ISO:feel-good movies for early elementary school age (rentable)

[JustMe]

Dd is extremely sensitive. She will not watch "sad movies". Thiis her own assertion, but I am not going to force her to watch a movie she does not want to watch either. We like to rent movies from our library, and would love some new ideas. I don't allow violent movies and we do not do Disney princess movies.

She did like Chrissa Stands Strong (an american girl movie), but the other american girl movies I have heard about seem a little more intense...but if anyone knows of any that aren't that would be great. Thanks!

[kedss]

Mary Poppins?

[Green_Tea]

My girls (almost 9 and 7) really liked the Felicity, Samantha and Kit Kittredge movies. They loved The Parent Trap (the new one) but there are a few references to alcohol (very mild IMO, but might raise a few eyebrows by BBB standards - they go right over my kids' heads.) Both my girls LOVE old episodes of the Brady Bunch and Full House - not movies, but still fun.

[DietCokeLover]

Cool Runnings (about Jamaican bobsled team)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Apple Dumpling Gang
Milo and Otis
Pipi Longstocking

[hillview]

both curious george movies are very tame and sweet

[rin]

The Sound of Music?
The Incredible Journey

[tamie]

We loved Ramona and Beezus.

[MommyofAmaya]

Ponyo and My Neighbor Totoro are favorites of my very sensitive kids.

[Twoboos]

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang


Just wanted to say the Child Catcher guy freaks my kids out, even though they claim to love CCBB. When they watch it they are afraid to fall asleep for a few nights.

DDs LOVE the Kit Kittridge movie, but I don't know if some of the themes might be too intense - the Depression, stealing, etc..

Milo & Otis is really cute. We also love Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. You could start TSoM with the scenes from them learning to sing through the intermission, it's all pretty mild/fun I think. DDs thought those scenes were the entire movie for a long time! :ROTFLMAO:

[oneplustwo]

If your DD is very sensitive, she might be a bit put off by some parts of Sound of Music with the Nazis, but otherwise I'd recommend it as well. My kids love Milo & Otis, but the protagonists do face some danger along the way.

Some others you could look into:

Matilda
Annie (or other musicals ~ lots of fun, tame ones out there)
Charlotte’s Web (the 2006 one)
Singin’ in the Rain
The Swan Princess – a non-Disney, non Warner Brothers animated movie
My Neighbor Totoro
Fly Away Home
Heidi (1993 version)

[ett]

Ponyo and My Neighbor Totoro are favorites of my very sensitive kids.

Kiki's Delivery Service from the same director is very tame too.

[speo]

Ponyo and My Neighbor Totoro are favorites of my very sensitive kids.

My kids were disturbed by both of these. In Ponyo, the crazy waves and flooding bothered them. They were worried about the mom driving during the storm. And with Totoro they were bothered by the mom being sick in the hospital. My kids must be extra sensitive?

How about Winnie the Pooh?

ETA: I always wonder why the movies aren't nicer for little kids.

[JustMe]

Thanks everyone! I will look into these, there are some great suggestions here.

To the poster right above me, yes, my dd too was bothered by My Neighbor Totero, both the mom being sick and the part where she can't find her sister (don't remember the exact details).

Also, thanks to the person who mentioned the Nazis being mentioned in the Sound of Music. For some reason, I never liked the Sound of Music myself and never watched much of it, don't know exactly what is portrayed in the movie...but dd is definitely not ready to be introduced to that info...as much as I know she will need to be soon (we are Jewish).

[mikeys_mom]

Ds is 7 and he is also very sensitive. He won't watch anything sad or scary. There are actually very few movies that we have found to be appropriate for him. He really likes Muppets take Manhattan. It's not really feel-good, just funny.

I think Sound of Music is too scary for a sensitive child. Maybe because DS knows about the Nazis and the Holocaust because we are Jewish and his great-grandmother is a survivor, but I think that part of the movie would really frighten him.

[mom_hanna]

Free Willy
Because of Winn Dixie - one of our favorites in this house!
Benji
Air Bud
Pippi Longstocking