It’s family movie night. You’re all sitting in front of the TV with your pizza, and the inevitable question arises: “What should we watch?” Rather than re-running yet another Pixar, try something from this throwback list instead. Here are my favorite 8 family movies from the 1980s you loved to watch as a kid, and you’ll want to watch again with your kids.
- Harry and the Hendersons A life-affirming, endearing story about….Bigfoot. John Lithgow makes this entire film worth it.
- Short Circuit A live action precursor to Wall-e, in which a charming AI robot finds himself more at home with Steve Guttenberg and Ally Sheedy than with the US Military.
- Back to the Future Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, time machines, and the beloved dorky 1980s DeLorean.
- The Goonies Baby Sean Astin and a
yummyyoung Josh Brolin in one of the best pirate treasure hunt movies of all time. Plus, when you realize Chunk loves Sloth, I promise it will bring tears to your eyes. Again. - The Princess Bride This star-studded cast (Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright) were just newbies at the time of release. But their inherent talent, charm, and charisma make this fairy-tale a crowd pleaser for any age.
- Honey I Shrunk the Kids Great movie to share with your adolescents who think YOU’RE weird.
- The NeverEnding Story Ever read an amazing book of fantasy and wished you could live within the pages? This is probably one of my favorite fantasy films of all time. Because, furry dragons.
- Flight of the Navigator Boy gets knocked out after a fall down a ravine and wakes up to find he’s the only one who can pilot a crashed alien ship being held by NASA. You can’t make this stuff up. Well, I guess you can….
- The Last Starfighter For all those kids who were told that playing video games is just a waste of time…actually, it’s really about learning how to save the world.
- The Karate Kid Great life lessons about
Make one of your childhood favorites one of your child’s favorites perseverance, hard work and using brains over brawn. An added bonus, Mr. Miyagi will show your kids how important it is to do their chores.
- Labyrinth Jim Henson’s delightful fairy tale of goblins and monsters, and now we know where JK came up with “Hogwarts”. Not to mention, David Bowie in his prime.
- Mr. Mom Early ’80s empowerment of working moms enhanced by the comedic ridiculousness of a very young Michael Keaton.
Honorable Mention:
- The Dark Crystal Enjoy it for the puppetry magic of Jim Henson, and try not to scratch your eyeballs out over the weird voice overs. Your kids will love it.
What’s your favorite decade to dive in to for Family Movie Night?
