Category: Movies

Romantic Comedies to Make You Smile

Looking for a clean romantic comedy for your next movie night?  Try one of these great flicks.  They’re all rated G or PG for your whole family to enjoy.

 

The Princess Bride is one of the best movies of all time. It’s a romance and an adventure.  It’s so much fun!

Enchanted is absolutely delightful.  If a Disney princess woke up in New York City, what would she do?  Amy Adams is terrific!

Our family loves While You Were Sleeping. You’ll hear quotes from this movie often at our house. It’s really sweet and very funny.  The family interaction will have you in stitches.

Return to Me is also at the top of our list of favorite romcoms. Grace’s grandpa and his pals are so much fun. We really love this show.

Father of the Bride is delightful! It’s not really focused on the romance, but more on parenting the romance.  Steve Martin is at his best.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding is full of laugh-out-loud moments. This family will win you over and you’ll wish you were Greek too.

In the dictionary under “Romantic Comedy”, you’ll find a picture from You’ve Got Mail.  It’s one of the best– seriously, really great!  If you’ve never seen it , you are in for a treat! Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks are just so good together.

Letters to Juliet is a sweet little romantic flick based in Italy. Of course… Italy. Sophie tries to reunite a beautiful old woman with her long lost love.  She finds a romance for herself along the way.

Runaway Bride is a fun little romance about a girl trying to figure out who she is and what she really wants in life.  Mom isn’t a big fan of Richard Greer (Why can’t he be more likable?) but it’s a fun movie nonetheless.

Aladdin (live action version) is tons of fun. The music is great. It’s well cast. It’s really funny.  The chemistry between Aladdin and Jasmine is perfect.  It will make you happy!

Pride & Prejudice (2005 version) is arguably not a comedy, but it is a beautiful romance. -And there are certainly funny moments.  The cinematography is lovely. It’s a classic story sure to please!

Sleepless in Seattle is another Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks romcom masterpiece.  They are so good together… even in this one where they’re never actually together until the last scene.  How does that work so well?   It’s a classic.

Ever After is our favorite Cinderella movie. It gives Cinderella a brain and a personality. The prince too.  There are some really great scenes with a band of gypsies and another with a weeping Spanish bride.

IQ Movie

I.Q. is another Meg Ryan flick. Here, she plays the niece of Albert Einstein. We just love Einstein and his friends so much in this one.  Delightful!

Find more great family-friendly movie suggestions.

Our Favorite Sports Films

We love a good sports movie.  Here’s a list of some of our favorites. Remember, all our lists only include movies that are rated G or PG.

Many of these movies talk about race issues in our country and world. Make sure you take time to discuss these issues with your family after you watch these movies. It’s a good springboard to promote understanding, kindness, and cooperation in a world that sorely needs these lessons.

Remember the Titans

Remember the Titans is one of the best sports movies of all time.  We get to be a part of one of the first integrated football teams in Virginia. It is powerfully written and an excellent starting place for a discussion of race issues in our country.

Perfect Game

The Perfect Game is the incredible true story of a Mexican little league baseball team who overcomes hardships and prejudice to compete in the 1957 Little League World Series.  This really is a perfect family movie… great story, full of humor, and very inspiring.

Cool Runnings

Cool Runnings is just plain fun. It’s a Jamaican bobsled team! We love the humor, the determination, and the community support from the fans back home.  It’s a great underdog story that will make you smile.

The Sandlot is about a new kid in town who makes friends with a group of rag-tag kids who play baseball at the sandlot. Together they go on lots of adventures, including solving the mystery of the monster behind the fence.

Miracle movie

Miracle is an amazing story of an underdog US Olympic hockey team.  It’s a little too rough for younger kids, but our teenagers really like it. Mom thinks the coach is too hard on the players, but our older kids overruled her opinion. They think it’s one of the greatest sports movies ever.

A League of Their Own is about the All-American Girls Baseball League in the 1940’s when the male players were fighting in WWII. It’s a story of amazing women who blazed the trail for female athletes for generations to come.  You’ll fall in love with these amazing, spunky athletes.

Macfarlane USA is another great underdog story.  It’s about an impoverished Latino high school cross-country team who overcomes the odds to become state champions with the help of a coach, amazing family support, and determination.  It’s a fabulous story!

Basketball is a big part of our family. Glory Road is an important movie because it allows us to see the awful attitudes and behaviors in our nation toward athletes of color. It’s uncomfortable to watch, but still full of hope and celebration.  This one may be scary for little kids. We’d recommend it for kids 10+, followed by a good discussion of race issues in America.

Safety is a true story about what it means to be a family.  You can find it on Disney+. It’s about a college football player who has to take care of his 12-year-old brother while his mother is in drug rehabilitation. The whole college community steps up to help.

