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There is no objective, universally agreed greatest family movie for each decade. Using the decade-by-decade picks published by What’s After the Movie as a consistent shortlist, the selections are The Bad News Bears (1976), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Beauty and the Beast (1991), WALL-E (2008), and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). They span live-action comedy, fantasy animation, musical romance, science fiction, and superhero adventure. Here, “greatest” means a defensible blend of critical standing, lasting appeal across generations, and family relevance—not a claim that these are the only reasonable winners.
How these five decade picks were chosen
What’s After the Movie supplies one internally consistent answer to the question “What is the greatest family movie from each decade?” Its published selections are the five films below. Its score labels need a qualification: the site says it ranks films released before 2017 using a blend of Metascore and IMDb and Letterboxd user ratings, while newer films use its Echo Score. Those are not identical measures, so the numbers are best read as figures reported by that ranking, not as directly comparable scores.
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| Decade | Pick | Source-reported score | Why it stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | The Bad News Bears (1976) | 84 Metascore | A sharp, scruffy live-action comedy, rather than a polished animated fantasy. |
| 1980s | My Neighbor Totoro (1988) | 87 Metascore | A gentle animated fantasy that makes everyday childhood wonder its subject. |
| 1990s | Beauty and the Beast (1991) | 95 Metascore | A musical fairy tale built around romance, spectacle, and memorable songs. |
| 2000s | WALL-E (2008) | 95 Metascore | A largely visual science-fiction story with environmental themes and comic warmth. |
| 2010s | Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) | 92 Echo Score | An energetic superhero adventure with a distinctive animated style. |
Scores are reported by What’s After the Movie, accessed in 2026. The four Metascores and the Echo Score come from different scoring approaches under that site’s stated methodology; their numerical values should not be treated as a single like-for-like ranking.
Best family movie of the 1970s: The Bad News Bears (1976)
What’s After the Movie names The Bad News Bears as its 1970s family-film pick, with a source-reported 84 Metascore. Its appeal is not the comforting, idealized version of childhood found in many family classics: this is a rough-edged live-action comedy about a struggling youth baseball team. That makes it a more adult-tinged choice than the decade’s gentler favorites, and the label “family movie” should not be mistaken for a promise that every scene or joke suits every child.
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Other plausible 1970s choices include Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), Robin Hood (1973), Pete’s Dragon (1977), and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), all included in MetroFamily’s decade list. If “best” means easiest viewing for young children or a nostalgic childhood favorite, one of those may be a better fit.
Best family movie of the 1980s: My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
My Neighbor Totoro is the ranking’s 1980s selection, with an 87 Metascore reported by What’s After the Movie. Metacritic also lists it as G-rated and reports an 87 Metascore. Its quiet, imaginative approach to childhood gives the decade a different kind of family adventure from the action and spectacle associated with options such as E.T. and Back to the Future, both of which appear on MetroFamily’s 1980s list.
Rank #2
For families seeking a lower-key animated story rather than a fast-moving adventure, Totoro is a particularly strong choice. The G rating is a useful classification, not a complete account of a child’s individual sensitivities.
Best family movie of the 1990s: Beauty and the Beast (1991)
The ranking selects Beauty and the Beast for the 1990s and reports a 95 Metascore. Metacritic includes it in its family-film catalogue. Its musical structure and fairy-tale romance make it an obvious candidate for a decade with many beloved animated releases, but it is not the only defensible choice: MetroFamily also highlights The Lion King (1994), Toy Story (1995), and Mulan (1998).
Rank #3
Choosing among these depends on what a household values most—music and romance, comedy and invention, or an adventure centered on courage and identity. The ranking’s selection is one credible answer, not a settled consensus.
Best family movie of the 2000s: WALL-E (2008)
WALL-E is the 2000s pick, with a 95 Metascore reported by What’s After the Movie and a listing in Metacritic’s family-film catalogue. Its science-fiction setting and reliance on visual storytelling give it a different texture from more dialogue-driven family comedies. It also brings environmental concerns into a story led by character, humor, and adventure.
Rank #4
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MetroFamily’s 2000s list includes other strong contenders such as Finding Nemo and The Incredibles. For a family choosing among them, the distinction is less about a single objective winner than the kind of story everyone wants to watch.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Best family movie of the 2010s: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
What’s After the Movie names Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse as its 2010s pick and reports a 92 Echo Score. Common Sense Media lists it as a 2018 PG film and recommends it for ages 9 and up, describing an intense adventure with thrills alongside humor and heart. That age recommendation is guidance from Common Sense Media, not a guarantee that every child will find the film comfortable.
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This pick illustrates why “family movie” and “right for every child” are different questions. Its fast pace, action, and intensity may be a good fit for older children while feeling overwhelming to younger viewers. Common Sense Media’s 2010–2019 list, last updated January 6, 2020, also places Frozen at ages 5+, Inside Out at 6+, and Coco at 7+; consult the detailed review pages for current guidance and make the decision for your own child.
Which classic movies can the whole family watch?
No single label or rating can answer that for every household. Ratings systems have changed over time: D23 notes that Disney’s first PG-rated film was The Black Hole in 1979, and that The Black Cauldron (1985) was the first Disney animated feature to receive a PG rating. A historical rating should therefore be read in its release-era context, and an MPAA rating alone does not establish age suitability.
- Consider a child’s age and sensitivity to peril, frightening imagery, or intense action.
- Check a detailed parental-guidance review when a film’s tone or content is uncertain.
- Think about the adults watching too: a film can work across generations for its humor, music, or visual storytelling, but that cross-generational appeal is an editorial judgment, not a measurable guarantee.
- Choose by the household’s preferred style as well as reputation: these five selections range from live action to animation and from comedy to science fiction and superhero adventure.
Sources and score context
What’s After the Movie is the source for the five decade picks and its reported scores. Metacritic provides separate corroboration for the listed Metascores and family-catalogue context for Beauty and the Beast and WALL-E; its page for My Neighbor Totoro identifies the film as G-rated. MetroFamily’s decade lists provide alternative titles, while Common Sense Media supplies the cited age guidance and content context for the 2010s selections. D23 documents the Disney rating milestones described above.
Quick Recap
- What’s After the Movie
- Metacritic: My Neighbor Totoro
- Metacritic: Family movies
- MetroFamily
- Common Sense Media
- D23
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