Best Family Movies of 1988

An orphaned brontosaurus named Littlefoot sets off in search of the legendary Great Valley. A land of lush vegetation where the dinosaurs can thrive and live in peace. Along the way he meets four other young dinosaurs, each one a different species, and they encounter several obstacles as they learn to work together in order to survive.

When a young boy makes a wish at a carnival machine to be big—he wakes up the following morning to find that it has been granted and his body has grown older overnight. But he is still the same 13-year-old boy inside. Now he must learn how to cope with the unfamiliar world of grown-ups including getting a job and having his first romantic encounter with a woman.

This animated take on Oliver Twist re-imagines Oliver as an adorable orphaned kitten who struggles to survive in New York City and falls in with a band of canine criminals led by an evil human. First, Oliver meets Dodger, a carefree mutt with street savoir faire. But when Oliver meets wealthy Jenny on one of the gang's thieving missions, his life changes forever.

An orphan bear cub hooks up with an adult male as they try to dodge human hunters.

An account of Baron Munchausen's supposed travels and fantastical experiences with his band of misfits.

'Pleasantly plump' teenager Tracy Turnblad achieves her dream of becoming a regular on the Corny Collins Dance Show. Now a teen hero, she starts using her fame to speak out for the causes she believes in, most of all integration. In doing so, she earns the wrath of the show's former star, Amber Von Tussle, as well as Amber's manipulative, pro-segregation parents. The rivalry comes to a head as Amber and Tracy vie for the title of Miss Auto Show 1963.

Babies are hardly monster-like, unless you're a toy. After escaping a drooling baby, Tinny realizes that he wants to be played with after all. But in the amount of time it takes him to discover this, the baby's attention moves on to other things only an infant could find interesting.

Teenager Les Anderson thinks his life can't get any worse after he flunks his driver's exam, but he's wrong. Even though he didn't receive his license, Les refuses to break his date with the cool Mercedes Lane, and he decides to lift his family's prize luxury car for the occasion. Unfortunately, Mercedes sneaks some booze along and passes out drunk, and a confused Les makes the bad decision of enlisting his rebellious friend, Dean, to help.

Scooby, Shaggy and Scrappy Doo are on their way to a Miss Grimwood's Finishing School for Girls, where they have been hired as gym teachers. Once there, however, they find that it is actually a school for girl ghouls.

Shaggy is turned into a werewolf, and it's up to Scooby, Scrappy and Shaggy's girlfriend to help him win a race against other monsters, and become human again.

Robot Johnny 5 moves to the city to help his friend Ben Jahrvi with his toy manufacturing enterprise, only to be manipulated by criminals who want to use him for their own nefarious purposes.

In this feature-length film combining footage from classic Warner Brothers cartoon shorts with newly animated bridging sequences, Daffy Duck, after having induced laughter in an ailing millionaire and forestalled the millionaire's death for a time (as chronicled in Daffy Dilly (1948), is the beneficiary for the deceased millionaire's assets. But the millionaire's will clearly stipulates that Daffy must use the money for the common good, by providing a service, and should Daffy think of pursuing selfish aims, the millionaire's ghost will "repossess" his millions by making them disappear from Earthly existence. Under the pretense of community service, Daffy opens an exorcism agency and employs Porky Pig, Sylvester Cat, and Bugs Bunny to track and eliminate ghosts, ghouls, and other monsters, while Daffy secretly schemes to use his learned "ghost-busting" talents to rid himself of the millionaire's nagging spirit.

When Santa Claus decides to retire and pass on his magic bag of Christmas surprises to a new Saint Nick, he enlists the aid of a hilarious assortment of characters. A perky teen runaway and hapless taxi driver Ernest P. Worrell must convince a skeptical kiddie-show host to take over the post of Father Christmas.

Impressed by the proud caterpillar's boast that she will turn into a butterfly when she grows up, a polliwog determines to watch the caterpillar very carefully and turn into a butterfly too.

Young high school couple Darcy Elliot and Stan Bobrucz are one year from graduation, with promising futures ahead of them. But their paths take a drastic turn when Darcy becomes pregnant. Unwilling to go through an abortion or an adoption — despite their parents' pleas — Darcy and Stan decide to sacrifice their college experiences and degrees in order to keep and raise the baby. After a quick marriage, the two realize it won't be as easy as they thought.

Pee-wee Herman and pals are celebrating Christmas in the Playhouse in their own creative ways: Pee-wee makes a list for Santa Claus 1 1/2 miles long, teaches Little Richard how to ice skate, goes for a sleigh ride with Magic Johnson, commands Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello to make Christmas cards, receives a long phone call from Dinah Shore, even has more musical fun with k.d. lang, the Del Rubio Triplettes and Charo! Finally, Big Red arrives and announces that Pee-wee's Christmas list was so big, he didn't have enough presents for all the children of the world. Will Pee-wee follow his own advice and help others?

