More Movies For the Family

Here's another batch of good movies to share with the family over the holiday season. This group is a bit more advanced than last week's selections, so many of these will either be inappropriate or over the heads of younger viewers. Older kids should enjoy all of these, especially if they aren't completely addled by Saturday morning cartoons and video games.

It's a Wonderful Life

George Bailey is given a gift: he can see what the world would be like if he had never lived. Capra's Americanisation of A Christmas Carol is a remarkable, joyous, life affirming experience. A wonderful sentimental journey.

Oliver!

One of the last sumptuous 1960s musicals, with memorable songs and strong performances by Ron Moody, Shani Wallis, Mark Lester, and particularly Oliver Reed. Has tense and troubling moments to go along with the music and fun. A great experience.

Fiddler on the Roof

Tevye, a poor milkman in pre-Revolutionary Russia, grapples with a changing world while trying to cling to his traditional values. Full of great songs, fine attention to detail and a masterful performance by Topol. Superb, old fashioned entertainment.

Big

Tom Hanks gives his best performance (despite what the Academy thinks) in this 1988 fantasy about a twelve-year-old boy who wishes to be "big". Hanks is perfectly believable, without once going over the top. Young and old will appreciate this gem.

Star Wars

Classic American tale of the oppressed using courage, individualism and ingenuity to beat powerful opposition is set in outer space. A fun comic book adventure from the start, with imaginative creatures and great special effects, costumes and makeup.

Jurassic Park

Incredible special effects bring dinosaurs to life in this exciting film that depends little on plot and characters, and a lot on remarkable dinosaur effects. The only moral: don’t get eaten. Good fun despite the lack of a substantial story.

Field of Dreams

A fantasy about baseball, healing old wounds, and making your dreams come true. As an Iowa farmer, Kevin Costner manages to make it just real enough for us to buy in and enjoy the fantasy as much as he does.

The Education of Little Tree

A warm, slow-paced film about a little boy who comes to live with his grandparents in 1935 Tennessee, and learn about his Cherokee roots. Honestly drawn characters, strong performances and a warm heart make this a family film worth seeing.

Little Indian, Big City

The film that inspired Jungle2Jungle is a frenetic comedy with the classic French combination of slapstick and subtle humour. Boy from the wilds of Venezuela comes to Paris. It’s good fun and well worth watching, despite the dubbed American voices.

Merlin

Big names, lots of action and special effects highlight this re-telling of the story of Merlin the magician and the goings-on at the time of King Arthur. Swords and sorcery types will love it, while others might find it over-long.