Best movies for grandparents
Movies are a brilliant way to enjoy some quality time with your grandchildren. Many films feature grandparents in the story itself, often highlighting the incredibly valuable role they can play in a child’s life. In this guide, we feature some of the best movies for grandparents and grandchildren to watch together and pick a few choice movies about grandparents in particular. So read on and watch a few trailers to inspire your next movie choice.
Best movies for grandparents and grandchildren to watch together
Watching a film together can be a lovely way for grandparents and grandchildren to bond. There are many great movies to choose from, but below we have highlighted some old and new classics to consider.
These options are family-friendly, but some will be more or less appropriate depending on your grandchild’s age.
Harry Potter franchise (2001 – 2011)
The hugely popular Harry Potter franchise hardly needs an introduction. Children of a wide range of ages will love the magic and whimsy on display in this tale about a young boy who discovers he’s a wizard and gets sent off to a magical boarding school. There are eight films in the series, so grandparents and grandchildren can enjoy the adventures of Harry and his friends for quite a while.
More info: Wikipedia
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Sky Store, Blu-ray, DVD
Age rating: PG - 12
Back to the Future (1985)
Back to the Future is one of cinema’s most iconic movies and a beloved favourite of many. Featuring one of the most iconic cars in history, the film sees a teenager travel back in time via a whacky scientist’s time machine, where he has to help his high-school-aged parents fall in love. It’s great fun with a lot of laughs and excitement that is bound to entertain both grandparents and grandchildren time and time again.
More info: IMDB
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Blu-ray, DVD
Age rating: PG
Pirates of the Caribbean Franchise (2003 - 2017)
Pirates are a tried and tested entertainment formula, and in the hit franchise Pirates of the Caribbean, there’s more than enough swashbuckling for everyone. These films are great fun for the whole family with an eccentric lead pirate, a mystical ghost ship, treasure, maps, and sword fights. It’s a fun world to escape into, and adults and kids will find plenty to enjoy.
More info: Wikipedia
Where to watch: Disney+
Age rating: 12
The Sound of Music (1965)
One of cinema’s most iconic films, musicals don’t get more beloved than The Sound of Music. If your grandkids love a good sing-along, this classic movie is perfect. Featuring top songs, romance, excitement, and plenty of charm, The Sound of Music is a great film to consider watching with grandkids and is an ideal way to start introducing them to some of cinema’s classic movies.
More info: IMDB
Where to watch: Disney+
Age rating: U
Frozen (2013-2019)
Inspired by the fairy tale The Snow Queen, Frozen is one of the most popular Disney animated films of recent times, capturing children’s imagination everywhere. The film sees Anna on a dangerous adventure with an iceman, a reindeer, and a snowman, to find her magical sister, Princess Elsa. With catchy songs and many fun characters, young grandchildren will have a ball, even if they’ve seen it before. There’s even a 2019 sequel to sink your teeth into.
More info: IMDB
Where to watch: Disney+
Age rating: PG
Oliver! (1968)
This is a film adaptation of the iconic Charles Dickens book Oliver Twist, and it is a fantastic movie for grandparents to watch with their grandchildren. The award-winning Oliver! follows the adventures of Oliver Twist as he falls in with a group of pickpockets led by the Artful Dodger and masterminded by the infamous Fagin before being offered a way out of a life of crime. There are many ups and downs, and you will be introduced to some iconic characters along the way. There have been many movie adaptations of this famous film that you can also watch, including Twist (2021) and Oliver Twist (2005).
More info: IMDB
Where to watch: Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Netflix
Age rating: U
UP (2009)
UP is one of the best-loved animation films made in recent times, and due to its storyline, it is a must for any grandparent and grandchild to watch together. The storyline is based around Carl Fredricksen, who is a 78-year-old balloon salesman. He has always dreamt of travelling the world and finally realises his dream when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies off to South America. However, he inadvertently takes a young stowaway named Russell on his adventure.
Claire Evans, from Diary of the Evans-Critten blog, highly recommends watching UP. She said: “I think all grandparents should watch UP with their grandchildren at least once. It’s a lovely film to bring the younger and older generations together. The heart-warming story is poignant with a beautiful soundtrack and has enough fun to keep younger children engaged.”
More info: IMDB
Where to watch: Disney+, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video
Age rating: U
Finding Nemo (2003)
One of the jewels in Pixar’s crown, Finding Nemo is an excellent film for grandparents and grandchildren to watch together. This epic underwater adventure follows Marlin (a clown fish), who goes in search of his son Nemo after he is caught by a diver. Expect lots of fun and excitement as Marlin and his forgetful blue reef fish friend, Dory, navigate the ocean and its dangers.
