10 Underrated Family Movies for Adults
Every year, there’s some kind of special occasion that calls for an extended visit with relatives. Maybe it’s a family reunion, or everyone’s hopping in the van and heading home for the holidays. Whatever the case, a good family movie can help the act of reconnecting with relatives feel a little easier.
Watch these movies as a heartfelt reminder of what it means to be a part of a family. These feel-good films offer themes about family that resonate with a more mature viewership. Viewers can watch them alone on the couch before meeting up with relatives, or together, as a way to bond with those they haven’t seen in years.
10 Instant Family Is a Sweet Movie That Everyone Will Enjoy
Director: Sean Anders
- MPAA Rating: PG-13
- Runtime: 118 minutes
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%
Instant Family shows the process of adopting a family and how it isn’t always easy. Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne) learn that the hard way when they take in three foster children, an older girl named Lizzy (Isabela Merced) and her two younger siblings, Juan (Gustavo Escobar) and Lita (Julianna Gamiz).
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Adoption is a tough subject, and it’s usually played for melodrama rather than authenticity. That isn’t the case in Instant Family. The movie is raw and calls it like it is when it comes to taking in foster children. At the same time, Instant Family is still sweet and very funny. Pete and Ellie (a likable Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne) aren’t always perfect, but they care about the kids. Any parent will appreciate the messy form of love found in the movie.
Instant Family
A couple find themselves in over their heads when they foster three children.
- Director
- Sean Anders
- Release Date
- November 16, 2018
- Cast
- Mark Wahlberg , Rose Byrne , Isabela Merced
- Writers
- Sean Anders , John Morris
- Runtime
- 1 Hour 58 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Comedy
- Producer
- Marc Evans, Stephen Levinson, Mark Wahlberg, Sean Anders, John Morris
- Production Company
- Paramount Pictures, Closest to the Hole Productions, Leverage Entertainment, Two Grown Men
9 Watch Home for the Holidays After Enjoying a Turkey Dinner
Director: Jodie Foster
- MPAA Rating: PG-13
- Runtime: 103 minutes
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 64%
Home for the Holidays is set on Thanksgiving, so it’s the perfect movie to watch with relatives during the holiday. The movie follows a woman named Claudia Larson (Holly Hunter) who flies from Baltimore to Chicago to eat a turkey dinner with her parents, younger brother Tommy (Robert Downey Jr.), stick-in-the-mud sister Joanne (Cynthia Stevenson), and their kooky Aunt Gladys (Geraldine Chaplin).
The holiday season is often a time when the family gathers together in one place. Home for the Holidays is the perfect movie to pop in while waiting for dinner since there’s something in the film for everyone to enjoy. The family members all feel relatable in their own way, while the story explores themes of unwavering loyalty, especially between a brother and sister. With cozy scenes at the Thanksgiving table, this movie is a warm reminder that families can be dysfuncitonal but still full of love.
Home for the Holidays
After losing her job, making out with her soon-to-be former boss, and finding out that her daughter plans to spend Thanksgiving with her boyfriend, Claudia Larson faces spending the holiday with her family.
- Director
- Jodie Foster
- Release Date
- November 3, 1995
- Studio
- Egg Pictures
- Cast
- Holly Hunter , Robert Downey Jr. , Anne Bancroft , Dylan McDermott , Claire Danes , Geraldine Chaplin , Steve Guttenberg
- Writers
- W.D. Richter
- Runtime
- 103 minutes
- Main Genre
- Comedy
8 Away We Go Shows the Struggles of Growing a Family
Director: Sam Mendes
- MPAA Rating: R
- Runtime: 98 minutes
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 67%
Verona (Maya Rudolph) and Burt (John Krasinski) are determined to find the best place to raise their daughter in the romantic road trip comedy, Away We Go. They travel from Denver all over the country to find their new home, making stops in Phoenix, Tucson, Madison, Montreal and finally Miami. Along the way, they learn how fortunate they really are to be starting their own family.
There are many funny movies about parenting, but Away We Go stands out by following the couple during the pregnancy. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph both have a sitcom background, so they deliver impeccable comedic timing as the leads in the film. At the same time, their characters feel genuine and interesting as they try to find the best place to raise their child. In the end, the couple in Away We Go realize that there’s truth in the age-old saying that there’s really no place like home.
