With a pandemic still raging and theaters not feeling like a viable option for many, movie nights at home are how many of us are getting our cinematic fix nowadays. But while the emergence of streaming services and digital releases have been a boon for freeing up shelf space, digital copies also make it tough to borrow or lend out movies to our friends and family. Especially for families with young children at home, parents may long for more movies that they can enjoy alongside their kids, without having to shell out piles of cash for a library of family-friendly films that the kids will eventually outgrow.
EnterMovies Anywhere’s newScreen Passfeature, which allows users to share their love of movies by sending aScreen Passfor an eligible title from their own libraries at no additional cost.You both need a freeMovies Anywhereaccount*, and you’ll be able to send up to three Screen Passes a month from yourMovies Anywherelibrary as long as you are qualified. Plus, as an added bonus, you can continue to access your entire digital library and watch any of your films at any time, even while a friend is using aScreen Pass.
While not all movies are eligible for users to send aScreen Pass, there are thousands that are, including a number of family films that are equally entertaining for adults. Here are just a few of our favoriteScreen Pass-eligible family movies that you’re able to watch together.
An American Tail
Arguably the best of directorDon Bluth’s animated films,An American Tailfollows a young mouse named Feivel who accidentally gets separated from his family while emigrating from Russia to the United States. Upon finding himself alone in New York City, Feivel struggles to survive on his own while never giving up hope of finding his family.
AlthoughAn American Tailwas released in 1986, it touches on a number of surprisingly timely themes, including discrimination, immigration, child labor, and political activism. But while parents will find a lot to discuss with their children after watching, the film is far more than just a thinly disguised social studies lesson. Filled with endearing characters, beautiful animation, memorable music (including the Oscar-nominated “Somewhere Out There”), and an emotional story,An American Taleremains an enduring classic that will delight viewers of all ages.
Another Don Bluth animated film that puts Russia front and center,Anastasiais the imagined story of the real-life Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, who disappeared when her family was killed in the early 20th century. Although the real Anastasia likely died alongside her family,Anastasiaspeculates that she survived, but lost her memories of her life as a royal.
The film finds her several years after her narrow escape as a young woman named Anya, who joins up with a pair of conmen hoping to pass off a fake Anastasia as the real thing, so that they can collect the reward money offered by her grandmother. Backed by an Oscar-nominated score and filled with catchy songs,Anastasiaoffers an earnest spin on a typical princess story, delivering a moving and romantic tale about family and identity with enough heart and humor to enthrall both parents and kids.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Based loosely on the 1978 children’s book byJudiandRon Barrett,Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballstakes the premise of a town where the sky rains food, and runs with it in kooky and hilarious directions. The story follows a young inventor who invents the FLDSMDFR (“Flint Lockwood Diatonic Super Mutating Dynamic Food Replicator”), a food-weather machine that can be programmed to cause any food one’s stomach desires to fall from the sky. But after initially delighting his neighbors with delicious food storms that revitalize their towns tourism industry, the machine goes haywire, and Flint is faced with having to destroy his creation to save the town.
While movies based on sparsely narrated picture books can be hit or miss,Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballsis a rare home run. The imaginative animation and cast of quirky characters (including a talking monkey named Steve) is sure to hold young viewers’ attention, while the smart, non-stop humor will have the whole family laughing to the point of tears.
If you’re in the mood for a Christmas movie, look no further thanElf, which starsWill Ferrellas a man named Buddy who was raised at the North Pole by the elves, but decides to head to New York City to find his father after learning that he’s really human. Buddy has a hard time integrating into normal human life, thanks to his constant, unbridled Christmas enthusiasm and his insatiable sweet tooth, but he doesn’t let any of the doldrums of regular human life dissuade him from his quest.
Along the way, Buddy can’t help but bring Christmas cheer to a number of people, whether they want it or not, including his father’s family and a jaded department store worker named Jovie (Zooey Deschanel). Likewise, parents and kids alike will find their spirits lifted by Buddy’s infectious optimism, making it the perfect family film to watch while wrapping presents and decking the halls.
Another princess film with a fish-out-of-water twist,Enchantedfinds an animated princess named Giselle (Amy Adams) dropped into modern-day New York City, where she has to survive as a real-life human while being hunted by an evil witch (Susan Sarandon). As she ensconces herself into the life of a no-nonsense single dad (Patrick Dempsey), she’s also pursued by the animated prince (James Marsden) who is convinced she’s his one true love.
