Al Weisel - CDNow's 10 Essential Family Films
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| The 10 Essential Family Films
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By
Al Weisel
CDNOW Senior Editor, Movies
Finding a movie the whole family can enjoy, one that's
appropriate for children, yet not excruciatingly,
mind-numbingly dull for grown-ups, can be a trying experience.
Of course, there's one company whose name has become a virtual
synonym for great family films: Disney. Unfortunately, in an
attempt to maximize profits over the interests of consumers,
Disney has elected to put its classic films on the market only
for short periods of time. Until Disney stops this ridiculous,
shortsighted policy many of the films you're looking for (and
some on this list) may or may not currently be available. But
that doesn't mean there aren't fine family films in addition
to the ones produced by Disney.
Every adult remembers films from their childhood that are
still enjoyable to watch today and also will appeal to their
kids, films like The Wizard of Oz or Miracle on 34th
Street. Unfortunately, it's harder nowadays to find films
without a high body count or with a message more elevated than
"Show me the money." The best family films have imaginative
settings, quirky characters, and a positive moral lesson, a
test that most Saturday morning cartoons with their excessive
violence and cheap graphics sadly fail. Yet every now and then
a film like The Iron Giant comes along that will have
parents lingering to watch after they've put the video or DVD
in the machine.
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| 1. The Wizard of Oz (1939) |
 Starring a young Judy Garland, Wizard of Oz is
not only a great family film, it's a great film period. The
Wizard of Oz became a touchstone for baby boomers who
saw it on television growing up and then introduced it to
their children. The moment when Garland opens the door of her
house and steps from her black-and-white life into the
Technicolor Land of Oz is a metaphor for how the magic of
movies can open up new worlds for children and adults
alike.
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| 2. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
(1971) |
 What The Wizard of Oz was to baby boomers,
Willy Wonka is to the post-boomer generation. The
chocolate factory is as imaginative as Oz but it's a world
that's darker and more cynical and Gene Wilder's Wonka is a
more troubling and enigmatic figure than Oz's Wizard. But its
moral lessons about overindulgence and greed are even more on
target now.
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| 3. The Red Balloon (1956) |
 One of the best short films ever made, Alfred
Lamorrisse's enchanting Red Balloon has the economy and
beauty of a great short story. Its tale of a boy whose
friendship with a magical red balloon puts him at odds with
his parents, teachers, and jealous classmates is a story
parents and children alike can relate to. And its bittersweet
ending will have the whole family reaching for the Kleenex
box.
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| 4. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
(1937) |
 Disney's first feature film set the standard for all
children's movies made after it. Based on the Grimm fairy tale
(which is rendered considerably less grim), Snow White
is the story of a girl pursued by her evil step-mother, who
hides out with seven dwarves until her Prince Charming comes
to rescue her, set to such classic tunes as "Whistle While You
Work" and "Some Day My Prince Will Come."
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| 5. Miracle on 34th Street
(1947) |
 Although it's become a holiday staple, this film about
a Macy's Santa who believes he really is St. Nick is not just
about Christmas. It's also a parable about the importance of
imagination and faith, about believing in something that's
bigger than ourselves. Natalie Wood is superb as a little girl
who's been deprived of her fantasies by her bitter, cynical
mother, but who learns to make a leap of faith and believe in
something she can't see or hear or touch: the power of
love.
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| 6. Beauty and the Beast
(1991) |
 Disney revived the ailing form of the animated feature
film with this beautifully made musical about a girl who falls
in love with a prince who has been turned into a beast. Its
computer-aided animation full of live action-like swirling
camera movements revolutionized the genre. The first animated
film to be nominated for an Oscar, Beauty and the Beast
features the Oscar-winning music of composer Alan Menken and
lyricist Howard Ashman.
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| 7. Toy Story (1995) |
 Just as Disney elevated the cartoon to an art form,
the company, along with Pixar Animation Studios, first showed
us the potential of computer animation. Toy Story is
not only breathtaking to look at, with its incredibly
realistic surfaces, it also has witty dialogue, an
entertaining story, and interesting characters, voiced by such
actors as Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. Its sequel, Toy
Story 2, is equally well made.
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| 8. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
(1966) |
 Dr. Seuss was without a doubt the greatest children's
author of the 20th century and the cartoons made from his work
were extremely faithful to the books they were based on.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas is one of his most
beloved stories and it's translated perfectly to the screen.
Boris Karloff is the menacing voice of the Grinch, who
eventually learns the true meaning of Christmas.
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| 9. Pee-wee's Big Adventure
(1985) |
 Considering that director Tim Burton and actor Paul
Reubens, a.k.a. Pee-wee Herman, never got around to growing
up, it's no surprise that they would have a special insight
into just what kids like. The plot follows Pee-wee as he
searches for his stolen bicycle, but that's just an excuse to
show off his wacky world, from his Rube Goldberg-like house to
his unique way of dealing with nasty bikers -- dancing to
"Tequila" in platform shoes.
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| 10. The Iron Giant (1999) |
 Based on the book by poet Ted Hughes (Mr. Sylvia
Plath), The Iron Giant is a sometimes funny, sometimes
moving tale of a giant robot from outer space and the boy who
befriends him. A paranoid government agent calls in the
military against this gentle giant who hides in a scrap metal
yard run by a beatnik voiced by Harry Connick, Jr. With
beautiful animation, quirky characters, and an engaging story,
this film is already a modern classic.
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