A Glean movie guide
Beyond Animation: Live-Action Family Hits
Real actors, real magic.
Heartwarming adventures and classic comedies that prove you don't need cartoons for movie
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Paddington
A charming bear finds a home and a family in this modern masterpiece of kindness and humor.
A young Peruvian bear travels to London in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone at Paddington Station, he meets the kindly Brown family, who offer him a temporary haven.
- 02
The Princess Bride
A timeless fairy tale adventure filled with fencing, fighting, and true love.
In this enchantingly cracked fairy tale, the beautiful Princess Buttercup and the dashing Westley must overcome staggering odds to find happiness amid six-fingered swordsmen, murderous princes, Sicilians and rodents of unusual size. But even death can't stop these true lovebirds from triumphing.
- 03
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
A lonely boy befriends a gentle alien in Steven Spielberg’s iconic story of friendship.
An alien is left behind on Earth and saved by the 10-year-old Elliott who decides to keep him hidden in his home. While a task force hunts for the extra-terrestrial, Elliott, his brother, and his little sister Gertie form an emotional bond with their new friend, and try to help him find his way home.
- 04
Matilda
A gifted girl uses her extraordinary powers to stand up to her neglectful parents and a mean principal.
Matilda Wormwood is an exquisite and intelligent little girl. Unfortunately, her parents, Harry and Zinnia, don’t agree. As time passes, she finally starts school and has a kind teacher, loyal friends, and a sadistic headmistress. As she becomes fed up with the constant cruelty, she discovers she has a special gift that she just might be able to use to outwit the unruly adults around her.
- 05
Elf
A human raised as an elf brings pure holiday cheer to New York City while searching for his father.
When young Buddy falls into Santa's gift sack on Christmas Eve, he's transported back to the North Pole and raised as a toy-making elf by Santa's helpers. But as he grows into adulthood, he can't shake the nagging feeling that he doesn't belong. Buddy vows to visit Manhattan and find his real dad, a workaholic.
- 06
The Muppets
Kermit and the gang reunite for a joyful, song-filled mission to save their historic theater.
When Kermit the Frog and the Muppets learn that their beloved theater is slated for demolition, a sympathetic human, Gary, and his puppet brother, Walter, swoop in to help the gang put on a show and raise the $10 million they need to save the day.
- 07
Wonder
An inspiring and emotional journey of a boy with facial differences entering a mainstream school.
The story of August Pullman – a boy with facial differences – who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time.
- 08
The Parent Trap
Identical twins separated at birth hatch a clever plan to reunite their long-lost parents.
Hallie Parker and Annie James are identical twins who were separated at a young age due to their parents' divorce. Unbeknownst to their parents, the girls are sent to the same summer camp, where they meet, discover the truth about their relationship, and come up with a plan to switch places in an effort to reunite their mother and father.
- 09
Jumanji
A magical board game brings a dangerous jungle to life in this high-stakes family adventure.
When siblings Judy and Peter discover an enchanted board game that opens the door to a magical world, they unwittingly invite Alan -- an adult who's been trapped inside the game for 26 years -- into their living room. Alan's only hope for freedom is to finish the game, which proves risky as all three find themselves running from giant rhinoceroses, evil monkeys and other terrifying creatures.
- 10
The Sandlot
A nostalgic summer story about a group of young baseball players and their legendary neighborhood dog.
During a summer of friendship and adventure, one boy becomes a part of the gang, nine boys become a team and their leader becomes a legend by confronting the terrifying mystery beyond the right field wall.
- 11
Hugo
A young orphan living in a Paris train station discovers a magical connection to cinema history.
Orphaned and alone except for an uncle, Hugo Cabret lives in the walls of a train station in 1930s Paris. Hugo's job is to oil and maintain the station's clocks, but to him, his more important task is to protect a broken automaton and notebook left to him by his late father. Accompanied by the goddaughter of an embittered toy merchant, Hugo embarks on a quest to solve the mystery of the automaton and find a place he can call home.
- 12
Mary Poppins
A magical nanny uses music and whimsy to help a distant father reconnect with his children.
In turn of the century London, a magical nanny employs music and adventure to help two neglected children become closer to their father.