13 Best-Loved Movies From My Childhood

Sharing movies with out kids that we loved from childhood has been great.

Jeff and I have talked about introducing our kids to some of the movies we liked as kids, and with our Netflix subscription we've started doing just that. So I thought I'd share some of those memorable movies we're hoping to watch with our kids in the near future. Maybe they'll bring back some memories for you, too.

1. Night Crossing, this story of two East German families who launch an escape to the free world by using a hot-air balloon (based on a true story). I haven't seen this movie in ages, but it left a deep impression. The kids haven't seen this yet.

2. Short Circuit, the story of a runaway NOVA robot with a friendly personality. My sister and I would quote this movie to each other ad nauseum. "Stephanie, change color. Attractive. Nice software!" The kids haven't seen this yet since it's not a movie Jeff particularly cares to see again.

3. The Princess Bride. This is SUCH a classic. If you haven't seen this before, you really need to watch it.  I remember the first time I saw this was at summer camp at the University of Oregon when I was in the 7th grade. Come on, everyone, say it with me: "My name ees Inigo Montoya. You keelled my father. Prrreparrre to die." We watched this with the kids a couple years ago, but we'll be watching it again very soon.

4. Back to the Future trilogy. Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd are SO perfect in these movies. We already watched this trilogy with the kids over the course of two days, and they all gave it a resounding thumbs up.

5. All the Indiana Jones movies. Harrison Ford reminds me a lot of my dad, so I have always liked Ford's movies…yes, even the Star Wars flicks. I think the kids have already seen a couple of the original Indiana Jones movies, but we'll probably sit down for a Indiana-fest to rewatch them all in order.

6. Schindler's List. This was such a powerful movie, and I remember it so vividly. We haven't watched it with the kids yet, but it's on our Netflix qeue.

7. Spartacus. The story of the slave uprisings during the Roman Empire.

8. Ben Hur, the story of a Jewish prince who is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend. We watched Spartacus and Ben Hur over the course of two days. The kids were engrossed the entire time.

9. The Karate Kid. As a preteen, I had such a crush on Ralph Macchio. I'm not too fond of all the sequels, but I loved the original. "Wax on, wax off!"

10. Cloak and Dagger is about an 11-year-old boy who's addicted to video games, whose mother is dead, and whose father is too preoccupied to spend much time with him. It's a mystery/spy thriller that really appealed to my younger self, so much so that I think I saw this movie a couple dozen times at least. My kids haven't seen it yet, but I think they'll really like it.

11. The Hunt for Red October (and just about any other movie with Sean Connery). I mean, the movie stars Sean Connery. You gotta love it just for that reason!

12. Young Guns and Young Guns II. Young Guns I is about a group of young gunmen, led by Billy the Kid, who become deputies to avenge the murder of the rancher who became their benefactor. I was 13 when Young Guns came out, so I'm sure the fact that the cast was almost completely made up of young male actors had at least a little to do with why I liked the movie so much. And of course, I adored Jon Bon Jovi's music, so the soundtrack for YG II was quite a draw as well.

13. Cry Freedom, starring Denzel Washington, is the story of Donald Woods, a liberal newspaper editor from East London (South Africa) and his historic friendship with Steve Biko, one of the most respected freedom fighters of South Africa. I watched this movie in Jr. High while I was in an African studies seminar, and it was my first introduction to the travesty of apartheid.

So what are some movies you remember with fondness from your youth?

Best loved movies from childhood should be shared with your kids.

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