The 1990s had a lot of great family movies, and while many of them were animated films, there were also plenty of live-action releases that still hold up today. While the 1990s remain known for the Disney Renaissance in animation, with movies like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, as well as the rise of Pixar with Toy Story, there were also plenty of movies that the entire family could enjoy with little to no animation.
This included movies from Disney, Warner Bros, and Fox, who were all going in hard with films that the entire family could enjoy. These included comedies, family dramas, and even some live-action releases that slipped in a little computer animation for a hybrid release. One of the most popular movie stars of the 1990s, Robin Williams, was even the star in several of these movies, proving that he was someone families could rely on for good, wholesome fun.
Many of these movies were not just made to give families something fun to watch at the theater, though. Movie studios had ulterior motives. Several of these films became franchises, had theme park rides, and even struck up deals with professional sports teams, showing their reach away from just bringing big-screen entertainment. While reviews were not always positive for these movies, they were made for families and not critics.
10
Casper (1995)
Released in 1995, Casper was a live-action movie that brought the classic cartoon character, Casper the Friendly Ghost, to the big screen. Directed by Brad Silberling in his feature directorial debut, the movie stars Christina Ricci as Kat Harvey and Bill Pullman as her father, a paranormal therapist hired to clear out a giant manor. It is here that Kat meets Casper, and they have to deal with his mischievous ghost uncles.
This was one of the earliest movies to feature a fully computer-generated character in a lead role, a key step in CGI history that helped pave the way for later digital characters. It was also a box office success, making $288 million on a $55 million budget, despite a mixed critical reception. This movie still holds up today as a sweet story about grief and loss hidden inside a broad comedy.
9
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Chris Columbus was on a tear in the 1990s, and the director of Home Alone brought the world the comedy movie Mrs. Doubtfire in 1993. The film, based on Anne Fine’s 1987 novel Madame Doubtfire, stars Robin Williams as Daniel Hillard, a recently divorced dad who disguises himself as a Scottish nanny to spend more time with his three children. Sally Field plays his estranged wife, Miranda, and Pierce Brosnan is her new boyfriend.
Mrs. Doubtfire was a massive hit, making $441 million on a $25 million budget, the second-highest-grossing movie of the year behind only Jurassic Park. The film also won an Oscar for Best Makeup and the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy. Beneath the comedy is a story about divorce from the kids’ point of view, and with it refusing a happily-ever-after ending, it remains emotionally resonant for families today.
8
Hook (1991)
Hook was one of two Steven Spielberg movies that were considered a critical failure for many years, along with the war comedy 1941. However, while 1941 has retained its negative reputation all these years later, Hook has become somewhat of a cult classic for kids who grew up when the movie came out. Robin Williams plays Peter Pan while Dustin Hoffman plays Captain Hook in this live-action retelling of the classic J.M. Barrie story.
The movie was a box office success, despite its low reviews, making $300 million worldwide. It also earned five Oscar nominations, but all were for production value other than Best Original Song (“When You’re Alone”). Looking back on the movie, the entire lavish Neverland set, the Lost Boys’ anarchic energy, and the message of not losing your inner child still hold up well today.
7
Flubber (1997)
Directed by Les Mayfield, Disney released the live-action movie Flubber in 1997, with a screenplay by John Hughes. The movie is a remake of the 1961 movie, The Absent-Minded Professor, and it stars Robin Williams as Professor Philip Brainard, a man who invents a bouncing, flying green goo nicknamed Flubber while trying to save Medfield College, repeatedly missing his own wedding in the process.
Marcia Gay Harden, Christopher McDonald, Ted Levine, and Clancy Brown all appear in the star-studded cast, while Jodi Benson (The Little Mermaid) voices the robot assistant Weebo. The film was a box office success, but critics slammed it in reviews, with an overwhelmingly negative response. That said, Flubber offers some fun physical comedy, and Williams is spectacular as the mad scientist.
6
Free Willy (1993)
Released in 1993, Free Willy is a movie that shocked the world with a huge box office and solid critical success, unusual for movies geared mostly toward young audiences. Directed by Simon Wincer, Free Willy stars Jason James Richter as Jesse, a troubled 12-year-old orphan who bonds with a captive orca at an ailing amusement park and risks everything to free him.
