Covid 19 lockdown: 43 family films perfect for your next family movie night

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Paid collaboration with The Red Dragon Centre

Usually about now I’d be publishing my guide to local family-friendly events over the school Easter holidays. In fact, I think this is the first school holidays since 2014 where I haven’t written a list. Because, as we all know, the current Covid-19 situation means none of the usual egg hunts and Easter craft workshops or theatre shows can go ahead.

And so instead, I’m working with The Red Dragon Centre in Cardiff Bay, who have been sponsoring the school holiday guides for the last couple of years, to put together a list of family-friendly films in the hope they may inspire your next movie night.

The Red Dragon Centre is temporarily shut at the moment, but we regularly visit the ODEON cinema there and it got me thinking about replicating that cinema trip at home.  One of the things I love most about watching a film on the big screen is being completely immersed in the experience; for those two hours the outside world can wait. For our family movie nights, we draw the curtains and turn the lights off, put the volume up a little, leave all phones and devices in another room, make our own popcorn or dish up a bowl of ice cream each, and snuggle up on the settee together. For us it’s about enjoying the film together, without the distractions of having one eye on your phone. Switching off from world events for a couple of hours can do wonders for calming the mind.

With that in mind, here’s a list of 40 films perfect to watch with your family during the Covid-19 lockdown (or indeed at any time if you are coming to this post in the future!). I’ve not included the obvious ones such as Harry Potter or any of the Disney animated and live action classics… that’s a whole other list in itself. I’ve split them into different categories – Easter-related, animated, comedy, 80s favourites, 90s favourites, and musical films.

I’ve used YouTube video trailers to give you a taster of the film, and the majority are available to pay to download from there. You can also check out Netflix, Amazon Prime, Google Play, as well as video streaming on your TV provider, or do it the old-fashioned way and buy the DVD!

If you’re unsure whether a particular film will be suitable for your family, I recommend checking out the Common Sense Media website. This gives more specific age guidance for films as well as detailing whether the film contains violence, swearing, scenes of a sexual nature, emotional content and so on so you can make a decision based on your own child/ren.

I’m sure you’ll have your own favourites to add to the list. There are so many great family films I haven’t been able to include so do write your suggestions in the comments below, on the Cardiff Mummy Says Facebook page, tweet me on @cardiffmummy or tag @cardiffmummysays on Instagram.

Easter themed

 

Peter Rabbit (2018 – PG)

The sequel was due to be released this month but has been delayed until at least August… but you can still catch up with the hit 2018 film. James Corden voices Peter Rabbit in this live action/computer animated adaptation based on Beatrix Potter’s much-loved story. Peter’s feud with Mr McGregor (Domhnall Gleeson) reaches new heights as they rival for the affections of Bea, the warm-hearted animal lover next door (Rose Byrne).

 

Hop (2001 – U)

Russel Brand stars as E.B, son of the Easter Bunny (Hugh Laurie), in this live-action/CGI hybrid from Illumination. EB would rather be a drummer in a rock band than succeed his father. James Marsden is Fred O’Hare, an out-of-work human who wishes to become the next Easter Bunny, while Carlos (Hank Azaria) is an evil chick who plots to take over the Easter organisation.

 

Rise of The Guardians (2012 – PG)

A fun-filled magical tale in which the legendary guardians– Jack Frost (Chris Pine), the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), and the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher) – unite for the first time! When evil boogeyman Pitch (Jude Law) threatens to take over the world, our beloved heroes must protect the hopes and dreams of all children in this Golden Globe nominated film.

 

The Dog Who Saved Easter

The Bannister family are heading on a cruise and so Zeus (voiced by Mario Lopez) is off to doggie day care. However, when a rival day care centre hires a trio of crooks to sabotage the fledgling business, Zeus and his new friends must use all their tricks to save the centre, and Easter too.

 

 

Animated favourites

 

Inside Out (2015 – PG)

Quite apt for current times, Inside Out is a heartfelt exploration of growing up and learning to handle your biggest emotions. Eleven-year-old Riley finds herself in emotional turmoil when her she is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Her emotions – Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith) – l ve in Headquarters, the control centre inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley’s main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.

