Good movies to watch with your mom: cute, funny and feel-good picks

Good movies to watch with your mom are ones that are easy to enjoy together: feel-good comedies like The Devil Wears Prada or Mamma Mia!, heartfelt dramas like Little Women, and classics like The Princess Bride. Pick by mood, keep it under two hours, and let each person veto one option. Below are 20 picks, including some for dads and both parents.

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A movie with your mom or your parents is one of the easiest ways to spend time together, whether you're home for the holidays or catching up on a quiet evening. The hard part is agreeing on something that suits different generations.

The picks below lean toward movies that work across ages: warm, funny or moving, without anything that makes a family viewing awkward.

Feel-good comedies

  • The Devil Wears Prada (2006): sharp, funny and stylish. A favorite for moms and daughters.
  • Mamma Mia! (2008): ABBA songs, a Greek island and a lot of fun.
  • The Intern (2015): a warm comedy about generations learning from each other.
  • Legally Blonde (2001): endlessly rewatchable and quotable.
  • Freaky Friday (2003): a mother and daughter swap bodies. Perfect for watching together.

Heartfelt dramas

  • Little Women (2019): sisters, ambition and family, beautifully told.
  • Lady Bird (2017): a mother-daughter story that parents and kids see from different sides.
  • Steel Magnolias (1989): friendship among women in a small Southern town. Bring tissues.
  • Hidden Figures (2016): the true story of the women who helped get astronauts into space.

Easy crowd-pleasers

  • Julie & Julia (2009): two women, one cookbook and a lot of butter.
  • Crazy Rich Asians (2018): a romantic comedy with a big family at its heart.
  • The Holiday (2006): a cozy favorite, especially in winter.
  • Paddington 2 (2017): charming enough for every generation.

Something a bit different

  • Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022): a wild, funny and moving film about a mother and daughter.
  • Knives Out (2019): a family whodunit that's fun to solve together.
  • The Princess Bride (1987): a classic most parents love sharing.

Movies to watch with your dad or both parents

  • Back to the Future (1985): a crowd-pleaser across three generations.
  • Apollo 13 (1995): tense and inspiring, based on a true story.
  • Field of Dreams (1989): a movie about fathers and sons that gets to people.
  • Top Gun: Maverick (2022): big, fun and a hit with parents.

How to pick in two minutes

  1. Decide the mood: laugh, cry or something gripping.
  2. Each person suggests one title, then everyone gets one veto.
  3. If you're tied, choose the shortest one.

Picking together with ReelMatch

In ReelMatch each person swipes through trailers on their own phone, and the app shows the titles you all said yes to. It works well across generations because everyone gets a say without a long debate. It's free on iPhone and Android.

Still can't decide? Let the random movie generator pick one for you.

Frequently asked questions

What are good movies to watch with your mom?

Feel-good comedies and heartfelt dramas work best: The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Mamma Mia! (2008), Little Women (2019) and Freaky Friday (2003) are popular picks for watching together.

What movies are good to watch with your parents?

Choose something that works across generations, such as Back to the Future (1985), Apollo 13 (1995), Knives Out (2019) or Paddington 2 (2017).

What's a good mother-daughter movie?

Lady Bird (2017), Freaky Friday (2003), Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) and Little Women (2019) all focus on mothers, daughters or sisters, and give you plenty to talk about afterward.

Is there an app to help families choose a movie?

Yes. In ReelMatch each person swipes through trailers on their own phone and the app shows the titles everyone said yes to. It's free on iPhone and Android.

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