The end of the year is always a fantastic time for reflection. 2016 has been a top-notch year for family movies. Here's a look at what made them so great.
Way to Go, Kids!
The performances by child actors this year was unflinchingly good. Ruby Barnhill was especially inspiring as Sophie in Steven Spielberg’s The BFG. (The director certainly has a knack for discovering young talent!) Another powerhouse performance can be found from Madina Nalwanga, a young teen from Uganda who starred in Disney’s Queen of Katwe. Both of these actresses are newcomers and absolutely ones to watch.
Grown-ups Inspiring Kids
Of course there were super-silly moments, and over-the-top action - that stuff is always fun to enjoy with family films. But this year our kids had some quality takeaways from adult performances. My son especially loved the team in Ghostbusters and the adult voices in Kubo and the Two Strings.
(By the way, Kubo was Matthew McConaughey’s very first animated film and it was a solid performance. McConaughey also had a starring voice role in the animated film Sing.)
All About Animation
The animation in films this year was breathtaking. You know it’s going to be a great year when Pixar comes to play and the studio did not disappoint with Finding Dory. We were also blown away by the animation work in Moana and Kubo and the Two Strings. A Monster Calls is also a film that can celebrate animation achievement. (Seriously, have you seen A Monster Calls? GO!)
Follow the Leader (Who Happens to Be Female)
All the high fives to the powers that be who let strong women and girls shine in family films this year. Many of our favorite films not only featured strong female characters, but they also carried the movie.
The BFG, Captain America: Civil War, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Finding Dory, Ghostbusters, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Moana, Trolls and Zootopia all passed the Bechdel Test. (The Bechdel Test examines a story and if it features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man/boy - it passes.)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has a great female lead and storyline and we can’t wait to see it!
Unusual Friendship/Buddy Pairings
A 12 year old becomes friends with a tree monster, 10 year old befriends a giant, a fox teams up with a rabbit, 10-year-old boy hangs out with a dragon, a boy is raised by wolves… these are just a few of the fascinating combinations in 2016 films.
Did You Stay ... All the Way?
This year was a generous one for those of us who love to stay for the credits of a film. We were often rewarded with solid bonus scenes that made us smug with satisfaction. Some of our favorite end credit scenes can be found in The Secret Life of Pets, Captain America: Civil War, Dr. Strange and Ghostbusters.
Super Superhero
Of course there were superheroes! Marvel and DC Comics put out a handful of movies for our older kids. (And some that were JUST for the grown-ups.) Hands down our favorite of the year in this genre was Captain America: Civil War. It was action packed and introduced Black Panther, an impressive superhero who will soon have his own film.
Talking Animals
I am usually not a fan of talking animals in movies. Somehow I managed to survive the onslaught of chatty animals in 2016 - and I even came to adore some of them. We start with Dory yammering away in Finding Dory, then allllllll those silly pets in Secret Life of Pets, and of course there’s Zootopia, Kung Fu Panda 3, The Jungle Book, The Angry Birds Movie, Nine Lives, Storks, Sing... and uh, whatever the Trolls are.
Let's Dance
There was a lot of singing and dancing in family films this year. We loved the music in Trolls and Moana and we can not rave enough about the music in Sing. The soundtracks for all of these films feature both familiar as well as new songs, sure to become classics. There is plenty for a dance party or sing-along.
Can You Buy Me That?
Our hats are off to the studio marketing departments this year. We saw some inventive products out there, along with the typical film merch. At Build-a-Bear kids could create a dragon inspired by Pete’s Dragon. Our four-legged friends could enjoy pet toys inspired by The Secret Life of Pets. Our favorite products to hit the shelf were the Ghostbusters marshmallows and the Trolls beauty supplies.
What was your favorite family film of 2016?
Dresden Shumaker is a writer, advocate and appreciator of (butterless) movie popcorn. She chronicles her adventures in single parenting on CreatingMotherhood.
