# Must Have Movies for My Daughter & Me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 28, 2003, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-movies-for-my-daughter-me/158113 "2003-02-28T13:20:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![0rbytal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/0/65b543/32.png) [@0rbytal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/0rbytal)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-movies-for-my-daughter-me/158113/1 "2003-02-28T13:20:47Z")
I recently moved into a new house and we don’t have cable. I looked online for rates of local cable companies and found there are none! Here you have to have a dish! So we sacrificed cable, etc. and decided to use the monthly payments on DVD’s. Well, I want to get some recommendations for “Must Have Movies” from my fellow dopers. To avoid listing all of the 40+ DVD’s I have, I will ignore the recommendations for movies I already have. Also, my daughter (20 months) only likes computer animated movies. She has Ice Age, A Bug’s Life, Antz, Toy Story2, and Loves Monsters, Inc. What others of this movie genre are good? thanx everyone… ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-movies-for-my-daughter-me/158113/2 "2003-02-28T13:28:01Z")
You might want to try _Lilo and Stitch_ . My three year old son loves it. I think it is very good, but my wife thought it was too violent when we first got it. There are some explosions and stuff, and some monster-looking animated characters fighting, but no worse than 5 minutes of your average Roadrunner cartoon. Rent it first, maybe. The beginning is a little slow, but with the DVD it is easy to skip over that part, right to where the credits (and music) start. ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-movies-for-my-daughter-me/158113/3 "2003-02-28T14:15:34Z")
It’s not computer animated, but my daughter got Disney’s Little Mermaid when she was about 2 (I think) and it is still one of her favorite movies at 16. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-movies-for-my-daughter-me/158113/4 "2003-02-28T14:26:10Z")
why’s everybody staring at me?!?! _G_ I’m sorry- I really got nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-movies-for-my-daughter-me/158113/5 "2003-02-28T14:32:11Z")
Babe the Gallant Pig The Black Stallion The Bear ---
**Author:** ![Abe\_Babe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3ab097/32.png) [@Abe\_Babe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abe_Babe)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-movies-for-my-daughter-me/158113/6 "2003-02-28T16:35:27Z")
You can never go wrong with \* Sound of Musin, Mary Poppins and Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang\*. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-movies-for-my-daughter-me/158113/7 "2003-02-28T17:15:46Z")
If you like to make your daughter cry, you could always try the surreally creepy _5,000 Fingers of Dr. Terwilliger_, courtesy of Dr. Seuss. Otherwise, I know a lot more about books for kids than movies for kids, and won’t be much help here. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-movies-for-my-daughter-me/158113/8 "2003-02-28T17:16:55Z")
If you can track down copies of them: _My Neighbor Totoro_ and _Kiki’s delivery service_ are both really sweet. Totoro is about two sisters who move to the country with their father while their mother is in the hospital. They meet Totoro, a giant raccoon nature spirit, and have adventures. Kiki is about a girl who’s a witch in training who sets out on her own for the first time away from her family. She moves to a new town and opens a flying broom delivery service. Both are extremely well animated. (They’re done by Studio Ghibli, the Japanese equivalent of Disney, and the animation equals or surpasses Disney feature film animation). They have little girl protagonists. And they have a mild, sweet tone. (About the worst thing that happens in Totoro is that the littlest girl gets lost – but they find her and she’s just fine.) ---
**Author:** ![Profane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@Profane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profane)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-movies-for-my-daughter-me/158113/9 "2003-02-28T17:48:42Z")
My kids really like Milo and Otis, Chicken Run, Barbie as Rapunzel (computer animated,) Babar, and their set of animated Beatrix Potter videos. There’s also a feature length Roly Poly Olie DVD out now, both my kids love it, and it’s computer animated. How about tapes/dvd’s of kid’s shows? My littlest one loves Dora The Explorer, Kipper, Little Bear and especially Maisy. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pochacco \* > If you can track down copies of them: > > _My Neighbor Totoro_ > > and > > _Kiki’s delivery service_ > > are both really sweet. I also second both of these! ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-movies-for-my-daughter-me/158113/10 "2003-02-28T18:11:38Z")
Have you considered Netflix? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-movies-for-my-daughter-me/158113/11 "2003-02-28T18:12:13Z")
For computer-animated features, she might enjoy _Shrek_ and _Toy Story I_. If she loves the ones you listed, and she’s twenty months old, I suspect that she’s drawn to the visual effects, more than to the stories. Anyway, it’s time to expand her horizons. Get her _Charlotte’s Web, The Iron Giant_, and some _Bear in the Big Blue House_ episodes. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-movies-for-my-daughter-me/158113/12 "2003-02-28T18:14:34Z")
Once upon a time, I was out Christmas shopping. I intended to get my neices something educational, really I did. Then I turned a corner and saw a VHS copy of **Rikki-Tikki-Tavi**. A half-hour Chuck Jones cartoon based on a Rudyard Kipling story.The hero is a mongoose and the villains are a pair of cobras. When I was in grade school, I thought it was the coolest show ever made ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-movies-for-my-daughter-me/158113/13 "2003-02-28T18:24:38Z")
