Best Family Movies of 1996
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
At the urging of his gargoyle pals, Quasimodo leaves the solitary safety of his Notre Dame tower against the wishes of his guardian, the evil Judge Claude Frollo. He ventures out to the Festival of Fools and finds his first true friend, a Romani woman named Esmeralda, who entrusts him with a secret. When the secret is revealed, Quasi soon finds himself fighting to save the people and city he loves.
Matilda
An extraordinarily intelligent young girl from a cruel and uncaring family discovers she possesses telekinetic powers and is sent off to a school headed by a tyrannical principal.
Space Jam
Jokes fly as the Tune Squad takes on the Nerdlucks in a hardcourt game to decide if the Looney Tunes remain here... or become attractions at a far-off galactic off-ramp called Moron Mountain. The Nerdlucks have a monstrous secret weapon: they've stolen the skills of top NBA stars like Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing and become Monstars. But that's not all, folks. The Tune Squad’s secret weapon just happens to be the finest player in this or any other universe. He's outta this world. So's the fun.
James and the Giant Peach
When the young orphan boy James spills a magic bag of crocodile tongues, he finds himself in possession of a giant peach that flies him away to strange lands.
Aladdin and the King of Thieves
Legendary secrets are revealed as Aladdin and his friends—Jasmine, Abu, Carpet and, of course, the always entertaining Genie—face all sorts of terrifying threats and make some exciting last-minute escapes pursuing the King Of Thieves and his villainous crew.
Fly Away Home
Amy is only 13 years old when her mother is killed. She goes to Canada to live with her father, an eccentric inventor whom she barely knows. Amy is miserable in her new life... until she discovers a nest of goose eggs that were abandoned when a local forest is torn down. The eggs hatch and Amy becomes "Mama Goose". When Winter comes, Amy, and her dad must find a way to lead the birds South...
Muppet Treasure Island
After telling the story of Flint's last journey to young Jim Hawkins, Billy Bones has a heart attack and dies just as Jim and his friends are attacked by pirates. The gang escapes into the town where they hire out a boat and crew to find the hidden treasure, which was revealed by Bones before he died. On their voyage across the seas, they soon find out that not everyone on board can be trusted.
101 Dalmatians
An evil, high-fashion designer plots to steal Dalmatian puppies in order to make an extravagant fur coat, but instead creates an extravagant mess.
Jingle All the Way
Howard Langston, a salesman for a mattress company, is constantly kept busy at his job, disappointing his son. After he misses his son's karate exposition, Howard vows to make it up to him by buying an action figure of his son's favorite television hero for Christmas. Unfortunately for Howard, it is Christmas Eve, and every store is sold out of Turbo Man. Now, Howard must travel all over town and compete with everybody else to find a Turbo Man action figure.
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco
When the pets accidentally get separated from their vacationing owners, Chance, Shadow, and Sassy navigate the mean streets of San Francisco, trying to find their home across the Golden Gate Bridge. But the road is blocked by a series of hazards, both man and beast.
Jack
Jack Powell suffers from an affliction that makes him grow four times faster than normal, so the 10-year-old looks like a 40-year-old man. After years of being tutored at home, Jack convinces his overprotective parents to send him to public school. The children don't know what to make of Jack, but with the help of his fifth-grade teacher, he makes an effort to win them over.
Sgt. Bilko
The army is known for churning out lean mean fighting machines intent on protecting our great nation. Sergeant Ernie Bilko is the leader of a ragtag group of the sorriest soldiers ever to enlist in the armed forces.
Harriet the Spy
When the secret notebook of a young girl who fancies herself a spy is found by her friends, her speculations make her very unpopular! Can she win her friends back?
A Very Brady Sequel
A man claiming to be Carol Brady's long-lost first husband, Roy Martin, shows up at the suburban Brady residence one evening. An impostor, the man is actually determined to steal the Bradys' familiar horse statue, a $20-million ancient Asian artifact.
The Preacher's Wife
Good natured Reverend Henry Biggs finds that his marriage to choir mistress Julia is flagging, due to his constant absence caring for the deprived neighborhood they live in. On top of all this, his church is coming under threat from property developer Joe Hamilton. In desperation, Rev. Biggs prays to God for help - and help arrives in the form of an angel named Dudley.
D3: The Mighty Ducks
The Ducks are offered scholarships at Eden Hall Academy but struggle with their new coach's methods and come under pressure from the board to retain their scholarships before their big game against the Varsity team.