Angels in the Outfield is an old classic baseball movie with silly comedy and big heart.  It’s a fun one for every age.

Is chess a sport?  Probably not, but it’s definitely filled with intense competition.  We’ve spent hundreds of hours at chess tournaments, so trust us on this. Searching for Bobby Fisher is a great story of a young chess prodigy and his family.  Check it out!

If chess makes the sports movie list then spelling bees should count too. Akeelah and the Bee is a wonderful tale of perseverance and competition. It’s the story of a little girl who works her tail off to make it to the National Spelling Bee (which is aired on ESPN, so it must be a sport.)  It’s one of our very favorites!

And, we have to include Hoosiers because it’s one of the greatest basketball movies of all time.  The story of a tiny school basketball team making it to the big time has never been better than this!

Check out more of our great family-friendly movie suggestions.

Our Favorite Family Comedies

Looking for a clean family comedy to make you laugh? Try one of our favorites. These movies are all rated G or PG so most are great picks for the whole family.  Bring on the popcorn!

     

We suppose there are people who don’t like the Muppets, but we can’t understand why. The latest two movies are fantastic. The Muppets reunites Kermit and his pals as they try to take back their old theater.  Muppets Most Wanted takes our furry friends on a world tour where they find themselves wrapped up in a jewel-heist. The music is super fun, and the writing is terrific.  Very quotable. The cameos just keep coming and coming. These movies are great for every age.

The Man Who Knew Too Little

Bill Murray is perfectly cast in The Man Who Knew Too Little about a guy who thinks he’s an actor in a “Theater of Life” role playing event. When he accidently receives a call from a real villain, he jumps right into his role as the hit man. He is completely unaware that everything going on is real. It’s laugh-out-loud funny.

The North Avenue Irregulars

The North Avenue Irregulars is Grandma’s favorite movie and will always be one of ours too. A bunch of church ladies join undercover cops to take down a gambling ring in their town. We promise you won’t be disappointed in this classic Disney movie. So funny!

Matilda

Also one of our favorite books, Matilda is Roald Dahl’s story of a neglected little girl who also happens to be a genius. It’s a whimsical tale of a good heart finding her place in a sticky world.  Danny Devito and Rhea Perlman are hilarious as Matilda’s no-good parents.

That Thing You Do

That Thing You Do is definitely at the top of our list of favorite comedies. It’s about a small-town band who rises to stardom. It’s a great story with lots of fun music and a really talented cast.

What's Up Doc?

What’s Up Doc  is a 1970’s screwball comedy. The accidental mix-up of four identical plaid overnight bags leads to a series of crazy situations. It’s a classic!

Three Amigos

A little town in Mexico is being tormented by the evil bandit, El Guapo.  They search for heroes to help them. The Three Amigos, silent movie actors, are accidentally recruited and must play their parts for real.  Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, and Martin Short are so funny. This film is full of laughs—just delightful!

Every kid has dreams of what he will be as an adult. The Kid follows a 40-year-old man who mysteriously meets his 8-year-old self.  Spencer Breslin is the kid and he’s really great.  We like how the two characters help each other and learn to appreciate each other. It’s a fun one.

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure is a silly time-capsule comedy for older tweens and teens. Our boys think it’s so funny. You’ll also learn a tiny bit about some important historical figures- but only a tiny bit.

Groundhog Day

Another great Bill Murray comedy, Groundhog Day is about a TV weatherman covering the annual Groundhog Day festivities in Punxsutawney, PA.  He becomes trapped in a time loop making him relive the day over and over.  There are a few dark parts in the middle where he attempts to take his own life, but the overall feel is positive as the main character evolves into a really good guy.

Little Rascals

Little Rascals (1994) is a cute comedy about kids getting into all kinds of trouble. It’s true to the original Little Rascals series from bygone days.  The group of neighborhood boys create their “He-Man Woman Haters Club”. When one of the boys tries to woo a girl, the club members try to sabotage his crush.  Our little kids especially love this movie and quote it often.

Hotel for Dogs

Do you have any dog lovers at your house? Hotel for Dogs is a movie about kids who create a rescue dog paradise in an abandoned hotel.  The dog accommodations are very imaginative.  It’s adorable.

The princess in this movie is super awkward and likable. It’s a fun take on the commoner-turned-royal storyline.  Hasn’t every kid dreamed about how they would react if they were suddenly famous? We think The Princess Diaries is pretty funny.

Bedtime Stories

Adam Sandler stars in Bedtime Stories, a creative fantasy comedy with lots of funny scenes.  While Uncle Skeeter babysits his niece and nephew, he tells them bedtime stories that miraculously come true the next day. The stories are very imaginative with wild west tales, medieval and futuristic battles, and raining gumballs. Lots of fun!

Want more family-friendly movie lists? Check out all of our favorite movie lists.