Drum Roll Please...

Here we are, the list of 100 fantastic films for families. I know, as soon as some of you read the list, you’re going to say, “You included this? What were you thinking?” Or “You left out that? What were you thinking?”

Yeah, yeah. Whatever. It’s my list. I didn’t say these were “the best” movies, just that they were “fantastic.”

Except for The Wizard of Oz. That is the best movie ever. Period.

So, here’s the list. If I can figure out how to put in on here in PDF format I will, but until then, in alphabetical order...

Title	Rating	Year
101 Dalmatians	G	1961
A Bug’s Life	G	1998
Aladdin	G	1992
Anastasia	G	1997
Annie	PG	1982
Arthur and the Invisibles	PG	2006
Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses	NR	2006
Because of Winn-Dixie	PG	2005
Black Beauty	G	1994
Bolt	PG	2008
Brave	PG	2012
Cars; Cars 2	G, G	2006, 2011
Charlotte’s Web	G	1973
Chicken Little	G	2005
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang	G	1968
City of Ember	PG	2008
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs	PG	2009
Curious George	G	2006
Darby O’Gill and the Little People	G	1959
Despicable Me; Despicable Me 2	PG, PG	2010, 2013
Dinosaur	PG	2000
Dr. Seuss' The Lorax	PG	2012
Dumbo	G	1941
Elf	PG	2003
Enchanted	PG	2007
Epic	PG	2013
Finding Nemo	G	2003
Flight of the Navigator	PG	1986
Gnomeo & Juliet	G	2011
Herbie Fully Loaded	G	2005
Holes	PG	2003
Hoodwinked	PG	2005
Hop	PG	2011
How To Train Your Dragon	PG	2010
Hugo	PG	2011
Ice Age	PG	2002
Ice Princess	G	2005
Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade	PG-13	1989
It's a Wonderful Life	NR	1946
James and the Giant Peach	PG	1996
Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie	G	2002
Lilo & Stitch	PG	2002
March of the Penguins	G	2004
Mary Poppins	G	1964
Meet the Robinsons	G	2007
Megamind	PG	2010
Mirror Mirror	PG	2012
Monsters, Inc; Monsters University	G, G	2001, 2013
Nanny McPhee	PG	2005
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe	PG	2005
National Treasure	PG	2004
Newsies	PG	1992
Night at the Museum	PG	2006
Over the Hedge	PG	2006
Parental Guidance	PG	2012
Pinocchio	G	1940
Planes	PG	2013
Quest For Camelot	G	1998
Ratatouille	G	2007
Robin Hood	G	1973
Robots	PG	2005
Secretariat	PG	2010
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers	G	1954
Sleeping Beauty	G	1959
Soul Surfer	PG	2011
Spy Kids	PG	2001
Star Wars (yes, all 6 movies)	PG, PG, PG-13, PG, PG, PG	1999, 2002, 2005, 1977,  1980, 1983
Tangled	PG	2010
Tarzan	G	1999
The Adventures of Tintin	PG	2011
The Apple Dumpling Gang	G	1975
The Aristocats	G	1970
The Croods	PG	2013
The Fox and the Hound	G	1981
The Incredibles	PG	2004
The Indian in the Cupboard	PG	1995
The Jungle Book	G	1967
The Last Unicorn	G	1982
The Little Mermaid	G	1989
The Mighty Ducks	PG	1992
The Muppet Christmas Carol	G	1992
The Muppet Movie	G	1979
The Nativity Story	PG	2006
The NeverEnding Story	PG	1984
The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything	G	2008
The Polar Express	G	2004
The Prince of Egypt	PG	1998
The Princess Bride	PG	1987
The Santa Clause	PG	1994
The Smurfs	PG	2011
The Sound of Music	G	1965
The Tale of Despereaux	G	2008
The Wizard of Oz	G	1939
Toy Story (all 3 movies)	G, G, G	1995, 1999, 2010
Treasure Planet	PG	2002
Turbo	PG	2013
Up	PG	2009
WALL-E	G	2008
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory	G	1971
Wreck-It Ralph	PG	2012

Ok, I cheated. There are more than 100 movies, as some of them deserved to have their sequels included. ** cough ** “Star Wars” ** cough **

I hope that you enjoy the list. I may update it next summer if any movies come out worthy of The List (6 movies on The List came out this year...you can never tell)

Happy watching!!

Laura :-)

Fantastic Films For Families: Taking Nominations Now!

I love watching movies. Movies give us a chance to see parts of the world we’ve never seen (or to play “I’ve been there!” if we’ve been blessed to travel). Movies introduce us to great works of literature, or help us muddle through some of those great works of literature (Dickens, anyone?).

Still, it’s hard to choose what to watch. I have two kids, a son and a daughter, who are five years apart. Right away, that’s a problem. I don’t want to make my daughter sit through a “baby” movie that’s appropriate for my son, but I don’t want to expose my son to things that are too emotionally advanced for him.

Oh, yeah, and have I mentioned that we’re Christians? My husband and I have this whole other issue called “discernment” which means that we have to choose books, TV shows, and--yes, movies--we think are appropriate for our kids.

I know for a fact that I’m not the only one dealing with this. I have a mom. She made choices about what movies we watched. I have sisters who are moms, and they have to make choices for their kids. My friends all over the WORLD have to do the same thing.

I have an idea. Let’s make a list.

Goal: 100 family-friendly movies. I’ll make the final decision because, well, someone has to do it. But I am open to movies that are somewhere other than MY DVD collection and MY Netflix que. 

Here’s the rules for recommendation:

1. It MUST be a movie that you don’t mind watching a bazillion times. 

2. It MUST be something that you personally have seen (I made this mistakeonce. My parents did not enjoy that movie. Oops.)

3. It should be something that you feel comfortable watching with your kids and your parents. (See Rule #2)

4. It doesn’t have to be something that is both for boys and girls. 

5. It doesn’t have to be something Biblical. I’m recommending both “The Nativity Story” and “The Muppet Christmas Carol.”

So, that’s it. I know, I didn’t say anything about bad language. That’s because I’m going to recommend “Princess Bride” and it has like two bad words in it. But my kids have seen it. A LOT. And my parents have seen it. (Once or twice.)

I’ll take recommendations until Friday, and then I’ll put the list together.

Let me know what you love!

Empty Hooks and Empty Hangers

Last week my daughter and I were going through her closet, preparing for school. She mentioned that all she could see were "empty hooks and empty hangers."

And now, with my apologies to the writers of the incredible musical Les Miserables:

There's a grief that can't be spoken.

There's a pain goes on and on.

Empty hooks and empty hangers

Now my clothes are torn and gone.

I have grown so much this summer

I have gotten oh so tall

Seventh grade will start tomorrow

And my clothes don’t fit at all

On the table in the corner

Are the shorts that I have torn

They’ll be donated to Goodwill

I can see them now!

The very shoes that I have prized

Have climbed their very last tree.

And school will start again, at dawn.

Oh my mom, I must go shopping 

I have nothing I can wear

There's a grief that can't be spoken.

Oh my closet, it is bare

Phantom dresses at the window.

Phantom shoes upon the floor.

Empty hooks and empty hangers

Clothes my friends will wear no more.

Oh my friends, my friends, don't ask me

Why my wardrobe is so small

Empty hooks and empty hangers

For my clothes don’t fit...at...all