1. the Muppet Movie (1979)

G, 95 Mins. , Directed by James Frawley

G, 81 Mins. , Directed by John Lasseter

3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)

Unrated, 26 Mins. , Directed by Chuck Jones

G, 89 Mins. , Directed by Chris Noonan

5. Mary Poppins (1964)

G, 139 Mins. , Directed by Robert Stevenson

6. Beauty and the Beast (1991)

G, 90 Mins. , Directed by Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise

7. the Little Mermaid (1989)

G, 83 Mins. , Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker

8. Finding Nemo (2003)

G, 100 Mins. , Directed by Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich

9. the Red Balloon (1956)

Unrated, 34 Mins. , Directed by Albert Lamorisse

G, 88 Mins. , Directed by Ben Sharpsteen and Hamilton Luske, Et Al.

G, 128 Mins. , Directed by John Huston

Unrated, 68 Mins. , Directed by Charlie Chaplin

G, 97 Mins. , Directed by Andrew Stanton

14. the Sound of Music (1965)

G, 174 Mins. , Directed by Robert Wise

15. the Lion King (1994)

G, 88 Mins. , Directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff

16. the Wizard of Oz (1939)

Pg, 101 Mins. , Directed by Victor Fleming

17. Singin' in the Rain (1952)

G, 103 Mins. , Directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly

18. Miracle on 34Th Street (1947)

Unrated, 96 Mins. , Directed by George Seaton

19. the Iron Giant (1999)

Pg, 86 Mins. , Directed by Brad Bird

20. E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Pg, 114 Mins. , Directed by Steven Spielberg

Pg, 97 Mins. , Directed by Jon Favreau

22. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

Pg, 98 Mins. , Directed by Dean Deblois and Chris Sanders

Pg, 121 Mins. , Directed by George Lucas

24. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Pg, 152 Mins. , Directed by Chris Columbus

25. Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985)

Pg, 90 Mins. , Directed by Tim Burton

26. March of the Penguins (2005)

G, 86 Mins. , Directed by Luc Jacquet

27. Home Alone (1990)

Pg, 103 Mins. , Directed by Chris Columbus

28. the Black Stallion (1979)

G, 118 Mins. , Directed by Carroll Ballard

29. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

G, 100 Mins. , Directed by Mel Stuart

30. Yellow Submarine (1968)

G, 90 Mins. , Directed by George Dunning

31. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Pg, 104 Mins. , Directed by Robert Zemeckis

32. the Incredibles (2004)

Pg, 115 Mins. , Directed by Brad Bird

33. the Lego Movie (2014)

Pg, 101 Mins. , Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller

34. the Princess Bride (1987)

Pg, 98 Mins. , Directed by Rob Reiner

35. the Goonies (1985)

Pg, 114 Mins. , Directed by Richard Donner

36. a Christmas Story (1983)

Pg, 94 Mins. , Directed by Bob Clark

37. West Side Story (1961)

Unrated, 152 Mins. , Directed by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise

38. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Unrated, 130 Mins. , Directed by Frank Capra

Unrated, 68 Mins. , Directed by Leo Mccarey

40. Back to the Future (1985)

Pg, 116 Mins. , Directed by Robert Zemeckis

41. Young Frankenstein (1974)

Pg, 105 Mins. , Directed by Mel Brooks

42. Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Pg-13, 105 Mins. , Directed by Tim Burton

43. Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Pg-13, 178 Mins. , Directed by Peter Jackson

44. the Karate Kid (1984)

Pg, 127 Mins. , Directed by John G. Avildsen

45. Stand by Me (1986)

R, 89 Min. , Directed by Rob Reiner

46. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Pg, 87 Mins. , Directed by Wes Anderson

Pg, 104 Min. , Directed by Penny Marshall

48. Some Like It Hot (1959)

Unrated, 121 Mins. , Directed by Billy Wilder

49. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Pg, 115 Mins. , Directed by Steven Spielberg

50. Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl(2003)

Pg-13, 143 Mins. , Directed by Gore Verbinski

51. the Avengers (2012)

Pg-13, 143 Mins. , Directed by Joss Whedon

The 55 Essential Movies Your Child Must See (Before Turning 13)

By David Miller

• Oct 8, 2026 • 39 min read

The 55 Essential Movies Your Child Must See (Before Turning 13)

Direct Answer • Key Takeaway

There Are People out There Who Have Never Seen the Princess Bride. They Walk Among Us, Holding Down Jobs, Contributing to Society, and Generally Living Happy, Semi-Fulfilled Lives. but Whisper a Perfectly-Timed "Mawage" in Their Direction During a Wedding, and the Resulting Blank Stare or Awkward Chuckle Will Expose an Inconceivable Pop-Cultural Blind Spot. Someone Failed Them When They Were Growing Up.

David Miller

Executive Financial & Market Analyst

David Miller brings 15 years of experience in global economics, personal finance strategy, and market dynamics. He specializes in turning complex economic trends into actionable insights for everyday readers.

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