We have been committed to a weekly family movie night through this past year of packing, selling, moving, unpacking, and renovating stress – and it has served to be a reprieve that the whole family could count on and look forward to each week. And most weeks we tackled homemade gluten free pizza to enjoy along with our movie – by we, I do mean the boys. They did an amazing job making the crust the majority of the weeks. (We make Otto’s Gluten Free Deep Dish or a gluten free buckwheat crust.)
If you and your teens prefer the “cool” or current movies, you’ll want to pass on our list. We’ve got a mix of quirky, old, black and white, and some recent ones. We’re definitely not on trend. But these are all ones that all four of us enjoyed and watched in their entirety.
Some of the movies have some language, so you will want to check content concerns for each movie for yourself and your family’s standards.
These were primarily watched either on Netflix or Prime. Some movies share the same titles, so I’ve given the year and a brief summary to help you find the right one. Some I’ve linked to, but some of these change whether they’re free or for rent – and sometimes they’re free on one platform and not another – so I recommend a quick search for a free source. Some of these we did pay to rent.
Family movie night movie ideas for teens in no particular order:
Secret Life of Walter Mitty with Danny Kaye (1947) My boys love Danny Kaye’s movies, and this was a “new” discovery.
Secret Life of Walter Mitty with Ben Stiller (2013) We watched this remake the week right after the 1947 version.
Secondhand Lions (2003) This is Wesley’s top pick from this list. It is SO good.
Pursuit of Happiness (2006) Such a beautiful and sad movie.
My Fair Lady (1964) I feel like the end needs a conversation – Judah and I recently watched the play and it is far superior of an ending.
Slumberland (2022) Quirky and fun!
Fiddler on the Roof (1971) This is Judah’s top pick from this list. He loves a good musical.
Come to the Stable (1949) I thought I was picking a Christmas movie. Turns out it was a (very old) comedy about two nuns trying to build a hospital.
I Heard the Bells (2022 streamed from Sight and Sound) SO GOOD! This will likely become an annual Christmas movie. It is the story of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and how his carol came to be.
Emma (1996) I love that my boys will watch movies like this and enjoy them. They’re the BEST!
Rescued by Ruby (2022) Based on a true story, a state trooper adopts a rescue pup in hopes of training it for the elite K-9 unit.
The Founder (2017) The surprising start of McDonalds! I had NO idea how ruthless Ray Kroc was.
Thai Cave Rescue (2022, 6 episodes) Based on the true events of 2018 when the group of boys were rescued from a flooded cave.
I am David (2004) A beautifully tender story of a boy escaping concentration camp. This one made just about all of us cry. But you didn’t hear that from me.
October Sky (1999) Based on the true story of Homer Hickam, a coalminers son who eventually becomes a NASA engineer. For a PG movie I was surprised how much language was in it, just as a warning.
Dog Gone (2023) Based on a true story where a beloved family dog with Addison’s disease gets lost on the Appalachian trail.
The Pez Outlaw (2022) This documentary was SO fun. It left us with so many good conversations as the story is definitely told in a manner to make us empathize with the “outlaw” … but he was also very much breaking the law. (There is a brief scene where the wife mentions how they’ve always enjoyed a good sex life, just as a heads up.)
The Speed Cubers (2020) I was SO impressed with this true story that followed two of the world’s best Rubik cube players. It is a beautiful story of friendship, hard work, and in a sense, of growing up.
True Spirit (2023) a true story about an Australian girl who trained to be the youngest person to sail around the world. Not to give anything away, but there’s a scene that will forever haunt my nightmares and ensure I never sail in a storm!
Hope this list gives you some gems! I’ll keep track of movies going forward and add to this or do a second post maybe at the end of 2023.
Crystal
This list made me so happy! We have recently started this tradition as well. There is something comforting in knowing what to expect each Friday night! I am a huge Danny Kay fan and had no idea about the Secret Life of Walter Mitty ( I LOVE the newer version so I will have to find this and watch it pronto! ). Second Hand Lions is one of the best movies and one I’ve heard a lot of families praise; it’s a favorite of my dad and brother. Fiddler is my husband’s all-time favorite movie and musical – I had never seen it until I met him and now I’ve watched the movie yearly and recently saw the musical live! I just saw My Fair Lady at our local live theatre and the ending ( which was the original ending ) was soooo much better than the film ( which I agree, deserves a conversation- even as a kid, I never understood that ending ). I love all things Jane Austen ( and British ) so seeing Emma on your list put a smile on my face; I think it’s so special that you get to share that with your boys. I just recently learned about I Heard The Bells and definitely want to watch that – it had rave reviews. Dog Gone and Rescued by Ruby were such sweet movies that blessed our dog-loving souls 🙂 There are several films on your list I have never heard of and will be adding those to our must watch list. Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your tradition and to share this great list with us. I have been wanting to implement traditions into our family as I feel they are so important for the mental and relational health of children ( I find comfort in them as an adult as well ). Well done!
Jessica
I will need to get a list of your favorite movies!! Sounds like we are very similar 🙂 Thanks for this thoughtful response.
I so agree about the traditions being important for the mental and relational health of children (and adults!) This is one thing I have found to be so valuable about the transitions the military life imposes on us – it has caused us to deeply consider the culture we foster that goes with us wherever we live and regardless of whether there is extended family nearby or not.