Movies About Family Dynamics

From Tim Burton, starring Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange
Rated PG-13

Big Fish is a 2003 fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Tim Burton, written by John August, and starring Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, and Danny DeVito. The film follows Edward Bloom, a father and traveling salesman from the American South who tells his son stories about his incredible life. While Edward's stories are grand and fantastical, his son, Will, believes them to be exaggerated. When Edward becomes ill, Will embarks on a journey to discover the truth behind his father's tales. Big Fish combines elements of fantasy, comedy, and drama to tell the story of a father and son's emotional journey. Along the way, they learn the importance of family, friendship, and accepting one another's differences.

From Woody Allen, starring Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest, Michael Caine, Barbara Hershey
Rated PG-13

Hannah and Her Sisters tells the story of three sisters, Hannah (Mia Farrow), Lee (Barbara Hershey), and Holly (Dianne Wiest), from New York. Over the course of one year, the sisters, along with their husbands, lovers, and friends, experience love, heartbreak, joy, and pain. Hannah is married to Elliot (Michael Caine), who is having an affair with Lee, while Holly is a struggling actress looking for love. The story follows the sisters and their relationships with each other and those around them, ultimately revealing how all of their lives are interconnected. The film emphasizes the importance of family and how it can bring joy and pain, but ultimately it all works out in the end.

From Robert Redford, starring Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch, Timothy Hutton
Rated R

Ordinary People is a 1980 drama film written by Alvin Sargent, directed by Robert Redford, and starring Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch, and Timothy Hutton. It follows the disintegration of an upper-middle-class family in Lake Forest, Illinois, after the death of one of their sons in a boating accident. The film follows the surviving son, Conrad (Hutton), as he struggles with his own grief and guilt while his family slowly falls apart. His mother (Moore) is consumed with her own grief and begins to rely on her husband (Sutherland) for emotional support, while his father struggles to stay strong for his wife and sons. The film deals with themes of death, loss, depression, and family dynamics, as Conrad struggles to make sense of his life and his place in his family.

From Lasse Hallström, starring Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis, Mary Steenburgen
Rated PG-13

What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a 1993 drama film directed by Lasse Hallström and starring Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Juliette Lewis. The film follows the life of the Grape family in the small town of Endora, Iowa. Gilbert Grape (Depp) is the eldest son of Bonnie (Darlene Cates) and must care for his mentally-disabled brother Arnie (DiCaprio) and their morbidly obese mother. Gilbert also works at a local grocery store and is in an on/off relationship with a married older woman, Betty Carver (Mary Steenburgen). Meanwhile, Arnie's antics are causing trouble in town and Gilbert must protect him and the family. As Gilbert struggles with the responsibility of taking care of the family, a traveling salesman named Tucker (John C. Reilly) arrives in town and the two become friends. In the end, Gilbert learns to accept responsibility and to take care of his family.

From Wes Anderson, starring Gene Hackman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller
Rated R

The Royal Tenenbaums is a 2001 comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson and starring Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Owen Wilson, and Luke Wilson. It follows the exploits of the eccentric Tenenbaum family – Royal (Hackman), his children Chas (Stiller), Margot (Paltrow), and Richie (Owen Wilson) – who were once highly successful but are now struggling with their lives. After the death of their mother Etheline (Huston), Royal attempts to reunite the family by having them all move back into their shared childhood home. As the family members attempt to cope with their lives and the past family secrets, they attempt to repair their fractured relationships and find reconciliation.

From Woody Allen, starring Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest, Mike Starr, Paul Herman
Rated PG

From Noah Baumbach, starring Owen Kline, Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Jesse Eisenberg
Rated R

From Robert Redford, starring Craig Sheffer, Brad Pitt, Tom Skerritt, Brenda Blethyn
Rated PG

From Sam Mendes, starring John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Allison Janney, Carmen Ejogo
Rated R

From Lisa Cholodenko, starring Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska
Rated R

From Jay Roach, starring Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Teri Polo, Blythe Danner
Rated PG-13

From Ron Howard, starring Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Dianne Wiest, Jason Robards
Rated PG-13

From Lasse Hallström, starring Jennifer Lopez, Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman, Josh Lucas
Rated PG-13

From Derick Martini, starring Rory Culkin, Alec Baldwin, Jill Hennessy, Emma Roberts
Rated R

From Peter Hedges, starring Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, Alison Pill
Rated PG-13

From Christine Jeffs, starring Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Jason Spevack
Rated R

From Mike Binder, starring Joan Allen, Kevin Costner, Erika Christensen, Evan Rachel Wood
Rated R

From Jonathan Demme, starring Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Debra Winger, Sebastian Stan
Rated R

From Michael Clancy, starring Ray Romano, Jesse Bradford, Hank Azaria, Rip Torn
Rated R

From Charles Shyer, starring Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Martin Short, Kimberly Williams-Paisley
Rated PG

From Jodie Foster, starring Holly Hunter, Anne Bancroft, Robert Downey Jr., Charles Durning
Rated PG-13

From Thomas Bezucha, starring Dermot Mulroney, Sarah Jessica Parker, Claire Danes, Diane Keaton
Rated PG-13

From Andy Tennant, starring Reese Witherspoon, Patrick Dempsey, Josh Lucas, Candice Bergen
Rated PG-13