Anna Paquin as Amy holding little ducks in Fly Away Home.
Kids' movies are in a weird situation. For them to have any prospect of enduring beyond their initial release, they need to be complex enough to appeal to adults but accessible enough to engage with children.
However, many of the all-time great kids' films continue to delight and enchant audiences, with adults enjoying them just as much as they did when they were kids, inviting them to share these experiences with children of their own. Even more interesting are the kids' films that manage to garner more respect and appreciation in the years following their initial release. Whether it be through their ability to connect with children of the modern era or a deeper fascination with the insightfulness of their filmmaking, these kids' films may have been quickly forgotten soon after their release, but they have some undeniable strengths that make them deserving of praise. 'MouseHunt' While director Gore Verbinski is more often celebrated for his various blockbuster adventure films like Pirates of the Caribbean or the recent Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die, his debut feature film, MouseHunt, is a massive departure from his other works. The zany, over-the-top slapstick goes all out in terms of comedic absurdity, following the struggles of two brothers attempting to take out one conniving mouse that is holding them back from selling a massive estate that they inherited. The film starts simple enough but builds up the madness and stakes of its chaos throughout the runtime before reaching a point of pure comedy gold. It's the type of goofy, fun comedy that kids and adults can equally enjoy. Nathan Lane and Lee Evans make an exceptional comedic duo as awkward, misaligned brothers. Especially in a modern era where this type of manic slapstick isn't explored nearly as much anymore, the tight-knit comedy of MouseHunt hits that much harder. 'FernGully: The Last Rainforest' While many may be quick to bring up FernGully: The Last Rainforest as a way to downplay the narrative of James Cameron's Avatar, few are actually aware of the inherent strengths that it has, distinctly different from any Pandora-related comparisons. The film has some of the best environmental messaging from a kids' movie of the '90s, complete with striking imagery and clear-cut emphasis on the widespread destruction of the natural ecosystems of Earth. However, its environmental messaging only scratches the surface of its continued strengths, as it also soars thanks to a collection of exceptional musical numbers and a great vocal performance from Robin Williams, released the same year as Aladdin. FernGully hasn't exactly been forgotten on the same level as the other hidden gems on this list, but the few reasons that it is remembered do a disservice to the film's myriad of other strengths. 'Night on the Galactic Railroad' A sweet, melancholy anime kids film that manages to predate even the very first Studio Ghibli release, Night on the Galactic Railroad has a distinct aura and cozy feeling to its filmmaking that makes it all the more impactful as a viewing experience. The film follows a lonely young cat boy venturing off during the night and traveling aboard a mysterious train. He soon finds himself accompanied by an unlikely acquaintance from school, Campanella, and the duo experiences all manner of magic aboard the train. Considering how much this style of cozy, Ghibli-adjacent movies has been widely celebrated over the years, it's easy to see just how ahead of its time Night on the Galactic Railroad truly was. The inherent magic of its visuals, combined with some genuine emotion from its storytelling, makes it a true anime hidden gem that largely deserves to be praised in the same vein as many other early Ghibli classics. 'Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead' A slightly dark yet endlessly charming family movie that exemplifies the culture and overall approach towards kids' movies of the '90s perfectly, Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead is as fun and charming as its over-the-top title leads you to believe. The film follows a teenage girl excited about a summer of fun while her mother is on a months-long work trip. However, when the babysitter hired to look after her siblings dies, the girl is forced to find a job to earn money before Mom can find out and put an end to her summer of fun. While its title and initial premise make it sound like a more family-friendly alternative to something like Weekend at Bernie's, the execution is more in line with a dark, difficult truth bomb about the hurdles of living life while participating in a capitalistic society. While these themes and messaging on how the corporate environment can suck the life out of your creative passions and endeavors may seem too heavy for a kids' movie, it has simultaneously given the film endearing qualities that have helped it age like a fine wine. 'My Neighbors the Yamadas' Studio Ghibli has so many masterpieces as a part of their filmography that it can be difficult to keep track of all of their exceptional films. One such cutesy family outing that is continuously overlooked is My Neighbors the Yamadas, which may not have the wild fantasy elements of other Studio Ghibli masterpieces, but makes up for it with an overwhelming abundance of charm. It's an infectiously sweet film that delights with its cutesy art style and the sheer likability of its characters. The film follows various moments and wild stories that occur to the titular Yamada family, ranging from humorous to genuinely heartbreaking, as the film explores how the family deals with the conflicts and joys of everyday middle-class life. Even many animation fans who praise the best that Ghibli has to offer will often overlook and forget this seemingly simple entry, although not necessarily surprising, considering it was the film released between Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, two of the greatest animated movies of all time. 