The movies listed below (in no particular order) are movies I have personally approved as a good family movie based on my own personal criteria. (I only include reviews for those movies that I have personally approved for movie night. Those that I have not found to meet my own personal criteria are not reviewed).
These movies are in no way an endorsement of any particular movie, movie company, or actor. DVDs can be purchased through any online video retailer, such as www.cbd.com, Amazon, through your local bookstore/video store, or through print catalogs. Or you can utilize streaming where available.
Movies that are followed by “F/F” are movies produced by a company called Feature Films for Families. This company edits movies for offensive material. I have only viewed the Feature Films versions and not the “original” versions and cannot therefore give an opinion on versions of the movie not handled through Feature Films for Families. I have no affiliation with Feature Films for Families.
Below, in no particular order, is a list of Mom-Approved Movies. I have seen each of the movies and recommend them. Click on the pink link for those movies that have existing reviews or additional write-ups. (Complete linking to the movie reviews is a work in process, so be sure to check back!)
And yes, feel free to print the list!
Boise Boys (all episodes)
Overcomer
Chronicle Mysteries (ages 10 and up)
A Beautiful Place to Die: A Martha’s Vineyard Mystery (ages 12 and up)
Darrow & Darrow (12 and up) all episodes
All Yours (Hallmark)
Just Add Romance (Hallmark)
Beautifully Broken (16 and up)
God Bless the Broken Road (tweens and up)
I Can Only Imagine (tweens and up)
Unbroken – Path to Redemption (12 and up)
Mom’s Night Out
Finding Normal
Unplanned (older teens and up)
Winter’s Dream (Hallmark)
The Giver (teens and up) I am not a sci-fi fan at all, but I found this movie to be worth the watch and a great conversation starter.
Sue Thomas F.B.Eye (Complete set series 1-5)
The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry
When Calls the Heart Series (Hallmark)
Broadcasting Christmas
Grace Unplugged (twelve and up)
Woodlawn
Love on Ice (Hallmark)
Snowcoming (Hallmark)
The Confession (eleven and up)
The Lost Medallion: The Adventures of Billy Stone
Killer Flood: The Day the Dam Broke
Milltown Pride
Garage Sale Mystery: All that Glitters (a few uses of the Lord’s name in vain) (teens and up due to mature themes)
Garage Sale Mystery Collections 1, 2, and 3 all episodes (teens and up due to mature themes)
Murder She Baked Collection all episodes (12 and up)
God’s Not Dead
God’s Not Dead 2
God’s Not Dead 3
Do You Believe
Karen Kingsbury’s The Bridge (Hallmark)
Hoovey
Alone Yet Not Alone
Princess Cut
A Country Wedding
The Book of Daniel
Drive Thru History: Holy Land Volume 4
Drive Thru History: Greece is the Word
Drive Thru History: The Gospels
Hailey Dean Mysteries Series (Hallmark) Ages 13 and up
When Calls the Heart Series
You’ve got a Friend
Apostle Peter and the Last Supper
Risen
Passion of the Christ (16 and up)
The Gospel of John
A Time to Dance (Hallmark)
A.D.
Matthew: A Dramatic Presentation of the Life of Jesus
The Mark (12 and up)
The Mark 2 (12 and up)
Jerusalem Countdown (12 and up)
Revelation Road: The Beginning of the End (teens and up)
Polycarp
Crimes and Mister Meanors
Max
Runaway (Hallmark) (teens and up)
The Beverly Hillbillies (1960’s original version – 1 and 2 series)
The Jensen Project (tweens and up)
The Lost Valentine (Hallmark)
Secrets of the Mountain (tweens and up)
The Water is Wide (Hallmark)
The Locket (tweens and up)
The Imposter (12 and up due to mature content)
Sarah Plain and Tall, Skylark, Winter’s End (Hallmark)
The Love Letter (Hallmark)
My Friend Flicka (original 1940’s movie)
Thunderhead, Son of Flicka (second movie in the original 1940’s series)
Green Grass of Wyoming (third movie in the original 1940’s series)
When Love is Not Enough (due to subject matter, recommended for teens and older)
Love on Safari (Hallmark)
Snow Coming (Hallmark)
Crossword Puzzle Mysteries (all episodes) ages 12 and up
The River Within
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (original Disney)
The Long Road Home
A Summer Romance (Hallmark)
A Soldier Love Story
Miles from Nowhere
The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler (Hallmark)
Find Me (twelve and older)
Ever After: A Cinderella Story
Mission Air
The Good Book
In the Name of God
North Pole
Rose Hill (Hallmark)
Marriage Retreat
A Mile in His Shoes
Horse Crazy
Seven Days in Utopia
Courageous (teen and up)
End of the Spear (teen and up)
Beautiful Dreamer (F/F)
Pit Pony (F/F)
Dolphin Tale
Friendship’s Field
Change of Plans (Walmart movie)
The Penny Promise (F/F)
Last Ounce of Courage
Pendragon: Sword of His Father (older tweens and up)
