! Either way, Williams plays an adult Peter Pan worn down by the weight and responsibilities of being a fancy lawyer. The story really begins when his kids, Jack and Maggie, are kidnapped by the eponymous Hook, played delightfully by Dustin Hoffman. The movie is a living object lesson on what actually gets people to change (or change back in Peter’s case): one-way love. It is through remembering and experiencing love that Peter is able to recover his identity and save the day. – Will Ryan

Aladdin (1992): “Do you trust me?” Aladdin asks Jasmine before a magic carpet ride. Though not the most memorable quote, I’ve been jokingly saying this to my wife for years. Long before that, as a kid, this was my favorite Disney feature. Exotic, exciting, magical … and he gets the girl! Eleven-year-old me was hooked. It has aged well with profound insights on power, identity, and self-sacrifice. Enjoy the ride, and “Thank you for choosing Magic Carpet Air! Goodbye, goodbye now, goodbye …” – Ryan Alvey

The Sandlot (1993): If you’ve ever been picked last for anything, this movie will hit you in the heart. It’s filled with humor, characters, and the major life question of belonging. You don’t have to know who the Great Bambino is, or even understand baseball. Scotty Smalls is in need of a friend and Benny delivers. The best player is also inviting, gracious, and fun. He gifts a real glove, hits a fly ball straight to it, and redeems a lost treasure. Hmmm … – Ryan Alvey

Five years ago, I wrote a treatise on Mockingbird outlining the abreactive power of Disney’s underdog classic A Goofy Movie (1995). The movie is now celebrating 30 years, and I stand by that reflection, especially as I grow into my own fatherhood. As a kid, the emotional payoff was that when Max confesses his big lie, he gets everything he had hoped for. The payoff for his repentance is gratuitous, abundant, and unmerited. As an adult, it’s a warm parental parable of law and gospel, a reminder that controlling my kiddos won’t engender a loving response. The music is outstanding. The jokes hold up. Give it a watch – I think you’ll see I2I with me that it’s an excellent movie. – Bryan Jarrell

The Iron Giant (1999): Before The Incredibles and Ratatouille, director Brad Bird gave us this hand-drawn masterpiece, which boasts one of the most memorable Christ figures in all of children’s cinema. A beautiful coming-of-age film that never found the audience it deserved, The Iron Giant doubles as a parable of self-sacrifice par excellence, combining the spirit of Amblin with ’70s Disney. Fun fact: the film is based on the short story by poet Ted Hughes, aka Mr. Sylvia Plath, and was produced by none other than Pete Townshend of The Who. – David Zahl

School of Rock (2003) and Nacho Libre (2006): Not just because I could watch Jack Black read a phone book and still be entertained, but because both films pulse with a surprising heart of grace. They tell stories of failed dreams and bottoming out, only to reveal the joy of being lifted up by a love that can’t be earned. Along the way, we get the imputation of cool, unlikely friendships, the healing power of music, hero expiration, self-deprecating humor (a fruit of the Spirit, perhaps), and … of course … overcoming the disease of Stick-it-to-the-Man-iosis. For those about to rock, we salute you. Felicidades. – Davis Johnson

Millions (2004): Ah, the age of reason, when a child starts grappling with right and wrong, like what to do if your sister is mean to you — or if you and your brother find a duffel bag full of, let’s say, £265,000. In director Danny Boyle’s heartwarming 2004 comedy-drama Millions, that windfall is due to the one snafu in Britain’s most spectacular bank heist. Can the underage boys cash it in or spend it in the few days left before Britain (supposedly) converts to the Euro? Will the desperate unlucky robber manage to break into their house and get it back? The suspense is fun, but the real drama’s in the hearts of the children. The boys have lost their mother, and it’s obvious they’re grieving — though they have figured out that a sad face and “Our mum if dead” gets them free treats. Damien, — age nine, the shy, dreamy, idealistic one — is preternaturally knowledgeable about Catholic saints, a string of whom, droll and down to earth, show up to answer questions, give advice, and save the school Christmas Pageant. Damien wants to give the money to the poor but has a hard time finding them. Anthony, twelve and angry, is thinking more along the lines of real estate investments, while the kids’ loving but harried dad and his likeable new girlfriend, discovering what Anthony had tried to keep secret, waver between honesty being the best policy and … well, the frustrated thief has torn up the house, after all. It’s purehearted, adorable Damien who finally supplies the wanted-or-not ethical clarity to the grown-ups, scoffing at the notion that the money is divine favor — “God does not rob banks!” — and in the joyous epilogue we discover just how good being good can feel. – Ken Wilson