Wish Upon a Star
Seventeen-year-old Alexia Wheaton hasn't been herself lately. Neighter has her 15-year-old sister Hayley. In fact they've been each other. Alexia becomes fashion-challenged Hayley and she in turn becomes styling Alexia and the complications come fast furious and funny.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
A girl, sent by her parents to live with her two eccentric aunts, finds out on her sixteenth birthday that she is a witch.
Flipper
Sandy Ricks is sent by his mom to Coral Key, a rustic island in the Florida keys, to spend the summer with his uncle Porter Ricks. Sandy dislikes everything about his new environment until a new friend comes into his life, a dolphin named Flipper, that brings uncle and nephew together and leads Sandy on the summer adventure of a lifetime.
First Kid
Some say that to be the leader of a country is one of the loneliest jobs in the world. But being the child of a world leader can be doubly so. Constantly surrounded by security officers, restricted in movements and having almost every waking moment carefully monitored makes normalcy an impossibility. No one knows this better than young Luke Davenport, the son of U.S. President Davenport. He vents his loneliness, frustration and feelings of isolation from family and friends by being a brat to his private Secret Service agent. When the agent snaps from the strain in front of the First Lady, a new agent is assigned to Luke. He turns out to be the enormous Sam Simms, a bit of a rogue who managed to rise through the ranks by sheer determination rather than strict adherence to Secret-Service protocol. At first, Luke tries all his old tricks upon Sam. But instead of getting angry, Sam seems to actually understand.
Superman: The Last Son of Krypton
Clark Kent, the last survivor of the dead planet Krypton, uses his amazing powers to defend people of his adopted world, Earth, and become Superman.
Dunston Checks In
Hotel manager Robert Grant is forced by his boss to postpone his family vacation when a hotel critic checks in. Trouble is, the critic is really a villainous jewel thief with an orangutan assistant named Dunston. When Dunston gets loose and tries to escape a life of crime -- aided by Robert's sons -- havoc, hijinks and lots of laughs abound!
Alaska
Jake Barnes and his two kids, Sean and Jessie, have moved to Alaska after his wife died. He is a former airline pilot now delivering toilet paper across the mountains. During an emergency delivery in a storm his plane goes down somewhere in the mountains. Annoyed that the authorities aren't doing enough, Jessie and Sean set out on an adventure to find their father with the help of a polar bear which they have saved from a ferocious poacher. Conflict ensues.
The Land Before Time IV: Journey Through the Mists
Littlefoot and his dinosaur pals go in search of a medicinal flower that will cure his ailing grandfather.

Goosebumps: The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight
There something funny about Jodie and Mark's grandparents' farm, but nobody's laughing, especially when twelve strange new scarecrows scare more than just the crows! Don't Go To Sleep: Matt Amsterdam wishes his family were different - until he wakes up from a nap in the attic to find that things are suddenly very different. Calling All Creeps: Ricky Beamer hopes for revenge when he puts a mean girl's phone number in a personal ad. But when he starts getting scary midnight calls, he's the one getting the creeps!
All Dogs Go to Heaven 2
Charlie and Itchy return to Earth to find Gabriel's Horn, but along the way meet up with a young boy named David, who ran away from home.

Goosebumps: Night of the Living Dummy II
Amy thinks her father has bought her the perfect gift: a new ventriloquist's dummy. However, it soon becomes apparent that there is more to this dummy than meets the eye.
Gulliver's Travels
Gulliver washes ashore on Lilliput and attempts to prevent war between that tiny kingdom and its equally-miniscule rival, Blefiscu, as well as smooth the way for the romance between the Princess and Prince of the opposing lands. In this he is alternately aided and hampered by the Lilliputian town crier and general fussbudget, Gabby.
Larger Than Life
Motivational Speaker Jack Corcoran is determined to get his career off the ground, but the biggest gigs he can get are the ones nobody wants. Then one day, he receives a telegram that his circus clown father has passed away, and has left a "huge" inheritance. When he gets there, he finds that his inheritance has come in the form of an elephant that was his father's pride and joy in circus acts. His main intention is to sell the pachyderm off. Jack must choose between loud and rude zookeeper Mo or attractive animal show owner Terry. As the two treks through the country Jack and the elephant develop a bond, and it changes his approach on life for the better.

Goosebumps: Say Cheese and Die
Greg and his friends break into an old warehouse, where they find an unusual camera. However, the photographs Greg takes with it seem to predict disaster, and he becomes convinced the camera is cursed.
The Paper Brigade
A 14 year old boy named Gunther moves to a small town with his parents and little brother. He meets up with a group of overly charitable paper boys who want him to sub for their friend while he's out of town. Gunther agrees so he can get enough money for concert tickets to take his blonde and beautiful crush too, all the while dealing with Chad, her wannabe boyfriend and his bully friends. All in all, Gunther learns to respect himself and other people and to have fun during it all.
Susie Q
The ghost of a girl who died in 1955 appears to a troubled teen living in her old house.
Bogus
Recently orphaned, a young boy is taken in by his godmother who is shocked to realize that she can see the boy's imaginary friend: a flamboyant, French magician named Bogus.

