10 Best Nostalgic Kids' Movies From The 1990s That Weren't Animated
90s kids movies were a different breed.
The 90s were an amazing time to be a kid, with a bevy of great live-action family-friendly movies to enjoy alongside the typical animated fare. The 90s were a special time for children's entertainment, with Hollywood slowly growing more bold in what kind of content it was comfortable showing younger audiences. For as great as the best animated movies of the 90s are, the decade also featured some incredible live-action hits steeped in nostalgia.
It's hard to distinguish the absolute cream of the crop when it comes to the 90s' best live-action kids' entertainment, with a plethora of compelling options to choose from. But the greatest candidates will have withstood the test of time while still being positively permeated with reverence and references to the particular decade, being among the "most 90s" movies ever conceived. From adaptations of beloved children's books to heartwarming slapstick comedies, the greatest family hits of the time period are still phenomenal today.
10 The SandlotReleased In 1993Your RatingThe Sandlot Release Date April 7, 1993 Runtime 101 minutes Director David Mickey Evans Writers Robert Gunter, David Mickey Evans Sequel(s) The SandlotMarty York
Tom Guiry
If there's one niche subgenre that truly got into the swing of things in the 90s, it was the coming of age sports comedy. Strong candidates like The Might Ducks give some fierce competition, but when it comes to this particular area, no film is as time-honored as The Sandlot. The simple premise centers on a group of neighborhood kids that love playing baseball who get into a series of misadventures, culminating in one player accidentally launching a prized signed baseball into the yard of an infamously aggressive neighborhood dog.
RelatedThe Sandlot is Getting a Sequel TV Series With Original CastThe 1993 cult classic film The Sandlot is getting a sequel in the form of a TV series, which will air on a yet to be named streaming platform.
Despite being a nostalgic cultural touchstone for many who grew up in the 90s, The Sandlot itself is also fueled by fond memories of a time gone by, taking place in the early 60s.
Few films are better able to describe the specific feeling of playing a simple game as a kid that ends up feeling like an entire world existing parallel to reality. Dropping iconic lines like "You're killing me, Smalls!", The Sandlot knocks 90s family friendly entertainment out of the park.
9 MatildaReleased In 1996Your RatingMatilda Release Date June 28, 1996 Runtime 98minutes Director Danny DeVito Writers Robin SwicordDanny DeVito
Mara Wilson
While many adaptations of Roald Dahl's beloved books have entered theaters over the years, few are as beloved as 1996's Matilda. Just like the original story, the fairy-tale-like movie tells the story of a gifted young girl blessed with telekinetic abilities who struggles to fit in with her cruel family. Sent away to a boarding school run by a tyrannical principal, Matilda leads the charge against adult tyranny from the perspective of kids.
Matilda teaches many valuable lessons to an impressionable audience, such as the importance of sticking up for oneself and the value of found family. Despite being downright nightmarish at times, the set dressing and design of the dreamy world is positively captivating, not to mention featuring one of Danny DeVito's most underrated performances as Matilda's miserly father. Charming, funny, and just a little spooky, Matilda is a magical masterpiece of 90s children's cinema.
8 Home AloneReleased In 1990Your RatingHome Alone Release Date November 16, 1990 Runtime 103 minutes Director Chris Columbus Writers John Hughes Sequel(s) Home Alone 3, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Home Alone 4Macaulay Culkin
Joe Pesci
Making a star out of the nascent Macaulay Culkin, few kid's movies have had better longevity than the original Home Alone from 1990. The Christmastime caper centers on the young Kevin McCallister, whose wealthy but numerous family accidentally leaves him behind on an overseas trip to France. Left alone in the massive family mansion, it's up to the lone Kevin to defend his home from a pair of bumbling burglars with a series of jury-rigged traps.