Hotel Transylvania (2012 – PG)

A slightly spooky animated film about Dracula and his daughter as she comes of age.. 118! Count Dracula is owner of Hotel Transylvania, where the word’s monsters can take a break from human civilisation. He invites some of the world’s most famous monsters to celebrate the 118th birthday of his daughter Mavis. However, when an ordinary 21 year old human traveller called Jonathan books in to stay, Drac must do everything within his power to prevent Mavis from falling in love with him before his guests learn a human is in the castle.

Also try the sequels – Hotel Transylvania 2 and Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation.

 

 

How To Train Your Dragon (2010 – PG)

Based on Cressida Cowell’s books, How To Train Your Dragon follows young Viking boy Hiccup, the scrawny son of Stoick the Vast, chief of the tribe and a master dragon slayer. To mark his passage into manhood, Hiccup must slay a dragon, and so he tries to bring down a Night Fury, the fiercest breed among the dragons. However, when he injures, rather than kills, the creature, he finds himself nursing the wounded dragon. He soon picks up on the subtleties of dragon behavior and finds he can tame them. Will the rest of his tribe, and his father, believe that humans and dragons can live side by side? Sensitive children may find some scenes upsetting, but if you enjoy it then check out the two sequels, How To Train Your Dragon 2 and How To Train Your Dragon: Hidden World, plus short film How To Train Your Dragon Homecoming.

 

Shaun the Sheep: Farmageddon (2019 – U)

When an alien crash lands near Mossy Bottom Farm, Shaun and the flock must find a way to return her home to prevent her falling into the hands of the Ministry for Alien Detection. With echoes of ET and other sci-fi references that will appeal to the grown-ups, this stop motion animated film is created by multi award winning Aardman Animations. Shaun is voiced by CBeebies favourite Justin Fletcher, although there’s no spoken dialogue, just expressive sounds from Shaun, Lu La the alien and the other characters.

You could also try 2015’s Shaun The Sheep Movie, plus I’d also recommend any of Aardman’s Wallace and Gromit films from over the years – short films The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave, A Grand Day Out, A Matter of Loaf and Death, feature film The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

 

The Lego Movie (2014 – U)

A brilliant film for all ages, The Lego Movie is about an ordinary Lego Minifigure called Emmet who discovers he is the Special, entrusted with the responsibility of saving the Lego world from the cruel ways of Lord Business and his vision to turn everything in the Lego world into his vision of perfection. It’s such a clever film, with brilliant use of the familiar (animated) bricks and characters, as well as lots of references to popular culture. The ending is especially clever. Follow up with The Lego Movie 2: The Sequel, released in 2019.

 

Trolls (2016 – U)

With the sequel, Trolls World Tour, due to be released digitally on Friday 10 April – the date it should have hit our cinema screens – and available to rent for £15.99 for a 48-hour period from Prime Video UK, iTunes, Sky Store and other UK streaming platforms – what better time to catch up on the first Trolls film? Anna Kendrick voices Poppy, the happy and optimistic leader of the bright and colourful trolls. When the giant Bergens invade Troll Village, she and the overly-cautious and pessimistic Branch (Justin Timberlake) set off to rescue their friends and learn many lessons about happiness along the way. An upbeat soundtrack, including original songs by JT himself, make this a feel-good family favourite.

 

Sing (2016 – U)

This feel-good film follows the fate of a once-grand theatre that has fallen on hard times. The koala at its helm, Buster Moon, hosts a singing competition to try to raise funds, and although it attracts a whole host of talented animals, naturally nothing goes to plan. Heartwarming, funny and tackling a whole lot of grown-up themes in an easily accessible way, this one will get you belting out at the top of your lungs thanks to its amazing soundtrack.

 

Comedy

 

Daddy Day Care (2003 – PG)

One of my children’s favourites on Netflix (and also available to rent on Prime), Daddy Day Care is about two fathers who set up a child care centre at home after they are laid off from their corporate jobs. Eddie Murphy and Jeff Garlin star as the two dads doing their best to entertain a host of energetic and mischievous pre-schoolers, while Anjelica Huston is the head of the upmarket day-care competitor who wants to close them down.

 

 

Paddington 1 & 2 (2014 & 2017 – PG)

Based on Michael Bond’s beloved character, who first appeared in October 1958, these live action films were both huge box office hits. In the first film, the Browns take home the little bear, lost and alone at Paddington Station, with no idea of just how much comic mayhem one young bear will bring to their family life. When a sinister taxidermist becomes aware of the bear, it isn’t long before his home – and very existence – is under threat.

