By David Young · December 2, 2024
For every film out there, at least a few tropes are being used to make it feel universal to the audience. When thinking about family films, the same idea applies. There are stories about the sudden bestowal of magic or stories about an uprising; there are characters caught out of their element (fish out of water); and there are classic plots like the body swap or the end of the world as we know it.
Whatever the story, there’s a clear direction provided by the prominent tropes that form the concepts of each movie—making family films like the ones on this list some of the best representatives to point to, especially to help young audiences get familiar with what kind of stories they like.
Screenplay by: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, and Jared Bush
Every murder mystery and crime thriller that has a detective and a high-ranking corruption can tip its hat to Zootopia. In this film, a city of animals seems like paradise to a rookie cop who hails from the country, only to shock her as she tries to earn her stripes by using her skills to discover a serious problem—and a criminal she must work with to uncover the truth.
Much like every hard-boiled detective story, Judy’s tale doesn’t end with the obvious crime but with a problem that runs much deeper for Zootopia as a whole.
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Screenplay by: Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon
It might be long after the end of Earth, but waste-cleaning robot WALL-E is stuck doing his job until he finds love. Smitten with a probe named EVE who returns to Earth to inform future humans of the planet’s habitability, WALL-E protects EVE on the trash-filled planet until they both are whisked away to a ship carrying the remnants of humanity, forever altered by their habits to live sedentary lives with straws and hovercrafts galore.
For WALL-E, whose existence has been defined by his solitary task for far too long, EVE’s arrival marks a brand new set of circumstances for him to navigate, very much making him a “fish out of water.”
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Screenplay by: Jennifer Lee
Keeping magic bottled up has fairly obvious dangers, but the consequences weren’t made too clear to sisters Elsa and Anna.
When Elsa accidentally uses her magical gift, she becomes an “enemy of the state,” retreating to the wilderness to live out her days in a place where she can finally let go. The trouble is, this sudden release of magic has created more than just weather phenomena—Elsa’s magic is now also slowly killing her sister.
It will do that and change the landscape if left unchecked, making this a very clear demonstration of the stakes that happen when you hide dangerous things or use something without knowledge of its consequences.
Download the script!Read More: All in the Rhythm: A Musical Odyssey
Screenplay by: Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman
Sometimes, it’s a vat of toxic waste, and other times it’s just magic. For Miles Morales, though, it’s a radioactive spider that bestows upon him some superpowers.
Like in every story of its ilk, this new power comes with problems of its own, and Miles has to navigate these while being drawn to the fate of others in the Spider-Verse—an interdimensional web (forgive the pun) of Spider-People from other universes, all affected by the supervillain technology now bridging a gap between these different versions of Miles’s universe.
Download the script!Read More: 10 of the Most Influential Animated Movies of All Time
Screenplay by: Heather Hach
Some story tropes are so well-defined that they do best just being retold with not much spin on them. Instead, enjoy the shenanigans from the classic tales they inspire.
The body swap is one such trope, and in Freaky Friday (2003), a mother and daughter swap bodies in a more contemporary love letter to the 1970s film featuring the same gimmick. With stakes like a wedding and a battle of the bands on the horizon, the two family members must navigate the shock and hilarity that ensues as they begin to live each other’s lives.
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Screenplay by: Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton
The Lion King is a magnificent reminder of how well some stories are told over the ages. In fact, as timeless as it is, the original feature has a story that’s inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet, with the coup being a lot less subtle in the Disney tale.
In this story about a stolen kingdom, this family film depicts murder and subterfuge to show the audience how Simba was wronged by Scar, and that he is the one true king of the Pridelands. What he’ll do about it, though, remains to be seen after he becomes an exile.
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Screenplay by: Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio, and Sergio Pablos
Not every villain has lofty ambitions, but Gru and other supervillains of his ilk sure do. In an attempt to outdo an unknown rival, Gru begins plans to steal the moon itself, and he later adopts some children in an attempt to sabotage his rival villain.
Unluckily for him, though, these three orphans turn out to be pretty endearing, and they might become a bit of a distraction if Gru plans to go through with his plans—that is if someone else doesn’t steal the moon before he does.
This story depicts a villain who, much like the Grinch, grows a heart. This is a universal type of tale that really stands out to kids and adults alike, making Despicable Me and movies like it well-loved by audiences all over.
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Screenplay by: Adrian Molina and Matthew Aldrich
Miguel, a young boy with aspirations as a musician, finds himself stuck in the Land of the Dead after accidentally destroying and inadvertently stealing a clue to the existence of another musician in his family. He takes this opportunity to look for the soul of his great-great-grandfather with the hopes of getting his blessing to pursue music and prove himself to his loving family.
In his journey into this world, Miguel discovers that there are rules and rituals he must adhere to, but with this blessing, he aims to break the most recent tradition his family has held: their ban on music.
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Screenplay by: Charise Castro Smith and Jared Bush
There are stories where just one person starts to see the signs of the end. It might just be the end of something good, or sometimes the end of the world as they know it. In this case, Mirabel sees that coming well before the rest of her family, as she sees the cracking of their magical house beginning.
While every other family member receives a magical gift, it’s Mirabel who doesn’t, which begs the question, “Is she the only one who sees the family’s magic running out?” If so, she’s in a race against time to help the family find out how to fix the problem before it affects everyone in their encanto, the home they’ve made for themselves thanks to this miraculous gift.
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Everyone learning to tell stories—or wanting to find the best fits for them to enjoy—can benefit from figuring out which tropes they love best.
From these family-friendly examples, you can begin to realize if you’re the type who loves seeing journeys into brand-new worlds or watching a villain experience a change of heart. Whatever it is that makes you think and feel, there are versions of that story that are perfect for every audience—including kids and adults alike. Have a look at any one of these family films for such examples!
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