Best Family Movies of 1985

The visionary dreams of three curious and adventuresome young boys become an exciting reality in Explorers, the action-fantasy from director Joe Dante, who combines keen humor, warmth and fantasy with unexpected twists. In their makeshift laboratory, the boys use an amazing discovery and their ingenuity to build their own spaceship and launch themselves on a fantastic interplanetary journey.

Daryl is a normal 10-year-old boy in many ways. However, unbeknown to his foster parents and friends, Daryl is actually a government-created robot with superhuman reflexes and mental abilities. Even his name has a hidden meaning -- it's actually an acronym for Data Analyzing Robot Youth Life-form. When the organization that created him deems the "super soldier" experiment a failure and schedules Daryl to be disassembled, it is up to a few rogue scientists to help him escape.

The first half of this film, set hundreds of years ago, shows how the old man who eventually became Santa Claus was given immortality and chosen to deliver toys to all the children of the world. The second half moves into the modern era, in which Patch, the head elf, strikes out on his own and falls in with an evil toy manufacturer who wants to corner the market and eliminate Santa Claus.

A veritable time warp of famous faces -- including Sammy Davis Jr., Red Buttons, Roddy McDowall, Sally Struthers, Scott Baio and Ringo Starr -- takes over this updated musical version of Lewis Carroll's famed children's story. Conceived by the legendary Irwin Allen ("Lost in Space") as a vehicle for 9-year-old child star Natalie Gregory, who stars as Alice, the program originally aired as a two-part made-for-television movie.

Classic tale of a girl named Alice who follows a white rabbit down a hole into Wonderland, where she can change sizes by eating and drinking and animals talk. After escaping the disturbing Queen of Hearts, she finds that she has ended up on the other side of the looking glass in Looking Glass Land and a Jabberwocky after her.

Just Friends - A classic Australian children's telemovie about growing up, peer pressure, friendship and family. When Susan Foster moves to a new suburb she has difficulty fitting in. Susan's home life is uncomfortable with an unemployed father, a distant mother and an unexpectedly pregnant big sister. Susan seeks refuge at the local Roller Skate rink where she meets Buzz, the brash young gang leader and the best skater in town. Susan becomes part of Buzz's gang but is soon confronted with his selfish behaviour and cruel treatment of his friends. Susan must decide which is more important to her - fitting in or being fair. Just Friends is part of the Winners series of television programs created by the Australian Children's Television Foundation.

Charlie is a 16-year-old orphan struggling to raise her two younger brothers when she endeavors to train a wild horse she names Sylvester and turn him into an Olympic jumping champion.

A young British girl journeys to Paris to go to college, and is determined to find the man of her dreams and fall madly in love. However, things don't work out quite the way she planned.

In an English village, three youths see the spirit of a child who died in a 17th-century plague epidemic. They decide to learn about the town's history to find out how they can help set the child's ghost free.