Sometimes, when the weight of the world is on your shoulders, you just need a break. You could head to the local multiplex to check out the latest blockbuster, but is watching Leonardo DiCaprio get mauled by a bear really the break from reality you so desire?Instead, think back to a simpler time. A time when you didn’t need to pay rent or think about things like income taxes. Because seriously, screw taxes, am I right?
We’re talking, of course, about your childhood. It was a time of whimsy and magic, creativity and possibility. A time when movies transported you to new worlds, and you willingly let them. It was easy to suspend disbelief and travel to Ariel’s cavern of treasure under the sea, or watch Matilda Wormwood get the best of Miss Trunchbull using her telekinetic powers.
We highly recommend watching one of these flicks whenever you need to take a brief respite to a happier, less complicated time. It’s the circle of life, really. They continue move us all, no matter what your age.
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
A man (Edmund Gwenn) claims to be Santa Claus, so a lawyer (John Payne) and a young girl (Natalie Wood) step up to his defense.
An American Tail (1986)
Fievel Mousekewitz and his family escape Cossacks in Russia for a better life in America — where they hear the streets are paved with cheese— but they get separated along the way.
The Adventures of Milo and Otis (1986)
A pug named Otis and a tabby cat named Milo have to find their way back home after Milo accidentally floats away on the river in a box, and Otis runs after him.
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Sebastian warns Ariel that “the seaweed is always greener in somebody else’s lake,” but she still dreams about going “up where they walk, up where they run, up where they stay all day in the sun” to meet the dreamy Prince Eric she espies on the shore. A real dreamer, that redheaded mermaid.
Home Alone (1990)
A boy (Macaulay Culkin) defends his house from two thieves (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) when his parents accidentally leave for their holiday trip to Paris without him.
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
A most peculiar girl who’s always got her head buried in a book is the only one who can break the spell that turned a prince into a hideous beast. Tale as old as time, really.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
“What’s this? What’s this?” Jack Skellington hasn’t got a clue, but it’s something very new.
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)
This remake of 1963’s The Incredible Journey follows Chance, an American bulldog, Sassy, a Himalayan cat, and Shadow, a golden retriever, as they set off through the wilderness to find the family they worry has left them behind.
The Lion King (1994)
A young lion named Simba is living his best life on Pride Rock when his evil uncle Scar has the cub’s father Mufasa killed in a stampede. Simba runs off, scared and alone, and does a lot of growing up with help from Timon, Pumba, and catchy songs by Tim Rice and Elton John. Can you feel the love tonight?
Little Giants (1994)
Yet another movie from the '90s that nursed our childhood crushes on Devon Sawa. Plus, Becky “Icebox” O’Shea (Shawna Waldron) is one of the best female characters ever.
Little Rascals (1994)
Alfalfa (Bug Hall) finds himself on the outs with the rest of the He-Man Woman Haters Club when he develops a crush on Darla (Brittany Ashton Holmes).
Now and Then (1995)
In 1991, four women reunite in their hometown and reminisce about the summer of 1970. That magical summer, they had two main goals: to buy a tree house and to stay away from the Wormer brothers, who of course had just gotten cute — especially Scott (Devon Sawa). A séance in the town cemetery led them to the discovery of a tombstone that only reads “Dear Johnny,” and the girls added finding out the mystery of his identity to their agenda.
Babe (1995)
An orphaned pig is taken in by a Border Collie and becomes a sheepdog. Well, sheep-pig.
Casper (1995)
“Can I keep you?”
Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010)
Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the rest of Andy’s lovable gang of toys come to life when he leaves the room. And oh, the adventures they have. To infinity and beyond!
Matilda (1996)
The movie based on Roald Dahl’s beloved novel about Matilda Wormwood, a telekinetic genius with horrible parents and an even crueler school principal.
Anastasia (1997)
Have you heard? There’s a rumor in St. Petersburg. In this happier, animated version of events, Anastasia Romanov manages to avoid the same fate as her family.
The Parent Trap (1998)
Lindsay Lohan burst onto the scene playing adorable meddling twins trying to get her estranged parents back together in this remake of the 1961 original.
The Incredibles (2004)
A family of superheroes finally gets to use their powers despite a government ban, and we learn that capes are a total mistake in any superhero outfit.
Frozen (2013)
The animated movie about two royal sisters — one with the ability to produce and control snow, ice, and frost — who reconnect after years of isolation from each other has become a megahit phenomenon. Plus, there's that one catchy song — you’ll never be able to let it go from your head.
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