Wall-E (2008): I wasn’t a child when Wall-E came out. I went to the theater to see this gem because it felt different from all the other Pixar movies. Riffing on 2001: A Space Odyssey, dystopia, and a robot who never gives up hope? Not to mention the equally dystopian comedy of what happens to us humans when we simply give up. “I DON’T WANT TO SURVIVE! I WANT TO LIVE!” yells the captain. Thomas Newman’s score carries the film, weaving beauty and suspense throughout. And I just can’t get over the nostalgic presence in the film: all the little trinkets and old videos and yearning for what was. Wall-E and Eve discover a joy that maybe us humans missed when it was there for us. And by the end, we discover there’s always hope and joy available to us, no matter how dark our lives are. – Janell Downing

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009): Whenever I’m asked about my favorite movie — not just my favorite Wes Anderson movie — Fox is my answer. It’s perfect: hilarious yet touching, entertaining and inventive in the extreme, it’s everything I dream a movie can be. And it holds up to repeat viewings as well as anything this side of Lebowski. There are a lot of great Dahl film adaptations out there (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach), but this is the only one that genuinely surpasses the source material. Not the movie we deserve but the one the good Lord saw fit, in his grace, to give us. – David Zahl

Frozen (2013): Oh, sorry, you said favorite kids movie? I heard most watched in my lifetime. As the mother of two daughters born in the 2010s, this movie was inescapable for much of my early years as a mom. They were obsessed. The movie (in case you’ve been living in a cave) is about two sisters, Anna and Elsa, one of whom has powers to turn the land into winter all the time and freeze things with her hands. She runs away due to the shame, and her sister Anna goes to find her. Unlike most Disney stories, Elsa the ice queen is not saved by true love’s kiss but by her sister’s sacrificial act, taking Elsa’s place beneath the sword of Prince Hans. The movie ends not with some romantic gesture or self-discovery but by one sister laying down her life to save the other. It’s way deeper than you think. Trust me. – Jane Grizzle

Coco (2017): The sheer artistry of the movie is worth the price of admission. In one incredible scene portraying the afterlife, there are 10,000 buildings colorfully mapped onto one another. It took my breath away. But Coco is also worth seeing for anyone who happens to have long-ago family dysfunction that is sometimes spoken about but never said over a microphone in a Baptist funeral. So, everyone. The movie is for everyone. – Sarah Condon

Paddington 2 (2017): I first saw Paddington 2 on a whim on a cold January night in 2018 with extremely low expectations and no previous knowledge of the plotline of the first Paddington movie. By the end, my friends and I were all crying (and laughing at ourselves crying), completely delighted and touched by the masterpiece we had just watched. Perhaps you think I’m overselling a sequel centered around the story of a wholesome bear who lives in London, but I believe if you watch Paddington 2, you’ll understand. Not only is the movie very funny, but it is also beautifully shot, with a warmth and richness to the cinematography that even makes it feel a bit like a Wes Anderson movie. What makes it so special is the story’s message that extending grace and mercy to our neighbors can truly be life-changing. Come for the laughs, stay for the prison musical dance sequence with Hugh Grant, cherish all the rest. – Grace Leuenberger

Toy Story 4 (2019): There’s no better illustration of what baptism means and how to preach it! Forky thinks he’s trash. Who can’t relate to that more often than we wish? Forky keeps trying to treat himself as trash, too. I expect that hits a little too close as well. For most movies, that would be enough. But that’s not the real conflict in Toy Story 4. The real conflict is Woody’s. Life has made Woody a baptismal preacher. Forky may think he’s trash, but Woody knows better. When his child wrote his name on Forky, Forky stopped being trash and became an object of inestimable worth to the child — just like us. When the Son of the Father marked us with the cross in our baptism, we, too, became children of God. That sort of fact is the source of tension in Toy Story 4. It’s our tension, too. Ultimately, it’s a good tension. And that’s what makes Toy Story 4 the best illustration of what baptism means and how to preach it! – Ryan Cosgrove

Vivo (2021) is a Netflix-animated film that is full of fun and upbeat Latin-style music written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. He is the voice for the music-loving kinkajou who becomes best friends with an older man in Cuba. Music is their joy and connection in life. Soon it will become the connection point between Vivo and the older man’s great-niece Gabi, who has a bit of a wild style when it comes to music and to living in general. She is a free spirit who likes to improvise, but she and Vivo bond over a common mission and through music and adventure. There are some very touching moments as well as humorous ones … for example, when the spoonbill birds sing a song that goes “Love is gonna pick you up and never put you down, I said, love’s gonna kick your butt and drag you around, yeah.” And that is exactly what happens in this movie — love is difficult, but it turns out people (and kinkajous) will do whatever it takes to get a message of love delivered. – Juliette Alvey

IF (2024): This beautiful movie about imaginary friends gets me every time. The premise is simple — we all need someone to help us out when times are hard, and that looks different for each of us. These friends are always there, even when we forget we have them, and they show up just when we need them and wait for us, even long after we remember to look for them. The grace of the IFs is that even when we give up on them, they do not give up on us. Who does that sound like? – Jane Grizzle