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This Weekend's Film Festival Celebrates The 5 Best Live-Action Family Films of the Past 5 Years

With BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA hitting DVD this week, it felt like a perfect time to look at some of the best live-action family films of the past five years. Adults without kids tend to avoid family films, but they're often missing out on some great movies. I kind of cheated though I left out the two HARRY POTTER films and CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, because they were monster hits and kind of transcend the "family" label anyways. Plus, they'd take up more than half the list and overshadow some other lower key films that deserve some praise and extra attention. And I'm sure there are some good family films that I missed such as HOLES. I encourage readers to post their picks for the best live-action family films in the comments.

I decided to kick off this week's This Weekend Film Festival with a bang. 2003's PETER PAN is simply amazing. Visual stunning with a layer narrative, this film will surprise you, which is surprising in the fact that the story has been adapted for the screen so many times. Young stars Hurd-Wood and Sumpter are great as is Jason Isaacs as Capt. Hook. Here is a perfect example of modern visual effects being used to great extent. They create breathtaking spectacle, but never get in the way or overshadow the great story. Find out more of the treats in the film in my original review. Additionally, if you're up for another film on Friday night that's not really intended for children, but suits audiences of any age, follow this film up with Johnny Depp's FINDING NEVERLAND, which chronicles J.M. Barrie's creation of the original PETER PAN play.

Starting off Saturday's lineup is the film that inspired this week's theme — BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA. If you are not familiar with Katherine Paterson’s award-winning young adult book in which the film is based upon and have seen the trailers for the film then you are in for a big surprise. The preview makes it out to be a NARNIA wannabe, but it's really a powerful coming-of-age story with a tragic bent. Josh Hutcherson and Leslie Burke's characters form a wonderful friendship, which reminds the viewer of the full power of a good friendship. The fantasy elements are rooted in the imaginations of the characters. The emotional power of this film is tear inducing. I challenge you to keep a dry eye throughout the entire run of this one. Find out more about why in my original review.

Following the gut-buster that is TERABITHIA, I thought a bit of inspiration was needed in the form of AKEELA AND THE BEE. Taking the plot structure of an underdog sports flick, AKEELA fills out its story about the National Spelling Bee with original, fully realized characters. There are multiple character arcs and the plot does not go on autopilot toward the end. This film reminded me a lot of another "sports" family film, SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER, which is another brilliant film for all ages. Additionally, AKEELA presents an inspirational story that appeals to all demographics, but is an especially rare portrayal of African-Americans. Akeela, played brilliantly Keke Palmer, often needs to hide her intelligence underneath ghetto slag, so that she isn't labeled a nerd. It's great to see how her community rises to help her in the end when she is thrust into the national spotlight. This is not your typical sappy inspirational kid-flick and you can find out more about it in my original review.

The Sunday lineup isn't only comprised of two of the best live-action family films of the past five years, but also two of the best films of the past five years. First up is 2005's MILLIONS from director Danny Boyle, who is best known for the very adult films TRAINSPOTTING and 28 DAYS LATER. In the film, brothers Damian and Anthony find a bag of money and must confront the moral quandaries of what to do with it. Damian, who has a love of saints, wants to do good while Anthony wants to do good for his bottom line and reputation. Though it's suited for kids, this film never takes its plot to insipid moralizing levels. Greed corrupts and makes people do things that may regret and this story deals with the ramifications of that lesson, which the innocent Damian must learn. For the adults in the crowd, Boyle also uses the film as a chance to weave in some biting satire of the church. Read my original review to find out more about this rare family film that deals with issues of right and wrong and still attains an honest portrayal of the way the world really works.

The closing film this week is WHALE RIDER. This amazing film from New Zealand is set in the Maori community and follows the story of Paikea, who is the only child of the chief's oldest son. Because Paikea is a girl, her grandfather Koro is torn between his desire for a male heir and his love for his grandchild. Oscar-nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes gives one of the best adolescent performances of all time as Paikea. Filled with well-drawn characters, this film lives in the real world struggles of an ancient people that are striving to keep their identity in the modern world, but also attains an otherworldly quality that brings an unexpected, but powerful, magic to the conclusion. Children and adults will be taken in by the world of this film as well as the characters' efforts to find their place in life. The story is deep and layered, but relatable to all ages. Anyone can connect to the desire of wanting to be loved. Please check out my original review to discover more about why I love this film. It's a masterpiece.

Well, there you have it — five great films that the whole family can enjoy. They're well told tales as well as greatly entertaining. So it's time to either head to the rental store, check out Zap2It.com for your local TV listings or pull out a copy from your DVD library.

Rick DeMott's picture

Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks