Over the last 100 years of cinema, there have been some truly inspiring, imaginative, and innovative family films. From simple cartoons that evolved into sweeping epics and from beloved classics to original stories, there has been no shortage of high-caliber content made specifically for the art form’s youngest audiences. Some family and kids movies pushed the boundaries of technology, some broke genre molds, and some were so good they were the first of their kind ever nominated for an Academy Award.
Watching a movie together as a family is an experience like no other. To laugh together, sometimes cry together, to bond over favorite songs or characters. Your living room erupts with shouts of joy as heroes prevail, or tensions run high when villains gain the upper hand. It is a cherished pastime, and luckily, there is a vast wealth of family movies to choose from. Narrowing down this list was no easy task, and there are equally hundreds more amazing kids and family films deserving of such distinction. Here are 20 of the most significant, impactful, and simply the best family movies of the last 100 years.