Paddington 2 features the hero bear sent to prison after being framed for a crime he didn’t commit by egotistical ex-actor Phoenix Buchanan (Hugh Grant). As the Browns try to track down the real culprit, Paddington livens up life inside for the inmates, and even hatches up an escape plan with some of his new convict friends

 

Nanny McPhee (2005 – U)

Emma Thompson stars as Nanny McPhee in this fantasy comedy set in 1860s Victorian England. Nanny McPhee arrives to help a widowed undertaker Cedric Brown (Colin Firth) take charge of his seven unruly children. With echoes of Mary Poppins, the siblings have managed to drive away 17 previous nannies and are confident they will have no trouble with this one. But as Nanny McPhee takes control, they notice that their vile behaviour leads to magical and startling consequences.

 

Freaky Friday (2003 – PG)

Single mother Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her teenage daughter Anna (Lindsay Lohan) fail to see eye to eye on anything, and it is driving them both insane. But then, after receiving cryptic fortunes at a Chinese restaurant, the two wake up the next day to discover that they have switched bodies, just days before Tess is due to get married. Unable to switch back, the mother and daughter are forced to masquerade as one another until a solution can be found. Literally walking in each other’s shows, they begin to develop a new sense of respect and understanding for one another. Disney’s 2003 film is a remake of the 1976 movie of the same name and the 1995 made-for-TV film.

 

Night at the Museum (2006 – PG)

Ben Stiller stars as Larry, a newly-recruited night watchman at New York’s American Museum of Natural History. As the museum’s doors close for the evening, he soon discovers that all the exhibits come to life at night, due to a magical Egyptian tablet. The galleries become an epic battleground of action and adventure, with a brilliant supporting cast, including Robin Williams as a wax model of Theodore Roosevelt, Owen Wilson as Jedediah, a miniature cowboy figure; Ricky Gervais as the museum manager and Dick Dan Dyke as Cecil Fredericks, the veteran security guard secretly plotting against Larry.

 

Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans (2019 – U)

Fans of the books and TV show will love the first Horrible Histories film, which takes a humorous look at life in Britain under Roman rule and the Celtic uprising led by Boudicca. The film follows Roman teenager Atti who is sent to Britain with the army as a punishment by Emperor Neo, where is he captured by feisty teenage Celt Orla, who longs to be a warrior and join the uprising led by her hero Boudicca, against her father’s wishes. The two slowly begin to strike up a friendship, but when Atti eventually rejoins his fellow Romans, they find themselves on opposite sides of the battlefield as they prepare for the historic showdown between Romans and Celts at the Battle of Watling Street.

 

 

80s classics

 

Back to the Future (1985 – PG)

Michael J Fox plays Marty McFly, a teenager who travels to the 1950s in a Delorean time machine built by Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd). After Marty meets his mother and father and inadvertently interferes with the flow of history, he must reunite his parents before he ceases to exist. Even though the film is a PG, there’s quite a bit of violence and swearing in it, but Marty McFly rocking out with his guitar never gets old. Also check out sequels 2 and 3.

 

ET: The Extra Terrestrial (1982 – U)

 

We watched this all-time classic as a family for the first time recently, and, despite initial skepticism from my children, we all absolutely loved it. One of my childhood favourites, this still hit the spot almost 40 years later. ET is the tale of a lost little alien, three million light years away from home, and his friendship with 10-year-old Elliot and his sister Gertie, as the kids try to protect him from the scientists desperate to get their hands on the alien life. I loved rewatching all those classic scenes – the bikes suddenly taking flight; the famous ET phone home scene; ET appearing to die but reviving himself. Sheer brilliance! And what kid doesn’t love a film where the children save the day?

 

The Goonies (1985 – 12)

This is a brilliant coming-of-age adventure story that follows a group of kids as they try to save their neighbourhood from greedy property developers and in doing so, they discover an old treasure map that takes them on an adventure to unearth the long-lost fortune of One-Eyed Willy, a legendary 17th-century pirate. The gang are chased by a family of criminals who also want the treasure for themselves. There are some brilliant characters in The Goonies – such as Chuck and his Shuffle Truffle and Sloth and his infamous quote “Hey you guuuyyyyss!”