I loved **Rikki-Tikki-Tavi** growing up! Nickelodeon used to show cartoon movies on the weekends, and that was one of my favorites. Not CG, and you may already have it, but **The Emperor’s New Groove** is one of the best Disney movies of the past several years. It may be a bit too scary for her, but **The Dark Crystal** was one of my all time favorite movies as a child. It’s got some big scaries in it, so you may want to wait a year or so if you feel you must, but it is an excelent fantasy movie for kids. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-movies-for-my-daughter-me/158113/14 "2003-02-28T18:32:54Z")
The Brave Little Toaster Iron Giant Chicken Run (Only Chicken Run is CG, I believe) ---
**Author:** ![No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/no_me_ayudes_compadre/32/5224_2.png) [@No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Me_Ayudes_Compadre)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-movies-for-my-daughter-me/158113/15 "2003-02-28T18:37:07Z")
I second Babe. Another good CG feature is James and the Giant Peach, but some scenes may be a little scary for a 20-month old. Also some colorful live-action productions with dancing and big dresses, like Disney’s Cinderella starring Brandi and Bernadette Peters. And Muppets Take Manhattan is always good, but be ready to wear out the rewind button when they show the baby muppet flashback. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-movies-for-my-daughter-me/158113/16 "2003-02-28T18:51:03Z")
[nitpick] _Chicken Run_ and _James and the Giant Peach_ aren’t computer animated, they’re stop-motion, but that doesn’t stop them from being great flicks. And a 2-year-old probably won’t care either way. [/nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-movies-for-my-daughter-me/158113/17 "2003-02-28T19:02:09Z")
I would also as both Fantasia and Fantasia 2000. The lack of dialogue should be a plus for someone who doesn’t talk much. ---
**Author:** ![CyberPundit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-movies-for-my-daughter-me/158113/18 "2003-02-28T19:10:14Z")
I third Totoro and Kiki. I had enjoyed a couple of other Miyazaki films but I was skeptical that I would like his children’s films that much. I was completely wrong. More than any Disney fare I have seen they go beyond entertainment and have beautifully crafted themes about family and friendship. They are among the very best children’s films I have ever seen. Roger Ebert put Totoro on his Great Movies list. Here is his review: [http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/greatmovies/sho-sunday-ebert23.html](http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/greatmovies/sho-sunday-ebert23.html) As for availability Totoro has been released on a plain-vanilla DVD recently. It’s pan-and-scan and dub-only but that won’t matter to your daughter. Kiki will be released on April 15 on a two-disk set. Spirited Away by the same director will also be released on DVD the same day. It’s a wonderful film but it has some monsters so it might be scary to a two year old. Check it out by yourself first to see whether your kid will enjoy it. ---
**Author:** ![Fibonacci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Fibonacci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibonacci)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-movies-for-my-daughter-me/158113/19 "2003-02-28T20:08:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CyberPundit \* > \*\*I third Totoro and Kiki. I had enjoyed a couple of other Miyazaki films but I was skeptical that I would like his children’s films that much. I was completely wrong. More than any Disney fare I have seen they go beyond entertainment and have beautifully crafted themes about family and friendship. They are among the very best children’s films I have ever seen. > Roger Ebert put Totoro on his Great Movies list. Here is his review: > [http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/greatmovies/sho-sunday-ebert23.html](http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/greatmovies/sho-sunday-ebert23.html) > As for availability Totoro has been released on a plain-vanilla DVD recently. It’s pan-and-scan and dub-only but that won’t matter to your daughter. > > Kiki will be released on April 15 on a two-disk set. > > Spirited Away by the same director will also be released on DVD the same day. It’s a wonderful film but it has some monsters so it might be scary to a two year old. Check it out by yourself first to see whether your kid will enjoy it. \*\* I would also recommend Totoro & Kiki. I can’t wait for Spirited Away to come out as well. (Princess Mononoke is too graphic for your daughter.) One you might want to try is The Wizard Of Oz. I recall watching my then 2-year old daughter watching it spellbound. She could not look away from it. It amazingly held her attention the whole film, quite a feat for a 2-year old attention span. ---
**Author:** ![Morgainelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Morgainelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgainelf)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-movies-for-my-daughter-me/158113/20 "2003-02-28T20:36:26Z")
I have to disagree with **Laughing Lagomorph** on _Lilo and Stitch_. My daughter is 25 months, and it was way too violent for her. She loves _Monster’s Inc_, so I don’t think it had anything to do with the way Stitch looks. There were lots of explosions and guns in the beginning, and she buried her face in my side and said, “It’s very bright, Mommy. I don’t like it.” [Proud Mommy] Yes, she speaks in full sentences. [/Proud Mommy] She loves both _Fantasia_ and _Fantasia 2000_, as well as _Dora the Explorer_ and (blush) _Spongebob Squarepants_. Another good one is _Beauty and the Beast_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-have-movies-for-my-daughter-me/158113.md?page=2)