Goosebumps: Monster Blood
Evan's visit to his great aunt Katherine's house turns eventful when he finds a jar marked "Monster Blood". He and his new friend, Andy, decide to try it out, but are horrified to find that it is growing.
A Halloween Hassle at Dracula's Castle
While shopping at an old costume shop, the gang wins a trip to a creepy old castle.
House Arrest
High-schooler Grover Beindorf and his younger sister Stacy decide that their parents, Janet and Ned, are acting childishly when they decide to divorce after 18 years of marriage, so they lock them up in the basement until they'll sort out their problems.

Goosebumps: The Headless Ghost
Best friends Duane and Stephanie regularly attend the tour of Hill House, a local haunted house, pulling pranks on unsuspecting visitors. However, when they decide to look for the head of a ghost, they get more than they bargained for.

Goosebumps: Ghost Beach
While visiting their elderly cousins in a remote coastal town, brother and sister Jerry and Terri are told about an apparently haunted cave by two mysterious teenagers. However, when they explore the cave, the mystery deepens.

Goosebumps: Attack of the Mutant
While on his way to an orthodontist appointment, comic book enthusiast Skipper spots a building which resembles his favorite villain's headquarters. However, when he and new friend, Libby, venture inside, they have no idea what awaits them.

A Rugrats Chanukah
The story of the Jewish holiday Chanukah through the eyes of the Rugrats, who imagine themselves as the main characters. Meanwhile, Grandpa Boris and his long-time rival, Shlomo, feud over who will play the lead in the local synagogue's Chanukah play.
The Evening Star
Continuing the story of Aurora Greenway in her latter years. After the death of her daughter, Aurora struggled to keep her family together, but has one grandson in jail, a rebellious granddaughter, and another grandson living just above the poverty line.

Christmas Every Day
Billy Jackson is not having a good Christmas. He got a basketball for Christmas and just cannot make a jump shot. His Uncle David is coming to town to open a Valu-Mall, which will put his Dad's store out of business. When he tells his little sister Sarah that there is no Santa she makes a wish that it would be Christmas every day. Billy now has to relive Christmas Day over and over again.

Dying to Be Perfect: The Ellen Hart Pena Story
Story about a runner whose bulimia and anorexia threatens both her dream of competing in the Olympics and her marriage to Denver's mayor.
The Adventures of Pinocchio
One of puppet-maker Geppetto's creations comes magically to life. This puppet, Pinocchio, has one major desire and that is to become a real boy someday. In order to accomplish this goal he has to learn to act responsibly. This film shows you the adventures on which he learns valuable lessons.

Gargoyles: The Heroes Awaken
After a magic spell in 10th century Scotland turns them to stone, a group of gargoyles that turn to flesh and blood when the sun goes down are resurrected by an opportunistic billionaire with sinister intentions.
The Canterville Ghost
When a teenaged girl moves to England, with her brothers and parents into the ancient Canterville Hall, she's not at all happy. Especially as there's a ghost and a mysterious re-appearing bloodstain on the hearth. She campaigns to go back home, and her dad, believing the ghost's pranks are Ginny's, is ready to send her back. But then Ginny actually meets the elusive 17th-century Sir Simon de Canterville (not to mention the cute teenaged duke next door), and she sets her hand to the task of freeing Sir Simon from his curse.

Goosebumps: It Came from Beneath the Kitchen Sink
When her family moves into a new house, Kat finds a sponge which appears to be alive, but no-one will believe her. After the discovery, the family is besieged by bad luck, and Kat is convinced the sponge is behind it.
My Friend Joe
During the course of one summer, a young Irish lad named Chris befriends an American boy named Joe. The two couldn't be more different, yet they become inseparable. Things turn horribly wrong however, when Chris discovers his new best friend isn't a he, but a she. The sadness only begins as Chris learns why Joe's gender must be kept a secret.
Shiloh
An abused beagle runs away from his owner. On the road, he meets young Marty Preston and follows him home. The boy immediately forms a bond with the dog and names him Shiloh. His stern father won't let him keep the dog because it belongs to Judd Travers, a local hunter. After Shiloh is mistreated again, he runs away and returns to Marty. Knowing his father will once again make him bring Shiloh back to Judd, he makes a home for the dog in an old shed up the hill from the Prestons' house and hides him from his family. His secret is soon discovered when a stray attacks the dog one night and he must turn to his father for help.

The Making of ‘E.T. The Extraterrestrial’: A Look Back
A behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of Steven Spielberg's 1982 film "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.'
Also check Best family movies of 1997.
Check out our top containing the Best Family Movies of 1996 - PickTheMovie.com. This top was obtained with our unique algorithm ordered by our unique ranking system.
