Best films for families from 2014
Little kids had their moviegoing experiences enlivened in 2014 by some outstanding animated features. For tweens and teens, there were quality sci-fi epics and a few outstanding dramas and documentaries, but too few suitable-for-kids comedies.
This list organizes the Family Filmgoer's faves (and a few box office hits she just tolerated) by age recommendations, while also taking parents into account. They deserve to be entertained, too!
Films that are in theaters are marked with a *; films available via online streaming are marked with a #.
For 6 and older
"The Lego Movie" # (PG). A Lego man living in a Lego world finally defies conformity - a witty animated fable. Ingenious.
"The Book of Life" * (PG). A young hero in old Mexico breaks tradition and braves the mythic afterlife in this celebration of Mexican art and culture. Beautiful.
"The Boxtrolls" # (PG). Tiny nonsense-speaking creatures who wear cardboard boxes and live underground are rescued by a couple of kids from human predators. Wildly inventive. Droll.
"Annie" * (PG). Annie's a modern-day foster kid in this refreshing update of the stage musical, which works more often than it doesn't. Fizzy.
"Big Hero 6" * (PG). A teenage tech whiz and an inflatable nurse robot take on a villain, mostly to great hilarity, but also in response to great loss. Big-hearted.
"Penguins of Madagascar" * (PG). The mischievous birds from the "Madagascar" movies get their own riotous 'toon and fight an evil octopus. A hoot.
"Earth to Echo" # (PG). Three boys find a tiny owllike space alien in the desert and protect it in this nod to "E.T." A live-action charmer.
"Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" * (PG). A silly, high-energy, happy-family live-action farce. Just fun.
For 8 and older
"Maleficent" # (PG). Angelina Jolie swans about as the evil fairy behind the "Sleeping Beauty" tale, sharing her side of the story. A star turn.
"Island of Lemurs: Madagascar" * (G). Morgan Freeman narrates a documentary about the endangered lemurs of Madagascar. They sing, they dance. Honest.
For 10 and older
"How to Train Your Dragon 2" # (PG). Hiccup, the animated Viking kid who tames dragons, is grown now and facing problems of war, peace and parents. Highflying.
"Muppets Most Wanted" # (PG). The Muppets get a nefarious new manager, all heck breaks loose and Kermit lands in a Siberian prison camp. Quirky.
"The Hundred-Foot Journey" # (PG). A parable about a snooty French restaurateur and a man from India who sets up a competing eatery across the street. Tasty.
For 12 and older
"Into the Woods" * (PG). An ebullient adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's stage musical about fairy tales and not-always-happy endings. Oh, those great lyrics.
"Million Dollar Arm" # (PG). An easygoing story about a baseball scout who finds new pitchers in India and brings them to America. Low-key fun.
"The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" * (PG-13). The magical atmosphere and eccentric characters lighten the ponderous tendencies in "The Hobbit" movies - and this is the last one! Bittersweet.
Fine for most teens
"Guardians of the Galaxy" # (PG-13). Sci-fi/comic-book hilarity. A riot.
"Edge of Tomorrow" # (PG-13). Tom Cruise caught in a neat time warp in this underappreciated thriller. Exciting.
"Interstellar" * (PG-13). Intergalactic time travel with plenty of heart. Fascinating.
"The Imitation Game" * (PG-13). Benedict Cumberbatch dazzles as British World War II-era codebreaker and early computer maven Alan Turing. Enthralling.
"The Theory of Everything" * (PG-13). Another British genius - physicist Stephen Hawking - and his marriage, illness and a dash of science. Engrossing.
"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1" * (PG-13). Jennifer Lawrence remains stubbornly heroic and engaging in this overlong preamble to the coming finale. Heavy.
"Divergent" # (PG-13). Shailene Woodley as a teen heroine in another dystopian future - it's different and rather good. Challenging.
"The Maze Runner" # (PG-13). Teenage boys trapped in a woodland clearing surrounded by intriguing mazes, monsters and mystery. Somber.
"X-Men: Days of Future Past" # (PG-13). The X-Men travel through time and tangle with their younger selves. Handsome.
Best weepies for teens
"The Fault in Our Stars" # (PG-13). Two very ill teenagers fall in love and defy fate. Poignant.
"If I Stay" # (PG-13). Chloe Grace Moretz hovers between life and afterlife in the wake of a terrible accident. Spiritual-ish.
Fine for most high schoolers
"Selma" * (PG-13). A galvanizing yet intimate drama about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and his colleagues as they plan the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Makes you proud.
"The Good Lie" # (PG-13). Four Sudanese civil war refugees wait years to come to America and experience a big culture shock. Touching performances. Uplifting.
"St. Vincent" * (PG-13). Bill Murray as an aging, alcoholic curmudgeon, redeemed by the lonely kid next door. Heartwarming but cranky.
"Belle" # (PG). A young mixed-race woman - the daughter of a slave and an 18th-century English aristocrat - becomes an anti-slavery activist. Ravishing.
"Rosewater" (R). A dramatized true story about an Iranian-born journalist arrested and tortured while covering Iran's 2009 election. Gripping.
"Love is Strange" (R). Two older gay men, together for decades, finally marry, but then face life-changing difficulties. Perfect.
"Boyhood" # (R). A deeply involving drama, shot over 12 years, shows a boy and his family growing up. Extraordinary.
Cool documentaries for teens
"Antarctica: A Year on Ice" (PG). Who keeps those research bases humming in Antarctica while the scientists do their thing? Amazing.
"Tim's Vermeer" # (PG-13). An inventor tries to replicate the science in the great 17th-century painter's technique. Fascinating.
"Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago" # (Unrated). Ordinary folk hike an ancient path in search of faith, courage and peace. Inspiring.
"Citizenfour" * (R). Leaker Edward Snowden in his own words, filmed just as the kerfuffle hits the fan. Stunning.