With a young Macaulay Culkin proving himself as one of the greatest child actors to ever do it, Home Alone is carried by the strength of its quirky performances. The film manages to balance the multitude of emotions the newfound experience of life alone might bring an impulsive smart aleck kid, from joyous liberation to sheer terror. Above all that, Home Alone is one of the greatest slapstick comedies ever made, with every painful bump and jab experienced by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern's Wet Bandits excruciatingly felt by the viewer.
7 HookReleased In 1991Your RatingHook Release Date April 10, 1991 Runtime 142 minutes Director Steven Spielberg Writers J.M. Barrie, James V. Hart, Nick Castle, Malia Scotch MarmoDustin Hoffman
Robin Williams
While subversive takes on classic children's stories might be more commonplace now, something like Hook was quite innovative for the 90s, breaking down an iconic bedtime story into its most fundamental assumptions. Hook posits Robin Williams as Peter Banning, a grown-up version of Peter Pan who must tap into the foggy memories of his old life as a flying, swashbuckling feral pixie child when his own children are kidnapped by his old nemesis, Captain Hook. What follows is an unforgettable adventure back into Neverland.
Hook has been lambasted by many critics in its day for coming on too strong, but Stephen Spielberg's syrupy sweet direction works a lot better in retrospect. The bonds between Peter and his kids feel real and earned as the character must reconcile his old refusal to grow up with his current inability to enjoy the more magical aspects of life. With plenty of fun exploration and lively action setpieces to punctuate its emotional beats, Hook provides a fascinating twist on an old classic.
6 Mouse HuntReleased In 1997Your RatingMouse Hunt Release Date December 19, 1997 Runtime 98 Minutes Director Gore Verbinski Writers Adam RifkinNathan Lane
Lee Evans
Vicki Lewis
Maury Chaykin
An odd outlier among the eclectic filmography of Gore Verbinski, Mouse Hunt is a criminally underrated concentrated dose of 90s nostalgia. The absurd premise centers on a pair of brothers whose fraught relationship with their late father is put to the test when they're tasked with restoring a decrepit mansion they inherit from him. Complicating things is the presence of a persistent mouse that somehow manages to evade all of their efforts to capture it, injecting chaos into the already stressful situation.
In essence, Mouse Hunt is essentially one lone episode of Tom & Jerry, with a pair of bumbling brothers subbing in for the victimized housecat. But underneath all the slapstick comedy and buffoonish antics, the film has a real beating heart that examines the often fraught relationships between father and son. Lee Evans and Nathan Lane are fully in control of the hilarious picture, which distills the 90s' signature sense of humor into a delicious ambrosia.
5 Mrs. DoubtfireReleased In 1993Your RatingMrs. Doubtfire Release Date November 24, 1993 Runtime 125 minutes Director Chris Columbus Writers Leslie Dixon, Randi Mayem SingerPierce Brosnan
Mara Wilson
Robin Williams couldn't seem to miss during the early 90s, and one of his most well-known works of comedy gold still remains one of his best. Mrs. Doubtfire wades into a messy divorce featuring Williams' character, a struggling artist whose childlike sensibilities disrupt his ability to care for his kids. With custody taken away from him, he engineers a way to spend time with his family via the persona of Mrs. Doubtfire, an affable British nanny he disguises himself as.
Mrs. Doubtfire features some of the most creative uses of comedic dramatic irony ever conceived, from the iconic "Oh no!" pie face moment to Mrs. Doubtfire's hectic double date. The film is surprisingly progressive for the time period, evoking great comedies like Some Like It Hot by being years ahead of the curve in terms of gender expression. The film also tackles the difficult subject of divorce with grace, a hot topic in the 90s, which saw the dissolution of the classic American family unit.
4 JumanjiReleased In 1995Your RatingJumanji Release Date December 15, 1995 Runtime 104 Minutes Director Joe Johnston Writers Jonathan Hensleigh, Greg Taylor, Jim Strain Sequel(s) Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Jumanji: The Next Level, Jumanji 4Robin Williams
Kirsten Dunst
Yet another glimmering laurel for Robin Williams in terms of 90s family-friendly entertainment, Jumanji is simply an all-time classic. In the past, a young boy finds the mysterious titular board game and plays it with his crush, only to find himself sucked into the game's imaginary jungle on a bad roll of the dice. Years later, a new set of sibling players free him by accident, magically locked into finishing the game as a series of increasingly dangerous jungle hazards manifest into reality.
