There’s something special about reliving the things you did as a child. I view them now with such an incredibly different perspective but yet I still get that giddy feeling whenever I see a seesaw or an old Boxcar Children book tucked in the corner of a shelf. A huge part of my family’s culture growing up, and even now, is movies. They’re what bring us together on a Sunday night when all we really want to do is go hoard ourselves up in our rooms. They bring us to tears (aka Good Dinosaur), make us double over in laughter, and bring to the surface so many different emotions out that we keep stored away in our everyday lives. I myself am a little bit of a movie buff and my recent obsession has been kids movies. Re-watching those from my childhood give me that giddy feeling that I was talking about. And now that I am older I am able to still experience the magic of those movies but I am also able to understand them on a deeper level. So I recommend to go and re-watch your favorite childhood movies and see what you might have missed. Here’s a list to help get you started:
1. "Hercules" (1997) G
The winner of my personal favorite Disney song, Go The Distance. It’s about a demigod that transforms from a scrawny teen into a ripped heart throb and learns what it truly means to be a hero. (I am still a sucker for the whole underdog to hero story).
2. "Beauty and the Beast" (1991) G
The winner of my favorite Disney princess, Belle, and second favorite Disney song, appropriately titled “Beauty and The Beast”...you know the one that is like “tale as old as time… song as old as rhyme.” Anyways, I’ve always loved Beauty and The Beast because it was one of the first Disney films in which the “princess” wasn’t portrayed as some fragile damsel in distress. Belle was smart and kind as well as beautiful: the whole package.
3. "Valiant" (2005) G
A great movie that is not as well known. Valiant tells the story of a scrawny bird named Valiant who goes into battle against the falcons/bird Nazis and learns that heroes come in many shapes and sizes.
4. "Barnyard" (2006) PG
If you’re in the mood for a hearty laugh then Barnyard is probably a good one to watch. You probably know it, It’s the movie about the talking animals, the crazy lady and her clueless husband, and those really nasty kids who like to cow tip.
5. "Land Before Time" (1988) G
This was my absolute favorite movie when I was really little. It tells the story of five young dinosaurs who get separated from their parents and go on a long and perilous journey to find them. The movie is about overcoming prejudices, unlikely friendships and finding faith when all seems lost. As an older movie the quality isn’t incredible but the storyline and adorable characters make up for it.
6. "The Princess Bride" (1987) PG
One of my favorite non-animated kid's movies; It tells the story of a beautiful princess attempting to reunite with her hunky true love. As cliché as it sounds, the movie is a perfect blend of comedy and danger and will take you through a tornado of emotions (and bonus: you will forever know what inconceivable means.)
7. "The Brave Little Toaster" (1987) G
A cute movie about living household appliances that journey to find their long lost owner but end up getting into a few conundrums along the way. I never thought household appliances could be so adorable before this movie.
8. "WALL-E" (2008) G
Again, I never thought weird household appliance looking robots could be so adorable. WALL-E takes place in the future and centers around the earth that has been ruined and abandoned by humans. It tells the story of WALL-E the robot who cleans up earth and journeys to the human inhabited space craft where he experiences love, betrayal, and a lot of overweight people in hover chairs.
9. "The Prince of Egypt" (1998) PG
I know I keep saying they’re all my favorites but this one actually was. I remember back when DVD rental stores existed, I would go with my mom once a week to pick out a movie and every single time, without fail, I picked The Prince of Egypt. It is a bit more intense than the regular kid's movie. It takes place in ancient Egypt and tells the story of Moses, a prince who upon discovering his Jewish slavery roots, attempts to liberate his people. The movie contains many multi-dimensional characters, difficult decisions, and a whole lot of faith.
10. "The Incredibles" (2004) PG
I recently watched this on a long plane ride and it was just as “incredible” as I remembered. It is about a bad-ass super hero family fighting to keep their city, and each other, safe. And they all have matching costumes which is pretty cool.
11. "The Lion King" (1994) G
Although most have probably already re-watched this one, I just couldn’t exclude it from the list. With songs such as “Circle of Life,” “Hakuna Matata” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” The Lion King definitely ranks as one of the best kids movies of all time.
12. "Shrek" (2001) PG
Last but not least we have the tale of our favorite green ogre, his loud donkey side kick and their quest to rescue a beautiful princess who’s much more than she seems. I love this movie because it teaches kids that we are more than what we portray on the surface. It takes Shrek, the seemingly stereotypical angry ogre, and peels back his layers to show that there is more to him on the inside and that everyone is deserving of love.
