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It’s about that time of year when our family is knee-deep in planning holiday visits. Who will host Thanksgiving? This year, the decision is coming down to the wire, and our group has a wide variety of perspectives on travel safety. We love each other, but – and I suspect this is true in most families – it certainly doesn’t stop us from bickering and backbiting. While issues like this might be a pain in the you-know-what, family is gold. Here are a few films that can help you remember the importance of family bonds.
“Coco” – My all-time favorite movie about family and suitable for every audience. Miguel Rivera (Anthony Gonzalez) is 12-year-old musician in a family that has outlawed music for generations. On Dia de los Muertos, a twist of fate delivers him to the Land of the Dead, where he must find a family member to bless his return to the land of the living. Gael Garcia Bernal voices Hector Rivera, who offers to be Miguel’s savvy guide through the back alleys of the vibrant, colorful world if Miguel will put up his photo in the living world – because even the deceased cannot live forever if there is no one to remember them.
“The Goonies” – Yes, I said it. While on its face “The Goonies” is a pint-size adventure film, there’s a ton of family warmth in this Steven Spielberg story. Mikey and Brand have a petty sibling rivalry that’s nothing compared with their brotherly protective instincts. The entire gang is on the adventure in the first place in order to save their homes and maintain their family connections. Even the loyalty of the Fratellis is a powerful family bond at work. And let’s not forget the final scene, where kids are reunited with loving parents on the beach.
“The Blind Side” – Sandra Bullock plays a Texas woman who opens her heart and her home to a homeless youth whose protective instincts are put to fantastic use on the football field. And while she and her children come from a place of privilege and wealth, they take this economically and socially disadvantaged boy in as one of their own to help him thrive – an admirable goal in any family relationship.
Scene from “Wonder” (Impuls Pictures AG photo)
“Wonder” – Auggie Pullman (Jacob Tremblay) has a cranial abnormality and is about to start fifth grade after having been homeschooled for most of his sheltered life by his parents Isabel (Julia Roberts) and Nate (Owen Wilson). Talk about anxiety! But this isn’t just Auggie’s story: It’s about kids figuring out how to treat their peers (and themselves); a sister struggling to be both supportive and seen; friendships and family; and ultimately, the power of kindness and the many forms of bravery.
“Stepmom” – Susan Sarandon plays a mother whose ex-husband (Ed Harris) decides to marry his much-younger girlfriend (Julia Roberts). The kids’ loyalty lies with Mom, but when she’s handed a cancer diagnosis, love opens everyone’s hearts.
© 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.
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