In the magical land of Narnia, it is always winter but never Christmas due to the tyrannical rule of the White Witch. The Witch fears a prophecy which states that two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve will be crowned kings and queens of Narnia, which will not only mean the end of her reign but of her life. When she learns that the four Pevensie children have arrived in Narnia, she will stop at nothing to prevent them from fulfilling this prophecy. However, the Great Lion, Aslan, is on the move to help the four children to save Narnia.

An animated film starring Clifford, the Big Red Dog. He and his pal, Emily Elizabeth, want to go to the circus but they have no money for tickets. They decide to earn money by opening a message service, but finding all the letters and spelling all the messages can be tricky. This program is designed to provide a child with some of the essential tools for learning to read.

Four kids travel to the magical land of Narnia where they must battle an evil queen with the direction of the Lion, Aslan.

Mickey's Magical World is a 1988 home video compilation from Walt Disney Home Video, originally released on May 31, 1988, as released as part of the Walt Disney Mini-Classics series, in honor to celebrate Mickey Mouse's 60th anniversary. Jiminy Cricket hosted this show with clips from the following classic Disney cartoon shorts: Thru the Mirror (1936) The Worm Turns (1937) Lonesome Ghosts (1937) The Band Concert (1935) Gulliver Mickey (1934) (colorized version) Magician Mickey (1937) The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1940) (from Fantasia) In between the cartoon short clips featuring Mickey Mouse, clips from This is Your Life, Donald Duck, Pinocchio, Orphan's Benefit, The Mickey Mouse Club and From All of Us to All of You are also used.

After a few years trying to earn money to marry Jessica Harrison, Jim Craig returns to Snowy River. But he finds that a lot of things have changed.

It's prom night and the kids of Hoover High will be having a night they will never forget. Popular girl Shelley ditches her prom and ends up spending the night with unpopular Dan; Popular guy Kevin goes out with nerdy Angela because he heard she was easy; Patrice continues to blame her boyfriend Roger for everything that doesn't go the way she wants it to.

Hansel and Gretel tells the tale of two young children driven from home by their scolding mother. Losing their way in the dark forest they stumble upon the cottage of a kindly old woman. But is this kindly old woman everything she seems...?

Four kids travel to the magical land of Narnia where they must battle an evil queen with the direction of the lion, Aslan.

A man's family comes for his 77th birthday and while he loves all of his children and their children, he and his children don't exactly connect. However, he connects with his grandchildren. And he tells them what he wants for his birthday and they do what they can to give it to him.

Tony Roper wrote 'The Steamie' for Glasgow's Mayfest in 1987. Return to Hogmany 1957 when a fiesty group of Glasgow women; Mrs Culfeathers, Dolly, Doreen and the irrepressible Magrit, all meet at The Steamie to do the traditional family wash before the New Year. The Steamie is a hilarious cameo of Glasgow's social history where the washing was always easier to do when the Women shared their laugher and sorrow and a scandalous supply of gossip. This is the definitive version of the most popular play of the last 20 years with the all star cast of Dorothy Paul as Magrit, Eileen McCallum as Dolly, Kate Murphy as Doreen, Sheila McDonald as Mrs Culfeathers and a very young Peter Mullan as Andy, the whisky loving handy man.

When the joker Tommy Tricker plays some practical jokes on some of his friends, his best friend Ralph, a stamp collector, discovers the secret of "stamp travel" to make him travel around the world on a stamp to bring back the mysterious Charles Merriweather, who never returned on a stamp for 75 years.

While visiting Japan, Big Bird wanders off from a guided tour bus in Tokyo, and is lost until a Japanese woman helps him get to where he needs to go. The woman, however, is hiding a secret.

Paul Reubens stars as Pee-wee Herman in his second full-length film about a farmer who joins the circus after a storm drops a big tent in his front yard. Pee-wee, along with an outlandish cast of animals and circus performers, puts on the best show ever.

A young deaf boy who calls himself "Captain Johnno" befriends Tony, an Italian fisherman in the small Australian fishing town they live in. Both feel outcast by the town and both share a great love of the sea. When Johnno's beloved sister leaves to go to boarding school, he is so upset he runs away to an island hiding place, causing much distress in the town. His friend Tony helps him understand how much he is loved and missed by the townsfolk and his family.

It's the happiest time of the year! And the season of Santa, reindeer and gift-wrapped surprises will be even jollier with this joyful volume of DISNEY'S SING-ALONG SONGS: VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS SONGS. Gather up the family and enjoy a fun-filled collection of the most beloved Christmas songs and carols, accompanied by a wonderland of wintry holiday scenes! It's a kaleidoscope of sights and sounds that is sure to make everyone's holiday very, very merry! Voices ready? Let's all sing!

