7 Fun Family Movies to Ease into the School Year

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1. Despicable Me/Despicable Me 2 (Netflix)

A grumpy supervillain named Gru (Steve Carell) sets out to steal the moon but discovers a softer side -- and a heart for good deeds -- when he takes in three adorable young girls (Despicable Me). In Despicable Me 2, Gru meets and falls in love with Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig), an agent from the Anti-Villain League. It’s an adoption-centric set of films with a redemptive story arc in which Gru transforms into a good guy. Both films are rated PG for rude humor and mild action. 

Photo Credit: ©Universal

2. A Thread to Your Heart (Great American Family)

The owner of a quaint New Zealand yarn shop is shaken when her top supplier, King Farms, announces it’s shutting down. That’s when a charming but no-nonsense businessman arrives to oversee the closure, only to have the shop owner persuade him to give her two weeks to learn yarn spinning and raise funds to buy the mill herself. As you may have guessed, romantic sparks soon fly. It premieres on Great American Family Aug. 16. 

Photo Credit: ©YouTube/Great American Family

3. NASA Live (Netflix)

Yes, you can watch every live NASA event on multiple platforms -- for free -- but there’s just something special about clicking that “Netflix” button and watching it through the nation’s most popular streaming platform. It becomes …cinematic. Netflix began streaming NASA live in recent events, beginning with the launch of SpaceX Crew-11. Each live event then enters the Netflix library. Rated G.  

Photo Credit: ©Wikimedia Commons/NASA/JPL

4. The King of Kings (Home Video)

A young father, Charles Dickens, tells his son a bedtime story about a King unlike any other -- a Servant who washed feet, calmed storms, and gave His life to save the world. As the boy imagines the scenes unfolding, the life of Jesus comes alive for viewers. This Angel Studios animated film was a hit at the box office and was inspired by Dickens’ own manuscript, The Life of Our Lord, which he wrote as a retelling of the life of Jesus for his children. It was one of the best films of the year. It releases on home video Aug. 26. Rated PG for thematic material, violent content, and some scary moments. 

Photo Credit: ©Angel Studios

5. Megamind (Netflix)

An intelligent supervillain finally defeats his superhero rival, only to realize that a life without opposition feels meaningless. He then creates a new hero to fight -- only to discover that becoming the good guy might be the role he was meant to play all along. As chaos unfolds, he is forced to choose between his villainous past and saving the very city he once tried to conquer. Rated PG for action and some language. Clearplay offers a filter. 

Photo Credit: ©YouTube/Peacock Kids

6. The Prince of Egypt (Netflix)

A young man flees Egypt after killing an Egyptian guard in an act of righteous anger, only to discover his true identity as a Hebrew and his greater purpose. This 1998 box office hit follows the story of Moses as he returns to Egypt as God’s chosen messenger, demanding the release of the Hebrew slaves. Of course, Pharaoh refuses -- and God intervenes in a mighty way. It is an uplifting animated musical that stays true to the spirit of Scripture, even if it is Moses -- and not Aaron, as in the Bible -- who speaks. Rated PG for intense depiction of thematic elements. 

Photo Credit: © DreamWorks Animation

7. Wicked (Prime Video)

A young woman with unique talents sets off for Shiz University in the Land of Oz, where she hopes to gain control over her mysterious magical powers. There, Elphaba -- a gifted woman often bullied due to her green skin -- forms an unlikely friendship with a bubbly student, Galinda. This Disney musical tells the backstory of the two witches in the classic story The Wizard of Oz -- the Wicked Witch of the West (Elphaba) and the Good Witch (Galinda). Rated PG for some scary action, thematic material, and brief suggestive material.  

Photo Credit: ©Universal Pictures/Wicked