Labyrinth (1986 – U)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC5cdUXAGaU

This is one of my all-time favourite films. I absolutely love it. However my children haven’t watched it yet as I think they’d be scared of a goblin king stealing a baby, not to mention the sight of David Bowie in tights and that bulge! They have seen the YouTube clip of Dance Magic Dance many times though and think it’s hilarious. The film is about teenage girl Sarah, who is left to babysit her baby brother Toby, who will not stop crying. Sarah tries to comfort him by reading him a story but when she accidentally conjures up the Goblin King from the fantasy, he steals the baby and takes him to his castle, which is in the middle of a labyrinth. The goblin king tells Sarah she must solve the labyrinth by midnight, or Toby will be turned into a goblin.

 

 

The NeverEnding Story (1984 – U)

I spotted this while scrolling through Netflix recently and this is definitely right up there on our family film night choicesI loved this as a child. The tale of Bastian, who finds himself drawn into the fantasy world of an ancient book as he hides away from the school bullies, is an absolute classic film. It is set in the land of Fantastia, ruled by the Childlike Empress, who is dying. A boy warrior called Chiron has been summoned to find a cure – but as the story progresses, Bastian himself is summoned into the story and finds only he can save the Empress.

 

The Princess Bride (1988 – PG)

I don’t think I appreciated quite how funny this film was when I was a child. Back then, I was more into Princess Buttercup, and romance and adventure and being rescued from kidnappers and pirates. I watched it again recently and it’s absolutely hilarious – so witty. Fred Savage plays a young boy, poorly in bed. He’s not impressed when his grandfather arrives to read the story of The Princess Bride, about the adventures of Westley and his true love Buttercup in the fairytale kingdom of Florin. When Buttercup is kidnapped Westley has to overcome some pretty tough obstacles if he is to free her from the clutches of her three kidnappers – scaling the cliffs of insanity, battling rodents of unusual size, facing torture in the Pit of Despair.

For more 1980s choices, see this post 22 films from the 80s I want my kids to watch before they’re 11

 

 

90s favourites

 

Home Alone (PG – 1990)

Yes, it’s a Christmas film, but I think we can make an exception in such unprecedented times. Hilariously funny with a feel-good ending, Home Alone stars Macaulay Culkin as eight-year-old Kevin McCallister who gets accidentally left behind when his family rushes off on a Christmas vacation. Kevin soon finds himself fending off two bumbling burglars who are trying to break in, but they are no match for the young boy and his a bewildering battery of booby traps designed to fend them off.

 

Matilda (1996 – PG)

Film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s novel about an extraordinarily clever little girl who develops super powers. Neglected by her stupid parents, the little girl finds solace in books. When they finally send her to school its to Crunched Hall, run by the sadistic Miss Trunchbull. But Matilda’s fortune begins to change when she’s noticed by her kindly teacher, and discovers unusual powers within herself. Stars Danny DeVito, Pam Ferris and Mara Wilson.

 

Mrs Doubtfire (1993 – 12)

Robin Williams stars as Daniel Hillard, a newly-divorced actor who dresses up as a female housekeeper so that he can keep on seeing his children. With the court deciding that shared custody is reliant on Daniel finding a steady job and suitable residence, and only offering limited visitation rights, Daniel, with the help of a theatrical make-up artist friend, disguises himself as Mrs. Doubtfire, a woman of mature years, a sharp tongue, and an endearing way with the children. In the guise of “Mrs. Doubtfire”, Daniel charms his way back into the lives of his unsuspecting family. But his act is too good, and complications arise… and if his act is discovered, he may be separated from his family permanently. (The film contains swearing and focusses on family separation so could be distressing for some children.)

 

Forrest Gump (1994 – 12)

Tom Hanks plays Forrest Gump in an Oscar-winning performance in this beautiful film with an incredible soudtrack. Despite his low IQ, Gump leads a truly charmed life, with a ringside seat for many of the most memorable events of the second half of the 20th century. Entirely without trying, Forrest teaches Elvis Presley to dance, becomes a football star, meets John F. Kennedy, serves with honour in Vietnam, speaks at an anti-war rally at the Washington Monument, meets Richard Nixon, discovers the break-in at the Watergate, opens a profitable shrimping business, becomes an original investor in Apple Computers, and decides to run back and forth across the country for several years. But he never forgets Jenny (Robin Wright Penn), the girl he loved as a boy, who makes her own journey through the turbulence of the 1960s and 1970s that is far more troubled than the path Forrest happens upon. (The film contains scenes of a sexual nature, swearing and violence, so best suited for families with teenagers.)