After her father's ship is carried off by a sudden storm, the spunky Pippi Longstocking is stranded with her horse, Alfonso,and her pet monkey, Mr. Neilson, and takes up residence in the old family home, which is thought by neighborhood children to be haunted. Soon, two children, Tommy and his sister Anika, venture into the house only to meet up with Pippi. The three soon become friends and get into various adventures together, including cleaning the floor with scrubbing shoes, dodging the "splunks", going down a waterfall in barrels, and helping Pippi with the problem of having to go to an orphanage. Older children will probably get the most out of this movie.

Almost 20 years after the start of the original "Brady Bunch" the kids are grown up and have kids of their own. Everyone is having a wonderful time back at the family house for Christmas, until Mike learns of a structural problem in one of the buildings he designed. As he is inspecting the problem, the building collapses, trapping him inside. As the whole family waits by the pile of rubble, they fear the worst. Will Dad be all right?

Fifteen-year-old Chris Mills isn't too happy with his divorcing parents. In fact, he doesn't want them to split at all, so he hires car repair shop owner -- and former attorney -- Archie Corelli to run interference for him and put a stop to the proceedings. It's a match made in heaven because Chris and Archie both have a deep desire to see the right thing done.

From Jean Shepherd (A Christmas Story) comes the story of 14 year old Ralphie's first job, and the family vacation the family is planning to a rustic fishing cabin on Lake Michigan. Originally made for the Disney Channel, this film is a delightful family comedy.

The animated adaption of the second stage musical based on the "Peanuts" comics strip, focusing on Snoopy.

This film combines live action/original animation and library animation. Mickey steals a magic hat from a Sorcerer and is put under a spell by the angry magi so that no one will recognize him until he finds his own magic within. While Mickey is on his quest, network news teams around the country desperately try to find the famous, beloved mouse who has mysteriously disappeared. On his quest, Mickey goes into the "Cheers" bar, meets up with the characters from "Family Ties", and winds up on Disneyland's Main Street the night before his Birthday celebration is to take place. It is there that he finds he has all the magic inside him that he will ever need. The spell is broken and the Birthday bash commences as the whole World celebrates the beloved Mickey Mouse.

The movie compiled from the Swedish TV series "Dårfinkar & dönickar" aired in 1988

It's Christmas Eve and all of Santa's helpers are busy packing the sleigh... all except one unnamed elf who is too young and too clumsy to help. But in a dream come true he is riding with Santa helping deliver the toys and making a sacrifice which earns him his name "Bluetoes."

One plotting politician, Sir Daniel Brackley, is using the royal unrest to his advantage and unwittingly giving rise to the arrival of a medieval hero, Black Arrow, whose steel cross bow and stout heart are pitted against the kingdom's villains. Black Arrow is saving one final arrow for the assassin who murdered his good friend, Harry Shelton, and left young Richard Shelton fatherless. Join the exciting adventures of Richard Shelton and the mysterious Black Arrow, brought together through turmoil and tragedy to begin the adventure of a lifetime.

A cat belonging to a poor miller's son thinks up a great plan for bringing a title, wealth, and marriage for his owner. He begins to carry it out, using a few birds and rabbits as gifts for the king, his own wit, and a pair of boots that make him appear human when he puts them on. However, his owner has no idea that the cat has told everyone that his master is a marquis rather than a miller's son until the king has arrived to meet him. Soon the king's daughter and the miller's son fall in love, and the king wants very much to see the land and the castle belonging to this rich "marquis."

Lester and Humphrey are the Royal Jester and Doctor, respectively, in a Kingdom terrorized by a mysterious giant whose presence is known only by his horrible voice and giant shadow. The giant takes the crown jewels which permit the Evil Prince Malokeo to convince the King to let him marry Princess Marigold. Marigold, horrified at the prospect and in love with Prince Daryl, turns to her friends Lester and Humphrey for help.

In this CBS animated miniseries of eight episodes, the Peanuts gang (created by Charles M. Schulz) visit important events in United States history.

The fate of a young Australian boy is somehow linked with that of a young Roman boy who had traveled to Australia by ship during the time of the Roman Emperor, Nero.

English Lord Phileas Fogg has just become the main suspect in a daring bank robbery. Meanwhile, he has made a wager with several other lords that he will be able to travel around this world in a mere 80 days. Joined by his butler Passepartout, Fogg begins his journey. However, hot on his heels is Scotland Yard detective Mr. Fix.

The stars come out on Sesame Street in this fun-filled video featuring the show's most memorable moments. Sing-along in this star-studded celebration!

When Sammy Dean and her older brother Andy are suddenly orphaned, they fear that they will be separated and placed in foster homes. So they set off along on foot, hoping to reach a ship that will take them to England and their only surviving relatives. The two young runaways must make their dangerous journey through some of the world’s harshest terrain-the wilds of the Australian outback.

A Mysterious Alien Creature (MAC) escaping from nefarious NASA agents, is befriended by a young boy in a wheelchair. Together, they try to find MAC's family from whom he has been separated.

An animated version, starring the Care Bears, of the fairy tale that inspired the famous ballet.