7 Viewers Will Laugh and Cry Watching Little Miss Sunshine
Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris
- MPAA Rating: R
- Runtime: 101 minutes
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Child beauty pageants are controversial, but one is at the center of the road trip dramedy Little Miss Sunshine. In the film, the Hoover family hops in their banana-yellow Volkswagen bus to bring Olive (Abigail Breslin) to Redondo Beach, California so she can compete in the “Little Miss Sunshine” contest. Each member of the family has their own problems, but they still believe that she can win.
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Like many other family movies, Little Miss Sunshine is rounded out by an incredible cast. Everybody is bringing a unique element to their character, whether it’s the gruff, yet supportive grandfather (Alan Arkin) or Dwayne (Paul Dano), who has taken a mysterious vow of silence. It’s the quirks in each member of the family and how they rally around the precocious Olive that make Little Miss Sunshine a special movie.
- Director
- Jonathan Dayton , Valerie Faris
- Release Date
- July 26, 2006
- Cast
- Abigail Breslin , Greg Kinnear , Paul Dano , Alan Arkin , Toni Collette , Steve Carell
- Writers
- Michael Arndt
- Runtime
- 101 minutes
- Main Genre
- Adventure
6 The Royal Tenenbaums Is a Hilarious Take on Dysfunctional Families
Director: Wes Anderson
- MPAA Rating: R
- Runtime: 100 minutes
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%
Divorce is hard on a family and the consequences are felt for years. In The Royal Tenenbaums, Chas, Margot, and Richie are all facing their own struggles after their parents decide to separate. All three siblings return to their childhood home for their own reasons, waiting for their father to finally file for divorce even though it’s been twenty-two years.
Wes Anderson movies often have a dry, sardonic sense of humor. The Royal Tenenbaums is one of the director’s best, following a dysfunctional family as they struggle to deal with divorce. The movie is laugh-out-loud funny with top-notch performances from the cast. Viewers will realize that no matter what their relatives do, they will always forgive them and love them, even when facing divorce, mental illness, or even crashing the car into the side of the house.
A dark comedy about a dysfunctional family of former child prodigies. When their estranged father, Royal, returns claiming he has a terminal illness, the Tenenbaum siblings, now troubled adults, reunite under one roof, confronting their past failures, family dynamics, and the possibility of reconciliation.
- Release Date
- October 5, 2001
- Cast
- Gene Hackman , Anjelica Huston , Ben Stiller , gwyneth paltrow , Luke Wilson
- Runtime
- 110 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Comedy
- Budget
- 21000000.0
- Studio(s)
- Touchstone Pictures , American Empirical Pictures
5 The Kids Are All Right Is a Feel-Good Film About Nontraditional Families
Director: Lisa Cholodenko
- MPAA Rating: R
- Runtime:106 minutes
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
Familial love isn’t always dictated by blood. Still, Laser (Josh Hutcherson) and Joni (Mia Wasikowska) in The Kids Are All Right want to seek out their birth father. The teenagers, who were born via sperm donor to a lesbian couple, instantly like their laid-back dad. Meanwhile, their mothers are grappling with guilty feelings of jealousy and betrayal as a result.
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The Kids Are All Right is a heartwarming movie full of love for its characters. Credit goes to the stellar ensemble cast including Annette Bening, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo, who all deliver performances that are three-dimensional and nuanced. At the center of the movie is an nontraditional family unit which is refreshing for anyone growing up in similar circumstances.
The Kids Are All Right
- Director
- Lisa Cholodenko
- Release Date
- July 9, 2010
- Cast
- Julianne Moore , Annette Bening , Mark Ruffalo
- Writers
- Stuart Blumberg
- Runtime
- 106 Minutes
- Producers
- Christy Scott Cashman , Daniela Taplin Lundberg , Galt Niederhoffer , J. Todd Harris , Celine Rattray , Gary Gilbert , Riva Marker , Jordan Horowitz , Jeffrey Kusama-Hinte , Steven Saxton , Phillippe Hellmann , Anne O’Shea , Ron Stein
- Character(s)
- Nic , Jules , Paul , Joni , Laser , Tanya , Jai , Clay , Sasha , Luis , Brooke , Stella , Joel , Waify Girl , Clay’s Dad , Bartender , Sous-chef (uncredited) , Waiter (uncredited) , Pregnant Woman (uncredited) , Partygoer (uncredited)
4 Sunshine Cleaning Explores Grief Through Crime Scene Cleanup
Director: Christine Jeffs
- MPAA Rating: R
- Runtime: 91 minutes
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 74%
Rose (Amy Adams) and Norah (Emily Blunt) prove it’s tough for a family to go into business together. The sisters clean up crime scenes and have no idea how to do the job. All the while, they’re dealing with other strife within their family, including Rose’s rambunctious son and their quirky dad, who is still grappling with his wife’s suicide.