 

Beethoven (1992 – U)

A small St Bernard puppy is given all the love and affection from his new family, the Newtons. However, the bigger he grows, the more chaos he causes. Meanwhile Dr Varnick thinks the dog would be the ideal subject for his deadly experiments. Can the family thwart off the dog-napping veterinarian and his henchmen.

 

Jurassic Park (1993 – PG)

Eccentric millionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) creates a new amusement park on an island off Costa Rica. By cloning DNA harvested from pre-historic insects, he has been able to create living dinosaurs for his new Jurassic Park, home to real brachiosaurs, dilophosaurs, triceratops, velociraptors, and a Tyrannosaur Rex. However, when a tropical storm hits the island, knocking out the power supply, and an unscrupulous employee (Wayne Knight) sabotages the system so that he can smuggle dinosaur embryos out of the park, the dinosaurs start to rage out of control, putting Hammond’s grandchildren in danger too. Follow up with the newer sequels The Lost World, Jurassic Park III and Jurassic World.

 

Musical films

 

Annie (1982 – U)

With a soundtrack of familiar songs including It’s A Hard Knock Life, Tomorrow, and You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile, Annie is a perfect ‘first’ musical for families. Set in 1930s New York, Annie is a curly red haired orphan who warms the heart of the wealthy industrialist Oliver ‘Daddy’ Warbucks. As Annie seeks to find her birth parents, tyrannical orphanage boss Miss Hannigan, her brother and his girlfriend plot to impersonate her mum and dad to claim the huge financial ward offered by the kindhearted millionaire.

Also check out the 2014 remake, which updates the story for modern times. Annie is a foster kid, Cameron Diaz is martini-sipping foster mother Miss Hannigan, and Jamie Foxx is the technology entrepreneur running for New York City mayor who gives a home to Annie in a thinly-veiled campaign move.

 

Oliver (1968 – U)

Marc Lester plays the 19th century orphan in this Oscar-winning musical adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel. Fleeing a life of workhouse servitude, Oliver arrives in London to seek his fortune. He’s taken in by a group of boys trained to be pickpockets by their elderly mentor Fagin. Classic songs include Consider Yourself, Pick a Pocket and Who Will Buy?

 

Bugsy Malone (1976 – U)

A fun and lively musical film, Bugsy Malone is a spoof of gangster movies, featuring a cast of children playing adult roles. Based loosely on events in New York and Chicago during Prohibition era, and the exploits of real-life gangsters such as Al Capone and Bugs Moran, it tells of the rise of boxing scout Bugsy Malone (Scott Baio) and the battle for power between Fat Sam and Dandy Dan. Guns shoot whipped cream rather than bullets and the final scene features a cream pie ‘shoot out’, with musical numbers including Fat Sam’s Grand Slam, Bad Guys and You Give A Little Love. Available on Amazon Prime.

 

The Wizard of Oz (1939 – U)

Eighty years on and this tale of Kansas farm girl Dorothy caught in a tornado and transported to the Land of Oz is as wonderful as ever. After accidentally killing the Wicked Witch of the East, Dorothy longs to return home. The Munchkins who inhabit this strange land tell her to follow the yellow brick road to find the powerful Wizard of Oz. Along the way is befriended by Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion, who help her battle the Wicked Witch of the West, who wants to avenge her sister’s death.

 

Mary Poppins (1964 – U)

The 2018 sequel Mary Poppins Returns, starring Emily Bunt in the role of Mary, revisits the Banks family when the children are all grown up. Recently widowed Michael Banks is on the verge of having his house repossessed by the bank. Just as all seems lost, Michael and his sister receive the surprise of a lifetime when their beloved nanny from their childhood arrives to save the day and take the Banks family on a magical adventure.