Jumanji is another one of those 90s movies that manages to nail a perfect mix of danger, tension, comedy, and drama, knowing exactly how far to push the boundaries while still remaining safe for kids. The creative set pieces join forces with another all-star Robin Williams performance to concoct a truly unforgettable experience that simply can't be replicated by the modern age of studio mandates. It's no wonder the film managed to spawn a whole franchise of Jumanji films.
3 Homeward Bound: The Incredible JourneyReleased In 1993Your RatingHomeward Bound: The Incredible Journey Release Date February 3, 1993 Runtime 84 Minutes Director Duwayne Dunham Writers Caroline Thompson, Linda Woolverton, Jonathan RobertsMichael J. Fox
Sally Field
Don Ameche
Robert Hays
Between Air Bud and Babe, the 90s seemed to be a renaissance for animal actors, with some sort of huge breakthroughs in the world of stage training clearly taking place. As great as these movies are, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey is the clear apex predator of the live-action animal protagonist subgenre, wowing kids and critics alike. The story follows a pair of dogs and a housecat who make a long cross-country trek to reunite with their owners after seemingly being abandoned.
Rather than try to awkwardly CGI in the moving lips of the animal actors to match the dialogue, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey makes the wise decision to simply allow the critters to narrate their thoughts aloud telepathically to one another, making for a far more timeless presentation. The main trio have incredible chemistry as they navigate the dangerous journey home, encountering all sorts of natural dangers and wild animals. A stunning achievement in the performance abilities of dogs and cats, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey sits ahead of the pack.
2 The Santa ClauseReleased In 1994Your RatingThe Santa Clause Release Date November 11, 1994 Runtime 97 minutes Director John Pasquin Writers Steve Rudnick, Leo Benvenuti Sequel(s) The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, The Santa Clause 2Wendy Crewson
Judge Reinhold
By far one of the greatest Disney Christmas movies ever made, 1994's The Santa Clause maintains a vice grip on its status as a venerated holiday classic for a good reason. Tim Allen stars as Scott Calvin, a big shot at a toy company who accidentally kills Santa on Christmas Eve when he scares him off the roof. It turns out that this act causes Scott to magically take on the job himself via the eponymous clause, prompting a slow transformation into Saint Nicholas that grants him a new appreciation for his son.
In some ways, The Santa Clause is actually kind of horrifying, as Tim Allen slowly morphs into the jolly holiday character against his will. However, the bizarre premise works thanks to the strength of his chemistry with his son. Once again, a broken marriage and a custody battle are at the center of the conflict, making The Santa Clause an undeniably 90s but undeniably excellent Christmas staple.
1 The WitchesReleased In 1990Your RatingThe Witches Release Date December 7, 1990 Director Nicolas Roeg Writers Allan Scott, Roald DahlAnjelica Huston
Jasen Fisher
Something a little bit spookier, The Witches is a great time capsule for the sort of edge 90s cinema was willing to give kids movies. Also based on a Roald Dahl storybook, The Witches tells the story of a young boy staying at a hotel who accidentally stumbles upon a conference being held by children-hating witches. After he discovers their secret, the steadfast Luke has to do everything he can to stop their insidious plans to turn the entire world's population of children into mice.
Like so many Roald Dahl stories, The Witches does an excellent job of making adults feel like another race entirely compared to kids, something the plot causes to be literally true in some cases. Even if the film pulls some of the book's macabre punches, the spooky special effects and makeup courtesy of Jim Henson's Creature Shop leave a lasting impression, walking right up to the line of what kind of frightening imagery kids can handle without crossing it. Delightfully spooky and timelessly 90s, The Witches is a true gem of a movie from the decade.
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