Today is International Family Day and if quarantine has taught us anything, it is that family is extremely important. They’re our support system, our closest confidants, our safety-nets and for most of us, landlords who don’t ask for rent. Being locked in with our families has taught us so much about them and enabled them to get to know us better as well. Personally, I used to get very frustrated initially, but now I love being around them, and one of our quarantine traditions is watching a movie together every Friday night, and there are so many gems available online that we never run out of things to watch. Not all family-friendly movies have to be children’s movies with predictable plots and annoying songs. They can be emotional, thought-evoking and intelligent films that change the way you perceive life! Here are some of the best, pure and wholesome movies to watch with your family.
8 Pure & Wholesome Movies To Watch With Your Family
1. The Secret Life of Bees
The Secret Life Of Bees is a movie that will take you on an emotional journey from the outset and throughout. It revolves around Lily, a troubled teenage girl who escapes from home and finds refuge with the Boatright sisters, three strong and independent African-American woman who show Lily a whole new world. With them, she discovers truths about life, her own mother and herself and it is incredible to watch. PS: Be prepared for some waterworks.
2. Inside Out
While this may seem like just another animated movie, it is not. Inside Out is a beautifully conceptualised to narrate the story of Riley and how her emotions help her navigate through life. Her emotions are personalised as little characters in her head, like Joy, Envy and Sadness and each memory and experience are turned into a magical world of their own. It is such a unique concept and even watching is as an adult will make you fall in love with it. It also makes you think hard and long about your feelings and how big a role emotions play in your life.
3. Wonder
Wonder is an incredible movie about acceptance. Accepting both yourself and others who are different. August, a young boy is born with a rare facial deformity. When his parents finally enrolls him in public school, he has a hard time fitting in and gets made fun of and even bullied (these scenes are heartbreaking, we’re warning you). However, he finds his voice and learns to fit in while standing out. Wonder is such a beautiful movie to watch with your family and children because after watching it, it will evoke a special kindness in all of you.
4. The Pursuit Of Happyness
A single father taking care of his son while being homeless, broke and completely shattered may not seem like a family-friendly movie. But seeing him overcome his obstacles, start from scratch, make sacrifices for his son and stick to his values is. The Pursuit of Happyness is a tear-jerker in every way (you will cry 90% of the time), but it is one of the best emotional awakenings you will undergo and come out of loving your parents even more than you do.
5. The Lion King
Anyone who calls The Lion King a children’s film has clearly never understood it. It is a movie about overcoming loss, self-acceptance, finding yourself, bravery, sacrifice, embracing change and facing your destiny. It has something for everybody! It is personally my favourite movie of all time. It will make you laugh a lot and cry a lot more, but most importantly, it will make you realise the importance of family, whether it’s the one you’re born with or the one you chose.
6. Munnabhai MBBS
A classic cult-favourite, Munnabhai MBBS is hilarious family-appropriate movie. A goon, Munna fakes his way through medical school, much to the disappointment of its prinicpal, and treats patients in his quirky and sometimes questionable ways. He does all this initially just to earn his father’s respect, but later on he does it to earn his own (deep, right?). This movie will leave you in splits, but also evoke the occasional tear.
7. Coco
Nothing values “family” more than Coco. Miguel’s family disallows him to pursue his music, yet he does and sets out into the Land of the Dead to learn about his great grandfather, a popular singer. During his journey he learns about his family’s roots, his ancestry and learns to embrace emotions he never knew he could. Coco will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and it is the perfect movie to watch with your loved ones.
8. A Kid Like Jake
A Kid Like Jake is an extremely insightful and an incredibly relevant movie to watch in 2021. It portrays a family’s struggle to help their son with his gender identity at the age of just four. It’s raw and beautifully portrays how parents come to terms with their child who is different from the rest and how it isn’t always easy. It is a wonderful movie to watch and may just help you become more accepting and understanding, especially when it comes to gender.
Which movies are on your watchlist this International Family Day? Share it with us in the comments below!
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