Sunshine Cleaning takes a dark, morbid subject and spins it into a fun comedy drama. Just like in real life, the story doesn’t wrap everything up for its characters in a pretty little bow. As Rose and Norah clean up the aftermath of horrific murders and suicides, they are also forced to face their own feelings about their mother’s death. The family in the film feels authentic, especially the sisters, making Sunshine Cleaning a great watch for everyone.
Sunshine Cleaning
- Director
- Christine Jeffs
- Release Date
- April 17, 2009
- Cast
- Amy Adams , Emily Blunt , Alan Arkin
- Writers
- Megan Holley
- Runtime
- 1h 31m
- Producers
- Glenn Williamson , Peter Saraf , Jeb Brody
- Character(s)
- Rose Lorkowski , Norah Lorkowski , Mac , Joe Lorkowski , Winston , Randy , Carl Swanson , Oscar Lorkowski , Lynn , Sherm , Paula Datzman-Mead , Heather , Mrs. Kim , Mrs. Davis , Young Rose , Young Norah , Candy Store Girl , Girl’s Mother , Gun Shop Owner , Above and Beyond Worker , Fair N Square Owner (uncredited)
3 A Family Disrupts a Wedding in the Underrated Jumping the Broom
Director: Salim Akil
- MPAA Rating: PG-13
- Runtime: 112 minutes
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 57%
Wedding movies are usually lighthearted, easy viewing, but sometimes they’re downright hilarious. Jumping the Broom is one of the more underrated films in the genre, expertly toeing the line between romance and family comedy. The movie follows two families who come together at Martha’s Vineyard for a long weekend of twists and turns.
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Jumping the Broom shows how complicated it can be when two families come together. There are squabbles, snide comments, and hurt feelings, but in the end, they are able to find common ground. It’s hard not to become a family when they’re witnessing the beginning of a beautiful new marriage. The love is palpable in Jumping the Broom, and the stunning Martha’s Vineyard setting will make viewers want to go on vacation with their own family, even their in-laws.
2 Hug Loves Ones Tighter After Watching The Descendants (2011)
Director: Alexander Payne
- MPAA Rating: R
- Runtime: 115 minutes
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
George Clooney delivers one of his best performances as Matt King, a dad who is trying to help his daughters cope while his wife (their mother) lies in a coma. Their relationship is further complicated by a pending real estate deal that could affect the lives of locals in Hawaii.
Single fathers raising daughters will appreciate The Descendants. In the movie, Matt King refers to himself as a “backup parent,” so he doesn’t know the first thing about how to handle the girls when they act out in school. He also needs to figure out how to tell them that their mother won’t be waking up. It’s a heartwrenching film that captures the moment right before a family really has to contend with their grief.
1 Marriage Is Messy in Crazy, Stupid, Love
Director: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
- MPAA Rating: PG-13
- Runtime: 118 minutes
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79%
Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) has his life turned upside down in Crazy, Stupid, Love. His wife (Julianne Moore) of almost twenty-five years has suddenly announced at dinner that she wants a divorce. As a result, Cal tries to regain his manhood with the help of a suave ladies’ man named Jacob (Ryan Gosling).
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Crazy, Stupid, Love is one of the most underrated family movies in recent memory. The cast has incredible chemistry with one another, and there are many fantastic moments between them, from a hilarious montage of Cal and Jacob shopping together for new suits to the memorable backyard mini-golf scene where fists are thrown and a giant windmill is used as a weapon. The divorce at the center of the film is complicated, but there’s always hope that the family will come through.
Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)
A middle-aged husband’s life changes dramatically when his wife asks him for a divorce. He seeks to rediscover his manhood with the help of a newfound friend, Jacob, learning to pick up girls at bars.
- Director
- Glenn Ficarra , John Requa
- Release Date
- June 19, 2011
- Cast
- Steve Carell , Ryan Gosling , Julianne Moore , Emma Stone , Analeigh Tipton , Jonah Bobo
- Writers
- Dan Fogelman
- Runtime
- 118minutes
- Production Company
- Budget
- $50million
- Studio(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
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