Sarah, from the parenting lifestyle blog Life in Full Flavour, thinks Finding Nemo is a great choice for grandparents and grandchildren to watch together. She shared her thoughts with us: “Finding Nemo is a great film for both children and adults, so every generation will be able to enjoy it. It touches on so many relevant themes, with the key one being family, so it is a heart-warming tale for grandparents and grandchildren to enjoy together. It’s also a wonderful way to teach children about the ocean and the risks our seas face.”
More info: IMDB
Where to watch: Disney+, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video
Age rating: U
Lion King (1994)
This classic Disney animated film is one of the most famous films ever made, winning two Oscars and many other awards. Lion King follows the adventures of the young lion Simba, the heir of his father, Mufasa. His evil uncle, Scar, plots a wicked plan to take over the throne by tempting the father and son into a stampede of wildebeest. However, Simba escapes, and after reaching adulthood, he returns to take back his homeland along with his friends Timon and Pumbaa. The movie was so popular that it was made into a musical and is now one of the most popular performances you can see in the theatre.
More info: IMDB
Where to watch: Disney+, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video
Age rating: U
Jungle Book (1967)
If you want to watch a classic Disney film with your grandchild, then one that should be on your list is the Jungle Book from 1967. The film is based on Rudyard Kipling’s book, Mowgli, and the film takes you on an adventure with this abandoned child whom wolves have raised. When the man-eating tiger Shere Khan returns, the boy is forced to leave his wolf family and return to the local village. However, he is not alone during his trip as you get introduced to great characters such as Bagheera the panther, and the carefree bear Balloo. The film has since been re-made (in 2016), and another film is expected to be released soon.
More info: IMDB
Where to watch: Disney+, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video
Age rating: U
ALSO READ: How to have successful sleepovers with your grandchildren
Best movies about grandparents
There are also a whole host of films that feature grandparents as part of the plot. Take a look at some options below (not all are suited to young children) in both the comedy and drama genres.
Comedy movies about grandparents
Take a look at this list of comedy films featuring grandparents:
- Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
- The Princess Bride
- Little Miss Sunshine
- Little Fockers
- The Witches
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a musical fantasy comedy film about a poor but hopeful boy that is seeking one of just five coveted golden tickets that will send him on a tour of the famous Willy Wonka chocolate factory. After the boy wins a ticket, he takes his grandpa Joe with him as the owner of the factory leads the five winners and their guardians on a thrilling and often dangerous tour of his factory.
More info: IMDB
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
The Princess Bride (1987)
When thinking of films about grandparents, The Princess Bride is one that should undoubtedly feature in any discussion. This movie is about a grandfather telling his bedridden grandson a fairy tale that is based in the mythical kingdom of Florin. The fairy tale adventure follows the story of a beautiful young woman and her one true love who is trying to find her following a long time away from each other. During the story, they battle against the evils that exist in the mythical kingdom as they look to reunite with each other.
More info: IMDB
Where to watch: Disney+, Apple TV, Amazon Prime
Little Miss Sunshine
This award-winning movie follows the dysfunctional Hoover family – a husband and wife, an uncle, a brother, and a grandfather – as they travel to California to support their daughter as she aims to win the Little Miss Sunshine Contest. It’s a laugh-out-loud movie as the quirks of the different family members cause friction while they travel to the contest.
More info: IMDB
Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon Prime
Little Fockers
One of the most famous comedy movies featuring a grandparent is Little Fockers, which is part of a trilogy of films. In this movie, the uptight grandfather Jack (Robert De Niro) and his wife Dina (Blythe Danner) come to stay with Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) and his wife to celebrate their twins’ birthday party. Following hilarious misunderstandings, Greg must prove to Jack once and for all that he is worthy of taking on the crown of being the next family patriarch.
More info: IMDB
Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon Prime
The Witches (1990)
If you are looking for movies about grandparents on Netflix, then one you should watch is The Witches. The film follows the story of a young child (Luke) who is staying at a hotel in England with his grandmother, where he inadvertently spies on a convention of witches. During the convention, the Grand High Witch reveals her plan to turn all children into mice with a spell, and when that Luke overhears their plan, they test it out on him. With the help of his grandmother and the hotel manager, Luke the mouse fights back against the witches.