'The Bear' While bears are often perceived in film as ruthless, highly dangerous creatures who can absolutely rip people to shreds with their massive strength, Jean-Jacques Annaud's The Bear proves to be one of the most wholesome, beautiful cinematic portrayals of nature's beautiful ursids. Not to be confused with the modern hit cooking show of the same name, this underrated '80s hit sees an orphan bear cub connecting with an adult male bear as they attempt to hide away and dodge human hunters. The Bear has one of the all-time greatest animal performances in service of a brilliant, deeply emotional tale that is unlike any other family film before or since. There is so much raw emotion and power conveyed here, which is largely told with minimal to no dialogue whatsoever, entirely through the emotional responses of these brilliant animal performances. It's a brilliantly crafted family film, and it's a genuine shock that it isn't as celebrated or recognized as the other '80s family movie hits. 'Gumby: The Movie' As a character, Gumby had long since faded from public consciousness by the time his cinematic debut, Gumby: The Movie, would be released in the mid-'90s. However, the lack of interest in the character didn't stop the film from going all out and using the character's wild madness as a non-stop exploration of fantasy absurdity. The approach works that much more in a modern setting, where unhinged humor reigns supreme in the digital era. The claymation movie defies expectations by being that much more effective as a cinematic experience to those who aren't familiar with Gumby as it is to those who are. It revels in the madness and unpredictability of its execution, with wild, chaotic concepts like a dog who cries pearls and a lightsaber battle against a robot Gumby only scratching the surface of the film's madness. 'Teacher's Pet' Adapted from an already largely forgettable Disney Channel show of the same name, the theatrical installment of Teacher's Pet was one of many network TV cartoons brought to the big screen in the wake of the massive success of The Rugrats Movie. While the film itself manages to be slightly more remembered than the TV show it came from, it is still massively forgotten, even when compared to other Disney Channel cartoon movies of the era, like Doug's 1st Movie and Recess: School's Out. Subscribe to the newsletter for hidden kids' movie gems and insights Want more overlooked family film discoveries? Subscribing to the newsletter offers curated deep dives, context, and picks that spotlight hidden kids' movie gems — the underseen favorites worth watching and sharing. Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. However, there is a lot to love about Teacher's Pet that makes it a compelling watch long after the series has been forgotten. There are many great musical numbers, especially those that include 3x Tony Award-winning Nathan Lane, as well as some unexpectedly poignant themes on newfound identity and rejecting one's initially assigned identity. One might argue it's the most trans-inclusive film that Disney has ever made, which is a genuinely insane thing to say about a movie where Nathan Lane plays a talking dog. 'The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle' The prospect of utilizing established IP cartoon characters and bringing them not just to the big screen, but the real world in live-action, in order to sell movie tickets, has been a tried-and-true method of success for decades now. However, while films like The Smurfs and Alvin and the Chipmunks brought in hundreds of millions of dollars, The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle is the undeniable best example of this otherwise lackluster subgenre, despite being massively forgotten and overlooked with time. The well-aged brilliance is thanks to its earnest understanding of the fundamental strengths of Rocky and Bullwinkle as characters. The film doesn't simply use them as props, instead amplifying their distinct, dry comedic wit to a brilliant, self-aware scale. In fact, the film itself is aware of its absurdity and has fun with it. The writing is some of the absolute best of family movies of the era, a fact that has only been proven more so considering solo screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan would go on to write both Gangs of New York and Manchester by the Sea, the latter of which won him an Academy Award. 'Fly Away Home' The endless appeal of cute baby animals has been at the center of countless family films over the years. Fly Away Home is one of the best, but remains a sadly underrated example of an emotional exploration of grief and familial difficulties following loss. The autumnal family movie follows a young Anna Paquin, finding refuge and joy while dealing with the pain of losing her mother, thanks to discovering a nest of abandoned goose eggs. She and her father are now tasked with teaching the goslings to fly and to lead them south by the time winter arrives. The overwhelming cute factor of baby geese is enough to entice many people to watch the film. However, the compelling emotional depth with which the film tackles both the young child and the emotionally distant father coming together to grieve together makes it exceptionally beautiful as well. Fly Away Home has everything someone would want out of a feel-good animal family movie, only to be sadly overlooked and forgotten compared to the many other iconic '90s family movies. Cast Anna Paquin, Jeff Daniels, Dana Delany, Terry Kinney, Holter Graham, Jeremy Ratchford, Deborah Verginella, Michael J. Reynolds, David Hemblen, Ken James, Nora Ballard, Sarena Paton, Carmen Lishman, Christi Hill, Judith Orban, Jeff Braunstein, John Friesen, Chris Benson, Kevin Jubinville, Philip Akin, Gladys O'Connor, Dick Callahan, Cheryl MacInnis, Mark Wilson, J. Craig Sandy Runtime 107 minutes Director Carroll Ballard Writers Robert Rodat Powered by Expand Collapse
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