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Shummy's Top Family Movies to Watch 300 Times

Trying to find a movie your kids will love and that you won't sick of the 12th time around?

Alex Shumway, Neighbor
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As I was making dinner this week, I found myself humming a familiar song. Before I knew it, Georgia had joined in and as Quinn came around the corner, he recognized the tune and squealed “TAN-GOOLED!”

It’s come to this, folks. In my regular life, I now sing Disney movie songs. And you know what’s crazy? Some of them are really good. ESPECIALLY the ones from “Tangled.”

It occurred to me that perhaps it was time to begin the “Tireless Mom Movie Gems” to help those harried parents like myself know which flicks are able to both silence your little angel for a few moments of homestead peace AND keep your sanity by the 47th viewing. In a single day. Before noon.

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I give you Shummy’s Top 3 Family Friendly Flicks Sure to Keep Toddlers Quiet and Parents Laughing:

  1. Tangled – This modern spin on Rapunzel is the movie of the month here at Chez Shumway. I’ve probably seen it about 25 times since we bought it and it still makes me smile. The first few times, I’ll admit, I cried during the lantern scene (anyone who’s seen it knows what I mean and if you say you didn’t cry too then you’re either dead inside or lying through your teeth). It’s funny, beautiful to watch and if you want the truth, you’ll have a little crush on both Rapunzel and Flynn Rider by the end of it. As for the kids, they’ll laugh and dance around the room and the older ones will appreciate all of the tongue in cheek humor. We here at Shumway Cinemas give it FIVE POPCORNS UP.

  • Cars – I kid you not, I must have watched this movie at least 300 times. It was a favorite of Ben’s when he was 6 and consequently, some of Georgia’s first words were “Lightning McQueen” and “Wee-jee” (referring to “Luigi,” the wisecracking Italian Fiat). It has it all – fast cars for little boys, an automobile romance for the more sensitive viewers (come on, you ALL rooted for Sally and Lightning McQueen to cruise down the aisle) and big names voicing the characters. Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, Paul Newman, Jeremy Piven as a sleezy agent and even George Carlin? Priceless! We can’t wait until Quinn gets old enough to appreciate it. Hopefully before we start to tire of “Tangled.” FIVE POPCORNS UP.

  • Finding Nemo – This gem was watched so often that I think the disc may have actually disintegrated. Either that or we left it in the DVD player of a Cape rental back in 2007. Whatever happened, I miss Nemo. It took me years of seeing Ellen DeGeneres on TV before I could stop picturing her as a Regal Tang Fish named Dory. To this day, my husband and I still quote Bruce the Shark (“Fish are friends, NOT FOOD”). Although a somewhat violent first scene where Marlin’s wife Coral is eaten by a barracuda (which explains his overprotective parenting towards Nemo), my children shrugged it off and waited for the beautiful underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef and the crazy thrill ride with Crush the Sea Turtle. FOUR POPCORNS UP (Quinn will have to wait for us to replace the lost DVD before he can weigh in).

    • If you have a toddler in your house and haven’t shared these movies with them then run – do not walk – to , as they are liquidating all of their DVDs and you can probably pick one up for a song. Even after having watched them about 200 times, these here are still funny. And as a leading man once so aptly put it: “I know funny. I'm a clownfish!”

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