Family Movie Nights

To help families spend time together and share common experiences, The Leadership Institute provides recommendations for Family Movie Night. Each week, a new movie recommendation and explanation is available for your consideration. Enjoy the show!

If you are looking to see where a particular movie is streaming or is available online, please visit https://www.justwatch.com

Cinderella
After her father unexpectedly dies, young Ella (Lily James) finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and stepsisters, who reduce her to scullery maid. Despite her… Read More
Matilda
Matilda is a heartwarming yet difficult movie about a young girl who loves to read. She wanders back and forth to the library with a wagon full of books; while… Read More
Moana
Released in 2016, Moana tells the tale of a chief’s daughter from the Polynesian island Motunui. She must go on a quest – one that is filled with danger, delight,… Read More
The Fourth Wise Man
Adaptation of Henry Van Dyke’s vintage short story “The Other Wise Man,” tells of a fourth Magi (Martin Sheen) who is delayed in following the star to Bethlehem, then finally… Read More
It’s A Wonderful Life
Seasonal favorite about the joys and trials of a good man (James Stewart) who, facing financial ruin on the eve of Christmas, contemplates suicide until his guardian angel (Henry Travers)… Read More
A Muppet Christmas Carol
In this sprightly version of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” Muppets Kermit, Miss Piggy, the Great Gonzo, Rizzo the Rat and Fozzie Bear have incidental roles as Michael Caine portrays… Read More
The Bells of St. Mary’s
Director Leo McCarey’s sequel to “Going My Way” (1944) pulls out all the emotional stops in a sugary confection that takes happy-go-lucky Father O’Malley (Bing Crosby) to a poor parish… Read More
Joyeux Noel
Intensely moving World War I tale of soldiers — Scottish, French and German — who spontaneously agree to a cease-fire on the Western front on Christmas Eve as they hear… Read More
Fred Claus
Generally funny yet bittersweet tale of a sad-sack Chicago repo man (Vince Vaughn) who travels to the North Pole to help his younger, more popular brother, St. Nicholas (Paul Giamatti),… Read More
Henry Poole Is Here
This Hollywood sleeper provides some great insight into how human beings function when we believe that hope is gone. The story focuses Henry Poole’s general malaise towards life and the… Read More
We Are Marshall
My family loves this movie. We Are Marshall is based on the true story of the football program at Marshall University, virtually wiped out in November 1970 when the crash… Read More