When it’s cold outside, there’s nothing I’d rather do than stay home and watch movies with my family. Sure, going to the theater is fun, but home has a lot of advantages, like bottomless popcorn, free tickets, and a decent chance that someone will get scared and climb onto my lap (I’m a glutton for snuggling).
Plus, I love the way a great movie brings us together as a family. When the kids are watching their shows, it’s too easy for me to wander away and start doing chores or check email. But if we’re making time for a feature film — especially one I’m excited to share with them for the first time — I’m not going anywhere. I wouldn’t want to miss the looks on their faces! So we dim the lights, fire up the hot cocoa, and enjoy two stress-free hours on the couch.
Looking for inspiration for your next movie night? Here are a few guaranteed-to-please family flicks that are all available on Hulu right now.
Photos: Hulu, where you can stream all of the amazing movies featured in this round-up.
All-Time Best Movies for Family Night In
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The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water
When the evil pirate Burger-Beard steals the secret Krabby Patty formula, SpongeBob must team up with his nemesis Plankton to get it back. If your kids like watching SpongeBob SquarePants, they will flip for this loud and funny movie version, and you'll likely giggle a few times along with them.
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Shaun the Sheep Movie
From the makers of Wallace and Grommet comes a sweet story about farm animals rescuing their farmer from the big city, which they accomplish entirely without dialogue -- just music, sound effects, and awesome stop-motion animation. This great movie for young kids also works on an adult level (there's a joke, for example, about a viral Instagram post).
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The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years
Ron Howard's award-winning documentary is a great way to keep Beatles music alive for the next generation, which should be one of our top priorities as parents. In all seriousness, musical kids will enjoy the performances and be inspired by the Fab Four's creativity, as well as their lesser-known but important role in the civil rights moment.
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A Boy Named Charlie Brown
If your kids loved the new Peanuts movie, show them the 1969 original, about Charlie Brown's misadventures in the spelling bee. The gang (Lucy, Linus, Snoopy, and even Pig Pen) is all here in this charming and sincere animated comedy that features the helpful song, "I Before E Except After C."
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Superman
Many sequels and reboots have followed, but the original superhero movie is still the best. There are so many unforgettable moments, from the first time bumbling reporter Clark Kent slips into a phone booth to swap his glasses for blue tights, to the night Superman quite literally sweeps Lois Lane off her feet to fly around Metropolis. The special effects may seem a bit dated, but the humor, heart, and fantasy of this majestic story will never go out of style.
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Agent Cody Banks
Cody Banks (Frankie Muniz from "Malcolm in the Middle") is a teen spy for the CIA who must infiltrate a prep school and get close to a scientist's daughter played by Hilary Duff. The fun blend of high school comedy and spy action adventure will please any variety of kids and grown-ups. (And you'll wish you'd had CIA spy gadgetry to help you survive high school!)
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Groundhog Day
What if you could get a "do-over" on your worst day? How would you change to become the person you've always wanted to be? These are the rather deep questions asked in this flawlessly funny comedy classic starring Bill Murray and Andie McDowell. Trust me, your kids will want to watch it again tomorrow.
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The Mighty Ducks
Following his arrest, attorney Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) must do community service by coaching a losing Pee-Wee hockey team. This rag-tag group of wisecracking kids initially butts heads with their coach, but his unusual methods get results, and the Ducks (named for Gordon’s boss, who subsidizes the team) start to feel like winners. The Mighty Ducks spawned two sequels, an animated series, and an actual NHL team (the Anaheim Ducks). So by all means, give it a shot (like the hockey pun?).
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Hercules
During the great Disney animation resurgence of the 1990s (Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King), Hercules, based on a Greek myth about the son of Zeus, kind of got lost in the shuffle, but this well-reviewed film is a perfect choice for family movie night. James Woods kills it as the voice of the villain, Hades, who wants to turn Hercules (Tate Donovan) into a mortal so that he can defeat him and rule the world. Hades is nearly successful, but a human couple interrupts his plan and raises young Hercules as their own child, despite his superhuman strength. If that sounds familiar, it should; the Superman saga is heavily based on the original Hercules story. So if you love Superman, but wish it was a cartoon with funny sidekicks voiced by Danny DeVito and Bobcat Goldthwait, give Hercules a try.
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Freaky Friday
When rebellious teen Anna (Lindsay Lohan) wakes up in the middle-aged body belonging to her mom (Jamie Lee Curtis) and shrieks, "I'm like the crypt keeper!" you know you're in for a good time. In this classic body switching comedy, mother and daughter don't see eye to eye until they have a chance to walk a mile in each other's shoes. And thong underwear. In addition to great physical comedy and gags, the movie is full of heart as Anna begins to appreciate her mother's complicated life as a working mom getting remarried and Tess comes to respect her daughter's passion for music (she's in a band) and her burgeoning love life (hello, Chad Michael Murray).
