Growing up most of the movies we watched were made in the 50s and 60s and sometimes even older. They were wonderful family films, at a time when Disney was at it’s height (in my professional opinion). I’ve decided I need to start collecting some of these because they probably will be even harder to find in 10 years when I’ll want them (PS My birthday’s in a month!).
The follow is a list of a few movies I loved (in no particular order):
(Disclaimer: A couple of these I haven’t seen in more than 10 years.
No promises that my 8 year old taste holds any kind of true value. )
The Parent Trap makes every 10 year old girl want to go to summer camp, meet her secret twin, and play awesome pranks. Haley Mills at her enchanting double trouble best. Favorite scene: duh, when they take their dad’s girlfriend camping and boy is she in for a treat!
Meet me in St. Louis starring the charming and always glamorous Judy Garland who falls in love with the boy next door. The real star of the show, however, is her younger mischievous sister Tootie, played by Margaret O’Brien. Favorite scene: Halloween night
The Shaggy Dog
A magic ring is found that turns its owner into a dog at inopportune times. A family classic. Doesn’t get much better than that. 
Alice Through the Looking Glass
This version of the classic is fantastic; possibly my favorite movie growing up. Not the animated version, which makes this story even more bizarre and fantastic – and perhaps a bit uncanny (beware of the Jaberwocky!). Also starring Carol Channing. I can’t even pick a favorite scene, the whole thing is outstanding.
Haley Mills in Pollyanna.
All I’ve ever wanted is to sit on a porch of my victorian home and watch as the lights from the town bazaar flicker in the distance. Moral: “When you look for the bad, you will surely find it”. Word.
The Gnome-Mobile. Wanna know why people say the Redwoods are magical? Gnomes live there. Two tree hugging siblings and their grandpa find them and try to protect their endangered community from the logging companies. Of course they have a hard time convincing others of the gnomes’ existence. Best scene: 100 female gnomes chasing the sole male gnome.(Think: Flashbacks to your singles ward)
Okay, I can see this one may be a hard sell.
Oh, I miss having young ones around……hint,hintThanks for the birthday suggestions. We need to expand this list to read-aloud favorites.
Parent trap was my all time favorite. Hopefully Aaron and I won’t get divorced and separate the twins so they never know each other. Now that I’m an adult, the situation seems rather absurd. Polyanna and Summer Magic are two of my other favorite Haley Mills movies, I always wanted to be her.And who can forget the Gnome Mobile! Riding along in the gnome mobile…
I LOVE The Gnome Mobile. I’m not making this up–I was trying so hard this week to remember what it was called so I could see if the library had it. When I was little, my sister and I always chose this from the video store. We also liked “Escape to Witch Mountain.”
I’d like to give a thumbs up to the Gnome-Mobile. . . I can’t believe anyone else saw that besides me. I loved that one. Also, I’d throw in “That Darn Cat.” A cat who helps the police solve crime . . . classic
jordan, I didn’t like honey I shrunk the kids long enough for it to classify as one of my favorites. I mostly liked it because I thought the older brother Russ was super dreamy….
Actually The Never Ending Story was part of Scott’s childhood…but I loved it, too.
What about Honey I Shrunk the Kids?I think I remember hearing somewhere it was your FAVORITE!
Hello fellow Golden Girl! I have to agree with you on Gnomemobile being an absolute classic. Mulrooney, Jasper, Violet… just an all-star cast. TIMBER!
The Never Ending Story. I remember going home during lunch to my friend Ingrid’s house in elementary school and watching that movie while eating egg salad sandwiches (which I thought were gross)
Wendy and I loved The Parent Trap. Lady and the Tramp was another favorite of mine. And National Velvet. And The Wizard of Oz. And The Neverending Story.
Great post. I think I’ve seen most of them. It’s sad to think what our kids will grow up watching. No disney cartoons though on your list? Cinderella?