Michael Madsen stars in the movie as Jesse’s foster father, who fights to help Jesse get Willy to freedom. The film was a commercial success, making $153.7 million worldwide against a $20 million budget. Michael Jackson’s “Will You Be There” ended up a top-10 Billboard hit. The movie also opened a lot of people’s eyes to the plight of captured whales used for entertainment. It’s a heartfelt story to this day with a pro-conservation message.
5
The Mighty Ducks (1992)
Released in 1992, The Mighty Ducks is a movie starring Emilio Estevez as a self-centered Minneapolis attorney sentenced to community service who must coach a ragtag youth hockey team, the District 5 Ducks. It is the same story as the 1976 movie The Bad News Bears, but with hockey instead of baseball. However, The Mighty Ducks ended up having an even bigger legacy than that Walter Matthau baseball movie.
This family movie from the 1990s spawned two sequels (D2 in 1994, D3 in 1996) and an animated series, and a real NHL expansion team, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, was named after it. This was one in a long line of underdog youth sports movies, and it holds up well to this day. The Disney+ series that came out kept the story alive for a new generation of young hockey fans.
4
Jumanji (1995)
While the Jumanji franchise is still alive and well today with a new story and characters, the original Jumanji remains a great family movie from the 1990s that still holds up to this day. Directed by Joe Johnston and based on Chris Van Allsburg’s 1981 children’s picture book, the original movie stars Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce as the kids who start the game, freeing Robin Williams’ Alan Parrish, as well as giant animals and a big game hunter, into the real world.
Jumanji was a major hit, grossing about $263 million worldwide on a roughly $65 million budget. While reviews were mixed, it still became a beloved classic with enough fans to warrant the franchise reboot in 2017. The original movie offers audiences high-stakes, anything-can-happen adventure, and Williams’ warmth keeps it thrilling.
3
Matilda (1996)
Directed by Danny DeVito, who also narrates and co-stars, and based on Roald Dahl’s 1988 novel, Matilda stars Mara Wilson as gifted young Matilda Wormwood, a brilliant, book-loving girl who develops telekinetic powers and uses them to outwit her awful family and her terrifying school principal. Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman steal scenes as her neglectful, criminal parents, while Embeth Davidtz stars as kind teacher Miss Honey, and Pam Ferris is the tyrannical Miss Trunchbull.
The movie was a box office bomb, but it ended up as a cult favorite, reaching success when it hit home video. The movie has a spectacular Rotten Tomatoes score, at 92%, with it praised for maintaining Dahl’s spirit and remaining an odd yet charming family movie. It holds up today thanks to its empowering message about smart kids standing up to cruel adults, plus its gleefully dark Dahl humor, which still resonates strongly with children and parents.
2
The Sandlot (1993)
Released in 1993, David Mickey Evans wrote and directed the coming-of-age sports comedy The Sandlot. Taking place in the early 1960s, the movie follows a group of kids who bond one summer over their love of baseball, playing in an old sandlot in their neighborhood. Tom Guiry stars as new kid Scott ‘Smalls’ Smalls, who is slowly integrated into the group. They soon lose a prized baseball in a yard guarded by the feared backyard dog, The Beast.
The Sandlot has a 66% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics calling it funny and sweet, and it has since become a massive cult classic. It is still screened to this day at baseball fields around the country. This stands as a defining entry in the kids’ summer adventure genre alongside the era’s other coming-of-age films, a tale of friendship and childhood summer memories.
1
Home Alone (1990)
The defining family movie of the 1990s arrived in 1990 itself, with the Christmas hit, Home Alone. Directed by Chris Columbus and produced by John Hughes, the movie became a cultural phenomenon unlike any other. Macaulay Culkin stars as eight-year-old Kevin McCallister, a child accidentally left at home alone during the holidays who has to fight two burglars to protect his home.
Home Alone was a record-breaking box office success, grossing about $476.7 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing live-action comedy until The Hangover Part II in 2011. It earned two Oscar nominations, and it made Macaulay Culkin into a childhood star. It is both a perfect Christmas movie and a perfect family film, with slapstick comedy and mischief for all ages.