How Can You Choose The Best Movies For Family Movie Night?

How Can You Choose The Best Movies For Family Movie Night?

Family movie night is a fun tradition that people of all ages can enjoy. It provides an opportunity for the whole family to spend time together while being introduced to new releases and classic movies. 

It is a great way to gather around and relax after a hectic week. Snuggling up on the couch together to watch a movie is a great way to stay connected with your family. But it is not easy to choose the perfect film that everyone in the family can enjoy. 

Choosing a perfect family movie is difficult, especially if you have children of different ages with different interests. A kids' movie that has your 7-year-old child erupting in giggles can make your 12-year-old child's eyes roll. A backyard movie night has now become a unique tradition.

7 Things To Consider When Choosing Movies For Family Movie Night

There are some things you must consider when you select films for an indoor or outdoor movie night. Below are some things you must consider when choosing films for a fun family movie night:

1.    Try a series

You can try a series like one Star Wars movie each year. So if there is something similar that your family loves, you can do it every year and work through a series of movies. It is truly a fun way to organize it.

2.    Think seasonally

It is fun to think seasonally too. People often have movie nights in late summer or early fall when it is a bit cooler across the United States. 

So, you can try to include one Halloween-themed film in your list. Every season of your family movie night should also have at least a Pixar or Disney film.

3.    Showcase diversity 

Diversity was not a part of our consideration a couple of years ago. But when you know better, you must try to do better. 

That's why you should ensure that you are showcasing diversity in many ways, whether that means:

• Films from other cultures
• Storylines that educate you
• Actors or directors of color

4.    Know your crowd

First of all, you have to know who this movie night is for or who will watch the film. Most people's lives are currently filled with little kids and toddlers. So, you should always try to find movies that will appeal to people of all ages – children, adults, and in-between.

5.    Duration of the movie

Try to keep any movie that you select under the running time of two hours. It is a fact that an hour and a half or an hour and forty-five minutes is the sweet spot.

If the running time of the movie is longer than two hours:

• The crowd will start decreasing
• It will get cold or uncomfortable 
• The children will start falling asleep

The most important thing you must consider when picking movies is that they are suitable for little ears. There should be no significant violence or profanity in the film.

6.    Consider the ages of kids

You need to select films that your entire family can understand and enjoy. If there are kids who are far apart in age, select two movies for each movie night. 

You can watch the more juvenile movie first with the whole family. You can put your younger kids to bed during the intermission and then watch the other film with the older children.

7.    Select a theme for the month

At the beginning of every month, choose a theme for the family movie nights for that specific month. For example, in October, you can watch ghost movies for your family movie night. You can watch Christmas classics in December. In February, romantic comedies are perfect for family movie night.

Movie Ideas For Family Movie Night

Here are some of the best movie ideas for your family movie night:

Series of Films

Your family may enjoy watching a series of movies over a month or two of your family movie nights. Make sure to consider the age of your children. Select a series of films from one of these series:

• Jaws films
• Rocky films
• Batman films
• Star Trek series
• Star Wars series
• The Twilight Saga
• The Harry Potter series
• Back to the Future series
• Raiders of the Lost Ark films
• Pirates of the Caribbean series

Animated Movies

In recent years, several animated movies have been released and re-released. These movies are fun family choices that kids of all ages love and enjoy. But these films are especially suited for younger children. You can select a movie from this list of animated films:

• Brave
• Rango
• Frozen
• WALL-E
• The Lorax
• Shrek series
• The Lion King
• Finding Nemo
• Ice Age series
• Monsters, Inc.
• Toy Story series
• Madagascar series
• Kung Fu Panda series
• Beauty and the Beast

Classic Family Movies

If your kids have not seen all the classic family movies, introduce them to a movie from decades ago or one of your childhood favorites. Choose a film from these classics:

• Freaky Friday
• Mary Poppins
• The Love Bug
• The Parent Trap
• The Wizard of Oz
• A Christmas Story
• The Sound of Music
• Lady and the Tramp
• Swiss Family Robinson
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
• E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
• Escape to Witch Mountain
• Bedknobs and Broomsticks
• The Absent-Minded Professor
• The Adventures of Robin Hood
• Journey to the Center of the Earth
• Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory

Take A Vote

Narrow down all your movie ideas to three or four choices. Then let the whole family vote and decide which movie you will watch on your family movie night. Take the vote a few days before family movie night to secure the DVD from Netflix or the video store.

The Bottom-line

All these things can give you a lot of ideas for your family movie night. Put a ton of thought into the movies you select to ensure that your family enjoys their time. Family movie night has become a special tradition for most families as there is something so magical about it.