Lord of the Rings Trilogy (fourteen and up)
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Narnia)
Prince Caspian (Narnia)
Game Time: Tackling the Past (Walmart Movie)
Front of the Class (Hallmark)
Though None Go With Me
Anne of Green Gables (original series with Megan Follows)
Anne of Green Gables Continuing Story (original with Megan Follows)
Anne of Green Gables the Sequel (original with Megan Follows)
Luther (teen and up)
Kit Kittredge (American Girl)
Molly (American Girl)
The Inheritance (F/F)
Safe Harbor (twelve and up)
Flipper (original 1963 movie with Chuck Connors and Luke Halpin)
The Shunning (ten and over)
Saving Winston
Mandie and the Secret Tunnel
The Cat from Outer Space (original Disney)
Fallen Angel (Hallmark)
Sounder (Disney)
Amazing Grace
I Love Lucy (Original Series)
Life on Liberty Street
Follow the Stars Home (Hallmark)
An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving
Set Apart (teens and up)
The Lost and Found Family (older children and up)
Outlaw Trail (F/F)
Saving God
Angels in the Outfield
Pilgrim’s Progress
An Angel for May (F/F)
Words by Heart (F/F)
Wishbone: The Prince and the Pooch
The Secret World of Arriety
Nightjohn (teen and up)
Mickey (F/F)
Miracle of the Widow
Where There’s a Will (F/F)
Grand Champion (F/F)
Summer of the Monkeys (F/F)
The Black Stallion (original)
The Black Stallion Returns (original)
The Magic of Ordinary Days (Hallmark)
Harvest of Fire
Little John
The Adventures of Francis the Talking Mule
Andy Griffith
Monters Inc.
Monsters University
The Last Brickmaker in America (F/F)
Left Behind (older children and up)
Left Behind II Tribulation Force (older children and up)
The First of May (F/F)
Judgement (older children and up)
Wall-e
Dog of Flanders (original)
The Buttercream Gang (F/F)
Calm at Sunset
Life Without Limbs
Home at Last (F/F)
Caddie Woodlawn (F/F)
The Apple Dumpling Gang
The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again
Second Chances
Misty (1961)
Cars
Lost in Silver Canyon (F/F)
The Wild Pony
A Man Called Norman
The Wager (tweens and up)
Bright Eyes (Shirley Temple)
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (Shirley Temple)
Curly Top (Shirley Temple)
The Early Years (Shirley Temple)
Booker (F/F)
Moondance Alexander
Escape from Wildcat Canyon (F/F)
Ace of Hearts
Lydie (F/F)
Same River Twice
The Jesus Film
Follow the River
Red Fury (Starring William Jordan/ Katherian Cannon)
Sounder
The Climb
Short Track (F/F)
Gift of Love (F/F)
Last Flight Out
Love Comes Softly
Love’s Enduring Promise
Love’s Long Journey
Love’s Abiding Joy
Love’s Unending Legacy
Love’s Unfolding Dream
Love Takes Wing
Love Finds a Home
Because of Winn Dixie
Hidden Places
Belle and the Beast
The Last Sin Eater (teen and up)
Little House on the Prairie (Seasons 1-4)
Little Women (1994)
One Night With the King
Road to Avonlea
An Avonlea Christmas
Charlotte’s Web
Flywheel
Fireproof (teen and up)
The Ride
The Rookie
Where the Red Fern Grows
Father Murphy (Seasons 1 and 2)
Faith like Potatoes
Every Second Counts
Down and Derby (F/F)
Magdalena
Escape from Hell (teens and up)
Silent Night (one use of the Lord’s name in vain)
Come Away Home (F/F)
Squad 77
Duck Dynasty (Complete Series)
The Sound of Music
Pollyanna (Original Disney)
The Ugly Dachsund (Original Disney)
Mary Poppins (Original Disney)
Old Yeller (Original Disney)
Herbie – The Love Bug
Herbie Goes Bananas
Herbie Rides Again
Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo
Joseph King of Dreams
In Love and War
Christy: Choices of the Heart
Awesome Bible Adventures: Noah’s Incredible Journey and Joshua’s Awesome Victory
Awesome Bible Adventures: Escape from the Fiery Furnace and Lot’s Amazing Adventure
Awesome Bible Adventures: Moses Receives the Ten Commandments and Moses’ Great Escape
Awesome Bible Adventures: Samson’s Super Strength and God Destroys the Tower of Babel
Hermie and the High Seas
Veggie Tales (all)
Aristocrats (Original Disney)
Dumbo (Original Disney)
Fox and the Hound (Original Disney)
Life at the Pond: The Rise and Fall of Tony the Frog
Barbie’s the Island Princess
The Mysterious Islands
Explore the Wildlife Kingdom – Golden River: Secrets of the Amazon
Incredible Creatures that Defy Evolution Three-Part Series
African Cats
Created Cosmos with Jason Lisle
Coming Home for Christmas
The Christmas Cure (Hallmark)
Bramble House Christmas (Hallmark)
Finding Father Christmas (Hallmark)
Engaging Father Christmas (Hallmark)
Switched for Christmas (Hallmark)
Christmas Angel
12 Dogs of Christmas
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
Christmas Child
November Christmas (Hallmark) (10 and up)
Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Homeless for the Holidays
The Christmas Choir (*parents should be prepared to explain why seeking comfort in alcohol is never the answer).