Similar toElf,Enchantedrevolves around a wide-eyed, relentlessly optimistic central character who refuses to be beaten down by the harshness of the real world, and winds up brightening the lives of everyone around her. Kids can sing along to the memorable songs while adults can’t help but be amused by the antics of a fairy tale princess in the Big Apple – such as when she calls out for woodland creatures to help her clean an apartment, and instead winds up summoning an army of cockroaches, pigeons, and rats.
Harry Potter (1-8)
With the first generation of kids who grew up reading theHarry Potterseries now in their mid-30s, many of those readers now have youngHarry Potterfans of their own, making the film adaptations a natural fit for family movie night. While the last few films in the franchise tend to skew a little older, making them a better fit for families with teens rather than tots, the first few – starting withHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone– are perfect for young viewers hungry for magic.
The films kick off on young Harry Potter’s (Daniel Radcliffe) eleventh birthday, when he learns he is actually a wizard and is promptly whisked away to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The films each follow one year of Harry’s life (with the final two,Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2,splitting the last year in half), chronicling his journey from preteen to young adult, and the trials he faces both as a student and as the target of the most powerful Dark Wizard to have ever lived. All eight films areScreen Passeligible, making theHarry Pottermovies the perfect choice for families wishing to immerse themselves in a world full of magic.
Based on the 1998 novel of the same name by Louis Sachar,Holestells the tale of a teen named Stanley Yelnats (Shia LaBeouf) who is sent to a juvenile detention facility in the desert where the warden has all of her charges constantly digging holes, searching for buried treasure. The narrative crosses back and forth between the present-day struggles of the palindromically named Stanley and the surprisingly poignant and unjust circumstances that led to the treasure being buried there in the first place.
Young viewers will loveHoles’depictions of youthful friendship and rebellious kids fighting back against bullying adults, while their parents will appreciate the film’s thoughtful exploration of different types of injustice. But you don’t have to be a kid or a grown-up to have a lot of fun watchingHoles, with its perfect balance of humor, heart, and unexpected adventure.
How to Train Your Dragon (1&2)
Loosely adapted from the book byCressida Cowell, the beautifully animatedHow to Train Your Dragonfilmsimagine a Viking society where credibility is built by slaying dragons. The story focuses on a young, timid Viking named Hiccup, whose fears he will never live up to the legacy of his father, the intimidating village leader. Hiccup hates the idea of killing dragons, but sets out to take on the task anyway – and winds up befriending a dragon instead.
Not only is the animation and music of theHow to Train Your Dragonfilms absolutely gorgeous, but both children and adults won’t be able to help falling in love with Hiccup and his dragon BFF, Toothless. The story is filled with important themes for kids, such as loyalty, bravery, and compassion, while also being packed full of sharp humor and thrilling moments. The first twoHow to Train Your Dragonfilms areScreen Pass-eligible, and both will provide a thoroughly entertaining experience for the whole family.
The Iron Giant
Set during the Cold War in 1957,The Iron Giantfollows a nine-year-old boy named Hogarth who crosses paths with a massive, alien robot who has crashed to Earth. The damaged robot has no idea who he is or where he comes from, but quickly befriends Hogarth, who treats him more like a 50-foot-tall pet than an extraterrestrial weapon of mass destruction. However, the arrival of the Giant quickly draws the attention of the U.S. military, who worries that the Giant may be a threat to the people of Earth, and will stop at nothing to bring him under their control.
Based on a 1968 novel byTim Hughes,The Iron Giantis an engaging and sensitive exploration of violence and paranoia, while also delivering a moving tale of kindness, friendship, and self-sacrifice. The lovable Giant (voiced byVin Diesel) will immediately endear himself to viewers of all ages, and will give parents and kids a lot to talk about after watching how Hogarth’s love gives the Giant the strength to make some hard choices.
Kung Fu Panda (1-3)
Voiced byJack Black, Po, the titular panda at the center of theKung Fu Pandafilms, begins the franchise as the lazy son of a noodle merchant and a devoted fanboy of all things kung fu. Po dreams of being a legendary kung fu fighter, but never imagines that those dreams might become a reality until one day, much to his – and everyone else’s – surprise, he’s chosen as the Dragon Warrior, an elite kung fu master who is said to be the only one worthy of receiving the Dragon Scroll, which contains the technique that will allow him to defeat the evil villain Tai Lung.
Obviously, Po doesn’t seem cut out at all to become the Dragon Warrior, but he still gives it his all, trying his best as he trains alongside the greatest kung fu fighters alive. Both kids and parents will love watching Po’s entertaining attempts (and failures) to learn kung fu, and will admire his tenacity and determination as he continues working toward his unlikely goals. Parents may also appreciate the inherent message of body positivity in Po’s journey, since he’s able to train, improve, and even excel, all without ever having to transform the way he looks or how he’s shaped.
