Family Drama backdrop

Family Drama movies

Family bonds at the center: loyalty, duty, caregiving, generational conflict, and hard-won emotional repair.

The First Beautiful Thing

281. The First Beautiful Thing

Comedy Drama Family Drama
7.0

20102h 2min

Italy

Director: Paolo Virzì

The film tells the story of the Michelucci family, from the nineteen-seventies to the present day: the central character is the stunningly beautiful Anna, the lively, frivolous and sometimes embarrassing mother of Bruno and Valeria. Everything begins in the Summer of 1971, at the annual Summer beauty pageant held at Livorno’s most popular bathing establishment. Anna is unexpectedly crowned “Most Beautiful Mother”, unwittingly stirring the violent jealousy of her husband. From then on, chaos strikes the family and for Anna, Bruno and his sister Valeria, it is the start of an adventure that will only end thirty years later.

Themes

Public image vs private life, Intergenerational caregiving, Jealousy and family disruption, Memory through time, Motherhood and family identity, Enduring family ties

Available on

Kanopy
Hoopla
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Everybody's Fine

282. Everybody's Fine

Drama Family Drama
7.1

20091h 39min

United States

Director: Kirk Jones

Eight months after the death of his wife, Frank Goode looks forward to a reunion with his four adult children. When all of them cancel their visits at the last minute, Frank, against the advice of his doctor, sets out on a road trip to reconnect with his offspring. As he visits each one in turn, Frank finds that his children's lives are not quite as picture-perfect as they've made them out to be.

Themes

Loneliness and connection, Familial deception, Aging and mortality, Parental expectations versus autonomy, Generation gap communication, Care versus independence

Available on

Netflix
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Taking Chance

283. Taking Chance

Drama War TV Movie Family Drama True-Story TV Movie
7.4

20091h 17min

United States

Director: Ross Katz

Lt. Col. Michael Strobl, a volunteer military escort accompanies the body of Lance Cpl. Chance Phelps to his hometown in Wyoming.

Themes

Duty under ritual, Humility in witness, Gratitude toward service, Grief as community, Memory through ceremony, Respect through ceremony

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
HBO Max
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Hachi: A Dog's Tale

284. Hachi: A Dog's Tale

Drama Family Family Drama Animal Companion Family
8.1

20091h 33min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Lasse Hallström

A drama based on the true story of a college professor's bond with the abandoned dog he takes into his home.

Themes

Human-animal bond, Loyalty across loss, Routine devotion under strain, Communal compassion and memory, Life after absence, Waiting as meaning

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Princess Protection Program

285. Princess Protection Program

Family TV Movie Comedy Drama Family TV Movie
5.7

20091h 29min

United States

Director: Allison Liddi-Brown

When her nation is invaded, a young princess is taken into the Princess Protection Program. She is relocated to Louisiana, where she stays with a covert agent and his tomboyish daughter, and must learn how to behave like an ordinary teenager.

Themes

Deception and appearances, Mentorship and belonging, Role change under threat, Adaptation to new life, Protection of royalty, Secrecy and identity

Available on

Disney Plus
Amazon Video
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Away We Go

286. Away We Go

Drama Comedy Romance Romantic Comedy Family Drama
7.0

20091h 38min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Sam Mendes

Verona and Burt have moved to Colorado to be close to Burt's parents but, with Verona expecting their first child, Burt's parents inexplicably decide to move to Belgium, now leaving them in a place they hate and without a support structure in place. They set off on a whirlwind tour of of disparate locations where they have friends or relatives, sampling not only different cities and climates but also different families. Along the way they realize that the journey is less about discovering where they want to live and more about figuring out what type of parents they want to be.

Themes

In-law absence tension, Relocation pressures shape parenting, Radical parenting ideals, Memory anchors belonging, Adopted kin as family, Interracial relationship strain

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Mary and Max

287. Mary and Max

Animation Comedy Drama Adult Animation Dark Comedy
8.1

20091h 32min

Australia

Director: Adam Elliot

A tale of friendship between two unlikely pen pals: Mary, a lonely, eight-year-old girl living in the suburbs of Melbourne, and Max, a forty-four-year old, severely obese man living in New York.

Themes

Solace through letters, Loneliness through isolation, Friendship across distance, Family neglect effects, Identity through diagnosis, Resilience through connection

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Hulu
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

City Island

288. City Island

Drama Comedy Family Drama Parody
7.3

20091h 44min

United States

Director: Raymond De Felitta

The Rizzos, a family who doesn't share their habits, aspirations, and careers with one another, find their delicate web of lies disturbed by the arrival of a young ex-con brought home by Vince, the patriarch of the family, who is a corrections officer in real life, and a hopeful actor in private.

Themes

Intergenerational tension, Marital dissatisfaction, Economic pressure, Role conflict, Family deception, Secret ambitions

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Revolutionary Road

289. Revolutionary Road

Drama Romance Family Drama Passionate Romance
7.3

20081h 59min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Sam Mendes

A young couple living in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s struggle to come to terms with their personal problems while trying to raise their two children. Based on a novel by Richard Yates.

Themes

Marriage crisis, American dream pressure, Suburban confinement, Pursuit of escape, Infidelity and secrecy, Gendered expectations

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Gran Torino

290. Gran Torino

Drama Family Drama
8.1

20081h 56min

United States, Germany

Director: Clint Eastwood

Disgruntled Korean War veteran Walt Kowalski sets out to reform his neighbor, Thao Lor, a Hmong teenager who tried to steal Kowalski's prized possession: a 1972 Gran Torino.

Themes

Widower isolation, Gang dynamics, Immigration tension, Old man bias, Priest mediation, War veteran legacy

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.