As December break looms over us, a warm and cuddly 80’s movie night is just what the doctor ordered. We have been watching these fun 80’s movies to watch with your family – with our family – for years. It’s nice to show them a simpler time. WHAT? No cell phones? ET couldn’t text home? These nostalgic movies are both fun for us and fun for them. Much like with games, if I have to participate, I may as well enjoy it.
A Note On Ratings
As I complied this list, I realized just how many movies from the 80’s we have watched. It’s a lot, and the list is forever expanding. What have I’ve learned? PG in the 80’s may not be what you expect PG to be in 2020.
We brought Innerspace to a friend’s house over the summer (for a backyard screening) and the curses and sexy time surprised us with their PG rating. Oops! Luckily, something else I’ve learned is you can easily distract a kid by asking what they want for dessert tomorrow.
Fun Ways To Watch 80’s Movies With Your Family
Speaking of a backyard screening, if you bought a projector to make your backyard a wicked cool cocoon (and yes, Cocoon is on my list below), bring that Mini Movie Projector inside! You can convert one of your rooms (preferably with a big comfy couch) into a screening room – you just need a big empty wall. Your kids will go bananas.
As usual, with all of my posts, I have tried to find the obscure and less known. Some movies you defiantly showed your family already. Some you will say “OMG! I forgot about that movie”. Many of these can be found on tv or streaming (I will include the Amazon Video links below), but most I’ve ordered on DVD from the library. Because just like the characters in 80’s movies, I’m old school. Oh… at what age can I show them Old School?
Finally, be sure to check out my sister post – Fun 90’s Movies to Watch with Your Family!
Fun 80’s Movies To Watch With Your Family Today: PG Movies
Annie – 2 h 7 min, 1982, PG
ET – 1 h 54 min, 1982, PG
Mr. Mom – 1 h 31 min, 1983, PG
WarGames -1 h 52 min, 1983, PG
Footloose – 1 h 47 min, 1984, PG
Ghostbusters – 1 h 45 min, 1984, PG
The Neverending Story – 1 h 34 min, 1984, PG
Splash – 1 h 49 min, 1984, PG
Teen Wolf – 1 h 32 min, 1985, PG
The Karate Kid – 2 h 6 min, 1984, PG / The Karate Kid 2 – 1 h 53 min, 1986, PG
The Muppets Take Manhattan – 1 h 34 min, 1984, G
Back to the Future – 1 h 56 min, 1985, PG
Better Off Dead – 1 h 37 min, PG, 1985
Girl’s Just Want to Have Fun – 1 h 27 min, 1985, PG
Goonies – 1 h 53 min, 1985, PG (For the record – I think this movie is scary)
Pee Wee’s Big Adventure – 1 h 31 min, 1985, PG
An American Tail – 1 h 21 min, 1986, G
Howard the Duck – 1 h 51 min, 1986, PG
The Boy Who Could Fly – 1 h 49 min, 1986, PG
Flight of the Navigator – 1 h 29 min, 1986, PG
Short Circuit – 1 h 38 min, 1986, PG
Space Camp – 1 h 47 min, 1986, PG
Top Gun – 1 h 49 min, 1986, PG
After The 1986 NY Mets Won The World Series
Ernest Goes To Camp – 1 h 28 min, 1987, PG
Innerspace – 1 h 59 min, 1987, PG
Overboard – 1 h 52 min, 1987, PG (“OH! That’s why you sit in the chair saying ba-ba-ba-ba-ba”-my 7 year old)
Harry & the Hendersons – 1 h 51 min, 1987, PG
Hello Again – 1 h 36 min, 1987, PG
Mannequin – 1 h 30 min, 1987, PG
The Princess Bride – 1 h 38 min, 1987, PG
Three Men and a Baby – 1 h 42 min, 1987, PG
Big – 1 h 44 min, 1988, PG
Big Business – 1 h 37 min, 1988, PG
Funny Farm – 1 h 41 min, 1988, PG
The Great Outdoors – 1 h 30 min, 1988, PG
Twins – 1 h 47 min, 1988, PG
Vice Versa – 1 h 38 min, 1988, PG
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure – 1 h 29 min, 1989, PG
Chances Are – 1 h 48 min, 1989, PG
Field of Dreams – 1 h 46 min, 1989, PG
Honey I Shrunk the Kids – 1 h 33 min, 1989, PG
Look Who’s Talking – 1 h 35 min, 1989, PG-13
Troop Beverly Hills – 1 h 45 min, 1989, PG (a HUGE fan favorite, especially if your daughter is a Girl Scout)
Uncle Buck – 1 h 40 min, 1989, PG
The Wizard – 1 h 40 min, 1989, PG
Fun 80’s Movies To Watch With Your Family Today: PG-13 Movies
Cocoon – 1 h 57 min, 1985, PG-13
Weird Science – 1 h 34 min, 1985, PG-13
Ferris Bueller – 1 h 42 min, 1986, PG-13
Adventures In Babysitting – 1 h 42 min, 1987, PG-13
Can’t Buy Me Love – 1 h 34 min, 1987, PG-13
Dirty Dancing – 1 h 40 min, 1987, PG-13
Like Father Like Son – 1 h 39 min, 1987, PG-13
For Keeps – 1 h 38 min, 1988, PG-13
License to Drive – 1 h 29 min, 1988, PG-13
Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad – 1 h 24 min, 1988, PG-13
Dream A Little Dream – 1 h 55 min, 1989, PG-13
Teen Witch – 1 h 33 min, 1989, PG-13
Next On Our List To Watch
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark – 1 h 55 min, 1981, PG
The Secret of Nihm – 1 h 22 min, 1982, G
Irreconcilable Differences – 1 h 53 min, 1984, PG
Heavenly Kid – 1 h 31 min, 1985, PG-13
Peggy Sue Got Married – 1 h 43 min, 1986, PG-13
Summer School – 1 h 37 min, 1986, PG-13
Dragnet – 1 h 46 mim, 1987, PG-13
The Secret of My Success – 1 h 51 min, 1987, PG-13
Some Kind Of Wonderful – 1 h 34 min, 1987, PG-13
18 Again! – 1 h 40 min, 1988, PG-13
Meh, Pass.. (We Watched & Didn’t Love)
Karate Kid 3, 1989, PG
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? – 1 h 43 min, 1988, PG
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