For those of us who grew up in the 1980’s, it was a glorious time. However, some of the movies couldn’t or wouldn’t be made today–for better or worse. But if you’re a parent now, you may want to expose your children to some of the great movies of our youth, without the dicey scenes, foul language or sensitive subject matter.
Well, I’ve got your back! I can’t wait for the day when I can finally share Sixteen Candles, but I honestly don’t know when that will be. Rest assured, there are still a plethora of wholesome movies from the 1980s that need almost no fast forwarding.
Some of these older movies truly are the best. Before everyone had iPhones. Before kids were glued to screens. Back when kids trusted themselves, parents allowed children to make mistakes, and pretty much everyone could eat peanut butter and gluten without issue.
It’s true, making mistakes–even getting hurt–builds the skills of not only resilience, but also the ability to problem solve. It’s a sign of maturity to be faced with discomfort, negativity, challenge and to be able to overcome, problem solve, and navigate through that difficulty. In all these movies, things don’t always go smoothly. Things hurt. Things get stolen, people go missing, or some difficult challenge presents itself. People do say mean things, sometimes. But overall, these are all wholesome movies because the main characters–the protagonists–face that difficult situation with class, dignity, and self-respect. They aren’t crumbling under pressure–they’re rising to the challenge like a phoenix. They keep on going, and they’re kind and caring en tote.
Get the popcorn popping, because this list is wholesome, family friendly, and also imparts valuable lessons that are so needed in today’s society for all of us to reflect and apply those principles in our daily lives.
The Journey of Natty Gann, 1985
Ages: 9+
Set during the Great Depression, The Journey of Natty Gann tells the story of a courageous and determined young girl who travels across the country in search of her father, and makes some unlikely friendships along the way, including a loyal wolf. This is one movie I didn’t see as a child, but it’s absolutely beautiful and inspiring. Plus because it’s set during the Great Depression, it lends the gift of making us thankful for what we have.
The movie shows some realistic portrayals of life during the Great Depression, including an opening scene with underage smoking, a brief fight scene, child labor–which are great educational talking points. Toward the end of the movie there is a scene with a kiss.
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, 1989
Ages: 7+
This super fun adventure movie that is great for all ages. The movie follows a wacky scientist who accidentally shrinks his children and their friends, who then must survive the dangers of their own backyard. Realizing what he has done, he then embarks on a creative search to find them. This movie is fun because it twists our perspective, and broadens the way we think of common things we take for granted.
Annie, 1982
Ages: 6+
Who hasn’t seen Annie? Well I’m sure lots of young children haven’t. Everyone loves Annie though right? The movie follows a cheerful orphan girl who leaves her harsh orphanage with a heavy drinking Miss Hannigan behind when she is invited to spend time with a wealthy businessman. I know it sounds sus! That’s what I mean about the 1980s. But this movie is actually based on an 1885 poem, and then later a 1924 comic strip. This is a great lesson in that life can be hard and unfair, but one can still believe the sun will come out, tomorrow.
Explorers, 1985
Ages: 8+
A great boy movie, but also good for the girls, this movie follows three independent and imaginative boys who build a homemade spaceship after one of them receives mysterious dreams containing strange scientific information. Truly an artifact of the 1980’s with the fixation on space travel and following in the genre of male camaraderie flicks that seemed so rampant in that era.
Back to the Future, 1985
Ages: 8+
A true classic, Back to the Future centers on a skateboarding and guitar-rocking teenager who accidentally travels back to the 1950s in a time machine and must find a way to return home without changing his own future. A super fun time travel movie that brings us back to the innocent, naive era of the 1950s.
There is one scene you may have to fast-forward–we have–when Biff gets rough with Lorraine outside the dance, who then gets punched out by her new hero.
Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, 1985
Ages: 7+
This movie is so fun to watch all the gadgetry and colorful sets. The retro loving eccentric Pee-wee Herman sets off on a wild cross-country journey to recover his beloved stolen bicycle. While he’s very innocent, there is one scene we’ve had to repeatedly fast forward involving Large Marge. Don’t forget to love every minute of the soundtrack, this is where Danny Elfman really got his groove on, and we’ve loved him ever since.
Savannah Smiles, 1982
Ages: 7+
Hear me out. I grew up on this movie, and I turned out fine! This is such a good, wholesome movie even if on paper it’s super sus! The movie follows a young girl who runs away from her very wealthy but uncaring home and unexpectedly forms a warm friendship with two small-time criminals. It turns out Savannah didn’t want all the wealth, she wanted her caregivers attention and to be valued, which in turn, is what makes her smile. It’s a great reminder to us parents that our children don’t really want gifts and money (even though it seems like they do)–they really want (and need) our attention. They want us to be present with them, a hug, and quality time.
A Christmas Story, 1983
Ages: 8+
A Christmas classic, the movie is about a young boy growing up in the 1940s dreams of receiving a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. My kids love period pieces, but they also appreciate the likable characters, funny plots, and the first person narrative style movie.
Space Camp, 1986
Ages: 8+
We recently watched this and I’ll be honest, I fell asleep, but my kids loved it. Space Camp follows a group of teenagers attending a space camp who unexpectedly find themselves launched into space and must work together to return safely home. It features some movie stars when they were younger, like Kelly Preston and Joaquin Phoenix, who went by Leaf Phoenix. Imagine accidentally being launched into space, and your kids successfully navigate back onto land safely. You’d be proud, right?