Everyone will have their own preferences about the kind of movies they want to see, but even the biggest fan of dark horror will want to decompress and watch a wholesome movie every once in a while. There are many options that work for that: healing journeys, unlikely friends, slow-burn romance... but nothing trumps families working together.
Whether is conventional or found family, seeing people who unconditionally love each other work as a team, strengthening their bond, and being there for each other is perhaps the most heartwarming experience when watching a movie. Here are a few great examples of that.
8 The Incredibles
The Incredibles tells the story of a very particular family. Set in a world where superheroes have been banned due to the destruction they would leave behind in their attempts at saving the world, Bob, aka, Mr. Incredible, is having a hard time dealing with his boring, conventional life. Especially when he sees bad things going down and is unable to step in, knowing he could help. He's married to Helen, a superhero who goes by Elastigirl, and the two of them struggle to have a normal life with their three kids who also happen to have superpowers. However, when the city is attacked by a villain called Syndrome, the family drops all hopes of pretending to be normal.
Working together like never before, they manage not only to defeat the impending threat but to work as a team and learn everything about each other. In the end, they become closer than ever before. That the city is safe is an added bonus, but the biggest takeaway of this story is how the family finds a way to accept every part of themselves, including those that some people tried so hard to forbid and shame them for.
7 The Great Outdoors
The Great Outdoors, classic comedy from the late '80s, but still as relevant as ever when it comes to movies about family bonding. And while a lot of the conflicts and adventures in the movie are not exactly realistic, the concept of chaos ensuing whenever families plan trips is always entertaining and relatable.
The movie begins when Chet Ripley, a Chicago businessman, decides to take his wife and kids for a special trip to a remote cabin in Wisconsin. Their perfect vacation is almost immediately ruined, though, when they find Roman, Chet's obnoxious and wealthy brother-in-law, has decided to join the trip. Completely oblivious to what the family wants to do, Roman insists on planning extreme outdoor activities like water-skiing and hunting, saying it will make the trip more exciting. Despite the fact that Chet and his family can barely stand Roman's antics, the situations that come out of their clashes make up a heartwarming comedy that makes people laugh and enjoy every minute while still reminding us of what really matters: enjoying the simple things in life with the people you care about the most.
6 The Family Stone
Christmas movies tend to be perfect examples of wholesome family stories, and The Family Stone is no exception. With a star-studded cast featuring actors like Diane Keaton, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Craig T. Nelson, this movie is exactly what readers are looking for. Diane and Craig play Sybil and Kelly, parents of Everett and Amy, and the movie follows the drama that ensues when they get together for Christmas and Everett brings his new girlfriend, Meredith.
Meredith struggles to fit in with the family because of her career-driven attitude. She and Amy are especially at odds, and she makes it known that she doesn't approve of her brother's choice. To make matters worse Kelly is suffering from cancer, and the conflict with the new addition to the is really not helping his declining health. Ultimately, the Stone family, along with Meredith, must learn to accept their differences in order to spend the holidays in peace. Through their attempt at finding common ground, they learn more about the importance of forgiveness and mutual support (you know, what Christmas is all about), and most of all, they realize that above all things, they love each other more, and that's worth fighting for.
5 Honey, I Shrunk The Kids
In the movie Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Wayne Szalinski, a very talented inventor, develops a revolutionary invention: a shrinking machine. Pretty exciting, right? The problem starts because he's so wrapped up in his work that he's not careful enough and accidentally ends up shrinking his children and their two neighbors. And it's not only that he doesn't have a way to bring them back, but their being so tiny makes them almost impossible to find.
The kids, named Amy, Nick, Ron, and Russ, are understandably very confused and worried, especially when they get thrown out with the garbage. Although they are just in the backyard, for someone of minuscule size it becomes quite a journey, not to mention the dangers such a trek can bring. While distressing and unprecedented, this incident creates the perfect opportunity for familial bonding: a quest. The siblings and their friends not only learn to work together but they discover just how strong they are in their own right. Finally, they reach an oblivious Wayne and manage to get his attention. The inventor, alarmed, puts his talents to work and manages to revert the effects, later destroying his precious machine because he realizes it's likely more dangerous than helpful. It ends with a happy family reunited and a sibling bond stronger than ever.
4 The Parent Trap
Perhaps one of the favorites of all readers, The Parent Trap is a beautiful family movie with the right amount of lighthearted jokes while still reflecting on some of the most important things in life. Annie and Hallie are twins who find each other completely by chance. Annie lives in London with her mom, Elizabeth, a successful fashion designer, and Hallie lives in Napa with her dad, Nick, the owner of a vineyard. The two of them meet in summer camp and, upon realizing that they have been separated at birth become best friends and spend all summer learning all about each other. Why? Because they have a mission. At the end of summer camp, they will switch places in order to meet their parents. Seeing how much there was about their family that they don't know causes them to eventually tell the truth. Astonished, the parents agree to meet up to be reunited with the daughters they raised and review their custody agreement.
Soon enough, Nick and Elizabeth start catching feelings for each other again, and once again Annie and Hallie join forces so the four of them can finally be a happy family.
3 Cheaper By The Dozen
Cheaper by the Dozen is a movie that probably stresses out parents before even watching it. If it was not clear by the title, the couple in this film has been blessed with several children. Twelve, to be exact. This would be extremely difficult to manage under any circumstances, but especially when the parents are an obsessive football coach and a struggling author.
When Tom Baker gets a job offer, he moves his family from the countryside to the city, only to move them around again soon enough when he changes jobs yet again. While he's doing everything he can to advance in his career, his wife, Kate, is struggling to raise twelve kids while trying to finish her book. Their lives are incredibly chaotic because the kids are resentful of the move and of their dad's seeming disinterest in their lives. But thankfully, through the movie, Tom snaps out of it and realizes he will lose his family if he doesn't control his obsession with football. He makes a big effort to regain their trust, which inspires everyone to do the same.
2 The Sound Of Music
A 1965 classic, starring one of the greatest actresses of all time, Julie Andrews, The Sound of Music will always be relevant. Set in Austria in the late 1930s, just before the Nazis came to power, this movie follows the life of the von Trapp family and their beautiful relationship with Maria, a young woman who wants to be a nun. She gets a job as a governess for the seven children of widower Captain von Trapp, and while the kids are skittish at first, she ends up forming an unbreakable bond with them. Things become complicated in many ways.
First of all, things are getting dangerous politically, for obvious reasons, and Captain von Trapp doesn't want to serve his country's military anymore. Second of all, the Captain and Maria have developed feelings for each other, which is conflicting for the young woman. In the end, she decides that her love for the family is more important than anything, and joins them in their plan to flee Austria. Despite leaving behind everything they know, the von Trapp clan knows they will be fine, for they have each other.
1 Coco
Very few people managed to watch Coco without crying. This story takes place in Mexico during the Dia de los Muertos holiday, which means Day of the Dead. This is an occasion to honor those we loved and lost, but the main character, 12-year-old Miguel, has his own plans. The kid dreams of being a musician, but his family has an age-old ban on music, though no one has told him why. Determined to find out, he makes his way to the Land of the Dead. There, he meets his great-great-grandmother Imelda, who reveals to him that she was the one who banned music because her husband had abandoned her to pursue her passion for music.
As he works on finding his way back to his world, Miguel learns a lot about his family, and he and his relatives manage to heal wounds that had unknowingly been left open and were affecting so many people through generations.