 

The Sound of Music (1965 – U)

Based on a true story, Julie Andrews stars as Maria, a young Austrian woman who leaves the convent to become a governess for the seven children of Captain von Trapp’s (Christopher Plummer). Her charm and songs soon win the hearts of the children — and their father. But when Nazi Germany unites with Austria, Maria is forced to attempt a daring escape with her new family.

 

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968 – U)

Dick Van Dyke plays Caracatus Potts, a widowed father of two and unsuccessful inventor, who spruces up the wreckage of a former champion racing car – and discovers it can fly and float on water. When the bullying Baron Bomburst tries to kidnap the magical car and its inventor, he grabs Potts’ father instead. So Potts, his children and Truly Scrumptious, daughter of the owner of the factory were Potts was trying to sell one of his inventions, head off on a rescue mission to the land of Vulgaria, where they must also free the children who have been forced to live underground. Based on the children’s story by Ian Fleming.

 

Sister Act (1992 – PG)

When casino singer Delores (Whoopi Goldberg) witnesses a mob crime, the police take her into witness protection somewhere no-one will think to look for her – disguised as a nun in a traditional convent. She struggles to fit in at first, until she takes over the church choir, turning them from tone deaf into a soulful chorus of swinging, singing sisters. But with the choir gaining rave reviews, her sudden celebrity jeopardises her hidden identity.

 

Disney Descendants (2015 – U)

In the kingdom of Auradon, Ben, the teenage son of Belle and Beast, is about to take to the throne as king of this idyllic new nation populated by all the iconic Disney heroes and their families. All the villains, meanwhile, have been banished to the Isle of the Lost, entrapped by a magic barrier which prevents them from leaving and suspends all magic. Ben’s first proclamation as king is to offer a chance at redemption to the offspring of Cruella, Maleficent, the Evil Queen and Jafar. These villainous descendants (Carlos, Mal, Evie and Jay, respectively) are allowed into the kingdom to attend prep school alongside the offspring of the likes of Fairy Godmother, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel and Mulan. However, the teens face a dilemma. Should they follow in their evil parents’ footsteps and help the villains regain power, or embrace their innate goodness and save the kingdom? Fabulous costumes and a pop-inspired soundtrack combine with drama and danger to make this a must-watch, alongside its

 

School of Rock (2003 – PG)

Jack Black plays Dewey Finn, a rock-loving guitarist who thinks he’s going to be the next big thing. However when he’s kicked out of his band and becomes desperate for work, he impersonates his substitute teacher friend… and turns a class of high-achieving private school children into high-voltage rock and rollers, in an attempt to win a Battle of the Bands competition.

 

The Greatest Showman (2017 – PG)

Inspired by the life of PT Barnum and the creation of his legendary circus, The Greatest Showman is a rags to riches tale celebrating the birth of show business. Starring Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson and Zendaya, and featuring a show-stopping soundtrack of nine original songs, this feel-good film is packed full of positive messages of unconditional love, self-belief and self-worth.

 

Enchanted (2007 – PG)

Life is a fairy tale for princess-to-be Giselle (Amy Adams) – until she’s banished from the animated land of Andalasia and thrust into the very unmagical, live-action world of modern-day Manhattan. A cynical, no-nonsense divorce lawyer comes to her aid, little realising that this joyful, wide-eyed innocent is about to enchant him in this musical comedy.

 

Hairspray (2007 – PG)

John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah and Zac Efron head an all-star cast in this lively, feel-good film based on the Broadway musical (which in itself is based on the 1988 film). Set in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, Hairspray follows the ‘pleasantly plump’ teenager Tracy Turnblad as she pursues stardom as a dancer on a local TV show and rallies against racial segregation.

 

Mamma Mia (2008 – PG)

Featuring the vibrant music of Abba and set against a Greek island backdrop, this is a feelgood musical if ever there was one. As 20-year-old bride to be Sophie prepares for her wedding, she reveals to her bridesmaids that she has secretly invited three men to her wedding, her mother’s past lovers, in the hope that one of them is the father she never knew. Plus check out Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again as Sophie prepares for the arrival of her first child.

I’m sure you’ll have your own favourites to add to the list. There are so many great family films I haven’t been able to include so do write your suggestions in the comments below, on the Cardiff Mummy Says Facebook page, tweet me on @cardiffmummy or tag @cardiffmummysays on Instagram.

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