Hi Guys! Emma and Taylor here, we thought it would be fun to reminisce about our favorite childhood movies, so we compiled a list of our top picks and wrote a little about each one. So without further adieu, here are some childhood movies you NEED to rewatch!
Emma’s Picks:
Anastasia (1997) –
This movie is inspired by the conspiracy that Anastasia, the youngest daughter of the last imperial family of Russia, the Romanovs, escaped the infamous brutal attack on her family. The story is depicted through magic and fantasy, accompanied by a breathtaking soundtrack. I love this movie, it is so enchanting and mysterious! An absolute must watch.
Fun Fact: Christopher Llyod, the actor that played Doc Emmett Brown from the Back to the Future trilogies, voices Rasputin!
Barbie as Princess and the Pauper (2004) –
Barbie movies may seem a little cliche or girly, but don’t let that internalized misogyny get to you, they are wonderful! Princess and the Pauper follows the story of two girls, Anneliese and Erika, who meet and realize they could potentially switch places based off of their similar looks. This movie is awesome because femininity is equated with strength and intelligence, the soundtrack pops off, and I have a theory that the cat represents transgender struggles since he expresses himself like a dog (I’m serious, listen carefully to The Cat’s Meow song!).
Fun Fact: This was the first ever musical produced in the Barbie franchise and won “Children’s Title of the Year” in 2005 at the VSDA awards.
Bolt (2008) –
As a quick recap, the story follows Bolt, a moviestar dog who slowly realizes he is not actually the hero he depicts, or is he??? I remember watching Bolt as a kid and thinking it was cool, but I rewatched it recently and it left me and my sister sobbing. It is a tear jerker, especially if you are a dog lover!
Fun Fact: Miley Cyrus and John Travolta voice the main characters, Penny and Bolt!
Taylor’s Picks
The Prince of Egypt (1998) –
Based on my own knowledge, this is one of the more historically and ethnically accurate Biblical adaptations out there—Biblical scholars were consulted in the making of the movie and the Hebrew language can be heard in every international version of the movie. It follows the story in Exodus of Moses as he leads his people out of slavery in Egypt. This movie has an incredible soundtrack and manages to make me cry every time I watch it.
Fun Fact: Hans Zimmer was responsible for the score in The Prince of Egypt, whose music you might recognize in the 2014 film Interstellar.
Bridge to Terabithia (2007) –
This is one of the more emotional movies on my list—while I can’t always bring myself to watch it, I do think its story is very valuable. Tag along on an enchanting woodland adventure with two friends, Jess and Leslie, as they discover a secret world full of fairies and giants. Based on the 1977 novel by Katherine Paterson, this story deals with grief in a way that is easy for all ages to understand and relate to.
Fun Fact: AnnaSophia Robb wanted the role of Leslie so much that she wrote to the producers of the film in hopes of getting it!
Ponyo (2008)
Ponyo is a fun and adorable adventure brought to us by the beautiful imagery of Studio Ghibli! This movie tells the story of two children: Ponyo, a fish, the daughter of a sea goddess and a human, and Sosuke, a five year old boy who lives on a cliff by the ocean. They meet and begin the cutest friendship. Ponyo turns herself into a child in order to be with Sosuke, and the plot takes many twists and turns from there. This is an interesting and innocent take on the Little Mermaid story that will keep you smiling all the way through and introduce you to the beautiful work of Studio Ghibli.
Fun fact: Alongside an all-star cast, young Frankie Jonas and Noah Cyrus play Ponyo and Sosuke!
Coraline (2009) –
Follow Coraline through a secret passageway in her new house and discover an alternate reality where everything is just better—or so it seems. As I rewatched this movie as an adult, I was surprised it did not scare me more as a kid. Coraline is SO creepy! However, this is what makes rewatching the movie so fun—the plot is fascinating and there is a ton of hidden imagery and symbolism throughout the film.
Fun fact: Coraline is based on a 2003 short novel by Neil Gaiman. Reading this was even more exciting than watching the movie—there are spooky additional scenes not shown in the film and interesting symbols hidden in the language. This was a quick read that helped me get out of a reading slump.
Joint Picks
The Last Unicorn (1982) –
This movie specifically holds a special place in our hearts. As children we loved the magical imagery of unicorns, which is still of course essential to the vibe, but now we really appreciate the ethereal cottage-core elements. As the title implies, this film follows the last unicorn as she searches for the rest of her kind. Along the way she meets a wizard and together they venture through the forest, eventually finding a castle on the seaside where they discover the truth. Disguised as a woman, she attempts to defeat an evil Red Bull while she struggles to remember her true identity.
Fun Fact: This movie’s soundtrack was one of the best selling albums in Germany in 1983!
Happily N’ever After (2006) –
If you have never seen this movie you are missing out, it is so ridiculously dumb that it is hilarious (seriously, it received a rotten tomato score of 4%, what!). Basically in Fairytale land, the fate of traditional stories is controlled by the wizard and his scales of good and evil. Well, the wizard goes on vacation to golf and leaves his two assistants, Monk and Mambo in charge. The evil stepmother from the Cinderella story accidentally finds out about the scales and enlists the bad guys to take over the kingdom. There are hilarious innuendo and endless jokes to make your inner third grade heart happy.
Fun Fact: Sarah Michelle Gellar (Ella) and Freddie Prinze Jr. (Rick) are married in real life, they also famously played Daphne and Fred in the live action Scooby Doo!
This movie also has Tom Kenny, the voice of Spongebob!
High School Musical (2006) –
Watching High School Musical again has made us realize how absolutely fire it truly is. First, there is a diverse cast with Vanessa Hudgens, Corbin Bleu, and Monique Coleman to name a few. The film also encourages progressive expressions of gender as seen in the plot with basketball star, Troy’s, love for singing. This movie shows kids that it is normal to have interests outside of their gender’s status quo. Whether you watch one, two, or all three from this franchise, it will make you feel so nostalgic.
Fun Fact: Ashely Tisdale originally auditioned for the role of Gabriella!
Flushed Away (2006) –
This movie is absolutely hilarious. It follows Roddy, a rat living as a pet in an upper class English home, accidently get flushed down the toilet. He stumbles into Ratopolis, the underground city in London for rats where he meets Rita. They work together to get back to his home, but first need to fight an evil frog who wants them both dead. You NEED to rewatch Flushed Away, there is a ton of subtle humor and jokes. It is relevant too because apparently some tik tokers have been thirsting for Roddy recently.
Fun Fact: Created by the guys who made Wallace and Gromit!
We also put out a poll on Emma’s Instagram to see what some of your favorite childhood movies were—“Anything Barbie” won by a landslide! Go Barbie fandom!
We love these movies and hope you do too! Pick any for a night well spent :)