Young Pioneers Christmas
Little House on the Prairie Christmas
Christmas at Graceland (Hallmark)
Free Burma Rangers (older teens and up due to actual violence in war-torn countries)
Flying High for the Glory of God
Still Standing- The Stonewall Jackson Story
America, Her People, Her Stories – The Battle of Bunker Hill(docudrama)
The League of Grateful Sons (teens and up)
The Endurance (teens and up)
A Nation Adrift (teens and up)
The Drop Box
We Served Too
IndoctriNation
Monumental
America: Imagine the World Without Her
The Star of Bethlehem
LOL The Best of Crown Comedy
Is It Just Me? (Comedy with Ken Davis)
Duck Tape (CPR Comedy)
Get ‘Em While They’re Hot (with Ken Davis)
Ken Davis: Second Chances
Thanks so much for putting this list together for us! I hate having to wade through movies to find out if they are good or not. We have the same standards that you folks have. I am excited about purchasing some of these to use on family night.
Thank you, Connie, for your kind compliment! I am so glad this list has been helpful to you. May God bless you and your family!
Wow! This is a great list. Our family has seen quite a few of these but I had no idea there were so many more good choices out there. I’m so glad I found your blog.
Hi Anne! Thanks for your sweet compliment. I am always thrilled when I find a good movie the entire family can watch. Have a wonderful weekend!
Hi Nancy!
Thank you so much for putting this movie list together. My husband and I have seen a lot of them, but like someone else said, I had no idea there were so many that were family friendly! I am going to pass this list to my daughter and daughter-in-law so they can see movies that are good for our grandchildren, ages 7-14. : )
Have a wonderful weekend and even more wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones! May God continue to bless your book ministry and all of your ministries! One day, I am going to get all of your books. Do you have a special price for someone who gets them all at once? I LOVE historical Christian fiction!!!
Love in Christ!
Judy
So sorry, Penny! I called you Nancy!!! I knew better than that! I wish I knew how to erase that Nancy name! LOL!
LOL, Judy! Don’t feel bad about calling me Nancy. I have done that before too and I always manage to call my kids by the wrong names! 🙂
I am honored that you have found the movie list to be helpful. I have such a passion for finding wholesome movies for families. Please feel free to print off the list and pass it to your family.
You asked about a special price for all of my books. The best price I have found for the books in my Montana Skies Series is at Christian Book Distributors for $19.99 for all three (the regular price is $29.97). The link is http://www.christianbook.com/montana-skies-series-volumes-1-3/pd/742744?item_code=WW&netp_id=916458&event=ESRCG&view=details
The best price I have seen for 77 Ways Your Family Can Make a Difference is also at CBD for $10.99.
However, all four of those books are available anywhere books are sold, including local and online retailers too! My other two books are available at Amazon and B&N.
Also, Judy, I am always honored to mail personalized bookplates for readers to insert into their copies. Let me know if you’d like me to mail you some!
I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas as well!
In Christ,
Penny
I’ve seen a bunch of these, but this is quite the list. Awesome!!! :O)
Thank you, Diane! Thank you so much for stopping by! 🙂
You’ve done a lot of good work here to identify movies for families. I have only seen a handful of them and most of them I’ve never heard of. One suggestion, it would be helpful to have the date/year of the movie. I think there are probably some older movies that could go on this list which you are probably updating as time goes by, like Pollyanna and It’s a Wonderful Life. Maybe the children wouldn’t be so interested today. It would be good to find out 😉 Thank you for all the research!
Thank you so much for stopping by and thank you for your excellent suggestion. I agree, there are many good older movies that need to be added to the list. BTW, I loved Pollyanna as a child! Have a wonderful weekend. 🙂
I wish this list was available when my family was small and growing up. Maybe for my grand-kids, although my oldest is getting married next week. Maybe my “great grand-kids”.
Thank you for that compliment! Some of the movies could definitely be enjoyed by your grandkids, even though they are not little anymore. 🙂 And I think that’s a fantastic idea for your great-grands!
Thank you for sharing these, Penny. I love the list and so many I want to watch. Rebecca
Thank you, Rebecca, for your kind words! I agree, there are quite a few great movies to watch. We have been fortunate to find many of these at our local library. 🙂
My spouse and I stumbled over here different page and thought I might
check things out. I like what I see so now i am following you.
Look forward to looking at your web page for a second time.
Hello Adell! I am honored that you are following my blog. Thank you so much!
Wow! Nice list! Thank you for sharing at our TGIF Link Party at A Peek Into My Paradise. I hope you will be back to link up another awesome post this week!
Cathy @ http://apeekintomyparadise.blogspot.com/