They say you can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family. Through the lens of filmmakers, we glimpse into the lives of fictional and true-to-life families that both stir and inspire the heart. So gather your kin, pass the popcorn, and embark on an emotional journey with our roundup of 10 movies about family that promise to strengthen the familial bonds and, perhaps, push a few teardrops to the brink of your eyes.
10. Raspberry Magic
Raspberry Magic tells the touching tale of 11-year-old Monica Shah who believes she can mend her fractured family by winning the science fair. Convinced that she’s responsible for her father’s departure from the family, Monica taps into her childlike ingenuity and resilience to bring her father home.
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9. A Horse Called Hope
In this tale of resilience and family, we meet a young, rebellious girl who’s sent to stay at her soon-to-be-foreclosed grandmother’s horse ranch for Christmas. Against expectations, she forms a deep bond with a pony and becomes determined to help save the ranch from foreclosure. It’s a poignant story about hope, perseverance, and the strength of family that will surely tug at your heartstrings.
Watch A Horse Called Hope on Reveel
8. Jean
In the embrace of nature, a young girl embarks on an extraordinary journey with her furry companion. Jean is not your conventional family tale, rather it sheds light on the bond between a girl and her dog, their determination to overcome daunting wilderness, and the deeply profound lessons they learn along the way.
7. Storm and Luther’s Forbidden Letter
Storm Voeten is a twelve-year-old boy forced to brave high stakes and dangerous enemies to save the most important person in his life, his father. When Klaas Voeten is captured for daring to print a forbidden script by the notorious critic Martin Luther, Storm’s life is hurled into a whirlwind of suspense and adventure. Aided by Marieke, an enigmatic girl hiding within the labyrinthine sewers of Antwerp, this historical treat illustrates a boy’s unwavering courage.
Watch Storm and Luther’s Forbidden Letter on Reveel
6. Yard Kings
We follow the journey of Ellie, a 9-year-old girl who takes refuge from her harrowing life in a makeshift scrapyard castle. Alongside her steadfast friend Pete, they build their fortress and dream of an existence far removed from the grit and grime of their reality. An exploration of familial bonds, fostered not by blood but shared experiences, Yard Kings illuminates the small triumphs that resonate deeply in our hearts.
5. Glass Walls
Inspired by true stories of faith and healing, Glass Walls immerses us into the lives of two pastors and their wives. Struggling under the weight of extreme burnout, they see a retreat as their last hope. This retreat, designed specifically to shatter their metaphorical ‘Glass Walls’, tests their courage and resilience in unexpected ways. It’s a heartwarming exploration of spiritual endurance.
4. Strider
The film encapsulates the bond between a lonely teenage girl, her father, and Hannah, a track coach reinstating her reputation. Over one impactful summer, this informal ‘family’ trains together for the Eastern Coast’s largest athletic event, the Pinnacle Games.
3. Dolphin Island
Home is where the heart is, and for young Annabel, that happens to be the middle of the Caribbean with her own personal dolphin! But paradise is threatened when her split-away grandparents try to whisk her back to the city. This tender story of familial bonds and steadfast love will both entertain and move audiences of all ages.
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2. Sweet Sunshine
Sweet Sunshine portrays a powerful story of a young star whose meteoric rise to fame creates a chasm between him and his father. However, his life takes an unexpected tragic turn, nudging him towards a path of self-discovery. Will a serendipitous encounter with a gifted young woman reignite the lost spark of believing in himself?
Watch Sweet Sunshine on Reveel
1. Congratulations
Set on the emotional roller coaster of a road trip, Congratulations explores the complexities of love, commitment, and family bonds. Jim Riley finds himself faced with his girlfriend Bridget’s disbelief in marriage prompting him to forget to call his mother who was eagerly waiting to break into celebration.