More info: IMDB
Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV
ALSO READ: What are the top activities to do with your grandchildren?
Best drama movies about grandparents
Take a look at this list of drama movies featuring grandparents:
- Cocoon
- Ulee’s Gold
- Titanic
- Goodnight, Mister Tom
- A Dog’s Journey
Cocoon (1985)
Cocoon is a classic from 1985 and one of the best movies about grandparents. This sci-fi drama is about the residents of a retirement home who rediscover their youth via a mysterious swimming pool containing alien cocoons. Cocoon is a sentimental movie, well respected by critics, with a gentle and heart-warming story that touches on the poignant issue of ageing.
More info: IMDB
Where to watch: Blu-ray, DVD
Ulee’s Gold (1997)
Ulee’s Gold is one of the best movies about grandparents raising grandchildren. In this dramatic and thoughtful movie, film legend Peter Fonda plays Ulee, a beekeeping widower who is raising his two granddaughters. Ulee is holding his dysfunctional family together and must protect them from two criminal associates of his son who are looking for a hidden stash of money. Providing children with a strong role model is vital, and this is precisely what Ulee’s granddaughters find in him during the course of the movie.
More info: IMDB
Where to watch: Blu-ray, DVD
Titanic (1997)
Titanic is one of the most popular movies of all time, and while the film is about a love story set on the doomed trans-Atlantic vessel, we shouldn’t forget that the main character is a grandparent. The elderly Rose has travelled with her granddaughter to the scene of the shipwreck and goes on to tell the story of how she survived the disaster. It’s an exciting, heart-breaking, and iconic film that has aged remarkably well and is an excellent example of the incredible stories that many grandparents can tell.
More info: IMDB
Where to watch: Disney+
Goodnight Mister Tom (1998)
While Goodnight Mister Tom isn’t about a grandparent per se, its titular character does play the role of a grandparent to a young evacuee who comes to live with him during WWII. It’s a lovely but heart-breaking movie that depicts the beautiful bond between a child and the elderly Tom, who grow to love and help one another. Lots of people have experience of being raised by a grandparent, and Goodnight Mister Tom encapsulates what an important relationship that can be.
More info: IMDB
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
A Dog’s Journey (2019)
When it comes to the best movies about grandparents and grandchildren from recent years, A Dog’s Journey is a top contender. This is a sweet and touching movie, especially for anyone who has had a dog as a pet. It tells the story of a family dog that lives many lives, having been given its’ great purpose to protect the granddaughter of its beloved owner. It’s a film that puts the bonds of family and the love of grandparents for their grandchildren front and centre – depicting what an essential role grandparents (and pets) play in a child’s life when a parent isn’t up to the task.
More info: IMDB
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
ALSO READ: Grandparent’s checklist for visiting toddlers
Advice for picking a movie
If you would like more advice about picking a movie to watch with your grandchildren, look at some tips below.
Issy, a parent from the blog A Suffolk Mum, shared with us some tips and advice for grandparents who would like to enjoy a film with the grandkids: “My children love having movie nights, and it’s great now they’ve got just that little bit older (they are nine and eleven) that we can choose films that the adults will enjoy watching just as much as the children. There are so many good family films that appeal to a wide range of ages.
“For grandparents, it can be fun to watch older classic family films that they may have watched the first time around with their own children, to then have the opportunity to enjoy them again with the next generation. There’s Star Wars, Honey I Shrunk the Kids or even the original Jumanji. Children can then enjoy the film but also hear about how their grandparents enjoyed it the first time around, compare favourite characters, or even laugh together at how much special effects have changed and improved over the years.”
Claire Evans, from Diary of the Evans-Critten, recommends watching films that you enjoyed as a child: “When I was younger, I loved watching old black and white movies with my grandparents, and my kids love to watch ‘old’ films from my own childhood. So, think about what films you enjoyed yourself as a child and if they’re suitable, share them with your grandchildren. You’ll find many older films, such as Snow White (1937), Mary Poppins (1964) and The Jungle Book (1967), are timeless, and your grandchildren will love them as much as you do - and perhaps one day will show these classics to their own grandchildren!”
Enjoying a movie with grandparents
As you can see, there are some wonderful movies out there to watch with grandchildren and some fantastic films that feature grandparents in the story’s plot. So next time you are relaxing with the grandkids, consider one of the above and enjoy an entertaining hour or two!
Staying independent at home can help you to entertain the grandkids for many years to come, and installing a stairlift can be vital to making this a reality. Get in touch today for a free assessment.
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