It doesn’t matter what your political or religious affiliation is, I think it’s universal fact that no grown parents want to watch graphic sex scenes or gratuitous violence with their also grown kids. True story: When Charlie was 3 weeks old Brian’s parents were staying with us, we put on The Wolf Of Wall Street for us all to watch together, cuddled up on the sofa – I next to Brian’s dad. Bob still tells this story about how unbelievably uncomfortable it was to watch some of the scenes with Brian and I (and the baby) – I think one involving a drug being consumed off of a nice ladies’ rear end. He was so horrified and embarrassed, and we were all uncomfortable. Thus this post. So what do you watch with your parents? Of course, you could watch family-friendly or G rated films, but we aren’t kids anymore so what are the good, adult movies to watch without the awkwardness? With so many people (especially millennials) who might be crashing with their parents right now, we figured we’d try to help and give a list.
My favorite tip that came from putting together this post is you can google “does Bourne Identity have sex and violence” and IMBD will come up and on their “Parental Guide” page they’ll really break it down by category and even describe it like this:
- A man’s and a woman’s upper bodies are both stripped to their vests while he cuts her hair short in order to hide her identity. After he has finished, they kiss passionately.
- Pornographic poster in one quick shot during a car chase in Paris. Fairly prominent.
- A man and a woman kiss passionately and he removes his shirt before the camera backs out of their hotel room, leaving it ambiguous as to whether or not they had sex. She is, however, seen waking up in the morning fully clothed, and he is sitting in a chair in the bedroom fully clothed.
I think this is hilarious and I kinda want this job. I’m serious. Also, Common Sense Media is a great resource if you wanting to make sure that there isn’t, say, a threesome in the rom-com you are about to put on with dad.
Dramas
From Emily – “Brian’s dad’s favorite movie is The Descendants and while we haven’t watched it, Brian’s parents are obsessed with it so I’m sure it’s rather tame, but still a great movie for grownups.”
From Ryann – Forest Gump: I definitely watched this back when I didn’t understand half of what was going on, but I still very much enjoyed it. It’s a classic and definitely heavy at times, but I think it’s suitable for watching with my parents and it’s a flick that everyone enjoys.
From Sara – Slumdog Millionaire: This is really fun, beautiful film that my dad who is a big film nerd appreciated and my mom who needs something with a happy ending were both really happy watching.
From Julie – Won’t You Be My Neighbor: If you haven’t seen this already, have a box of tissues handy. My mom and I saw this together in the theater when it came out and every fifteen minutes one or both of us were crying. It’s pure joy and so heartwarming to hear all the good things that Mr. Rogers did throughout his career on the show that I never picked up on as a child.
From Ryann – Remember The Titans: A great movie no matter what, but it’s especially great for watching with parents. I mean, Denzel Washington AND football AND the fight against racism in the south? There’s literally something for everyone.
From Julie – The Greatest Showman: This one is at the top of my all-time favorite movies list. It’s one that you could literally watch with anyone; your grandmother, brother, dog, friend, uncle & little kids. The story is so engaging the songs are amazing and Jess’ dad is this movie’s number one fan. (From Jess: He literally “dances” the entire time it’s on. It’s pretty funny but also the music and dancing are SO GOOD that it’s almost impossible not to.)
From Julie – Little Women (2019): You know a story is compelling when it has 6 movie remakes and although I have only seen 2 of them, Greta Gerwig’s version might just be my favorite. Maybe it is because I have seen the 1994 version with Winona Ryder so many times but I love that this take isn’t in chronological order and lets you see the character growth more.
Comedies
From Emily – I love a ‘switch’ movie more than most, it’s true, and Big is probably one of the best. It makes you feel good, you laugh a lot and our collective best friend, Tom Hanks, is so charming and funny. If you haven’t seen it in a while, It’s such an easy one to throw on and EVERYONE loves it.
From Mallory – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: I just rewatched this the other day and it KILLED. My parents first showed this to me when I was like 7 or something (I don’t think I liked it at that age), but that’s just proof that it’s not that awkward. Enjoy this one!!
From Ryann – Dumb and Dumber: This happens to be my mom’s favorite movie and I’ve watched it with both my parents countless times. Obviously it’s not PG, but there aren’t any scenes that make me want to crawl in a hole and die if my parents are watching beside me.
From Sara – Sing Street: This is a really sweet, endearing coming of age story, and a really fun take on a musical that doesn’t feel like a musical. My dad is not one for a Disney style musical, but he really enjoyed this indie-style film. This is one of my absolute favorite movies.
From Caitlin – Wine Country: It’s an all-star cast made up of incredible women (Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, et. al.) and it’s about a group of women who fly to Napa to celebrate Rachel Dratch’s 50th birthday. (I forgot her character name, whoops. I swear this movie is good.) My mom and I stumbled on this last summer, we opened a bottle of wine, and we laughed til we cried. It deals with some adult themes (job loss, kinda deadbeat husbands, illness, etc.) but in a way that’s light, funny, and joyful. It’s the perfect movie for some adult-child and parent bonding — grown-up enough to be entertaining, but with no graphic scenes that will cause that “I don’t know where to look! Should I watch? Should I pretend to look at my phone?” kind of panic. Also, there’s a Brene Brown cameo!!! ANYWAY, I really like this movie, please talk about it with me in the comments.
From Jess – Father of the Bride 1 & 2: Do I even need to explain this? Pure nostalgic gold.
From Jess – Shaun Of The Dead: I wouldn’t be described AS a “zombie loving” kind of person but I loved Shaun of the Dead. I saw it for the first time 2 years ago and can’t believe it took me so long. No intense love stuff and just straight-up hysterical.
From Mallory – The Parent Trap: SUCH a classic. Do I need to even explain myself here? Watch it with your parents, dog, sister, brother, aunt, uncle. Force everyone to watch it even if that means sharing your screen on zoom
Romantic Comedies
From Julie – Kate & Leopold: Since this movie came out in 2001 I have probably seen this movie over 20 times. A romantic-comedy that includes time travel plus Hugh Jackman and Meg Ryan, I’m there! It’s still my mom, sister and my favorite movie to watch together.
From Jess – The Princess Bride: The Princess Bride was THE Bunge family movie growing up so I can confirm it’s not awkward to watch with family and it’s just the best movie ever.
Action
From Emily – Bourne Identity: Besides a “passionate kiss” or two, it’s pretty tame and one of my favorite movies/series mostly because Matt Damon is gripping to watch (I think Good Will Hunting is a tame adult one, too).
From Emily – Captain America is one of the only action movies that I really loved, but honestly, all the marvel movies (Per Brian’s recommendation) are highly entertaining but tame. He also really wants me to recommend Avengers and Batman Begins.
Docu-Series
From Sara – The Imagineering Story: If you have Disney+ (or a free one-year subscription like we do via Verizon) this is a really, really interesting 6 part TV series that’s all about the Imagineers and their history. It mostly centers around the building of all the Disney theme parks, but we were riveted. It’s 100% family-friendly, but maybe a little boring for anyone younger than 9. Great for adults.
From Jess – The Last Dance: I know that the world is probably already watching this 10 part docu-series on Michael Jordan and the ‘90s Chicago Bulls but it’s amazing! To be fair my dad is from Chicago and I remember watching those games and how exciting they were. But whether you are a sports fan or not, the stories are incredible and we both love it. It’s currently on ESPN on Sundays but if you have the ESPN app you can watch all of the ones that have already aired.
TV Shows
From Sara – Great British Baking Show: I could not NOT recommend this show. My absolute favorite TV show, good for any and all ages, so wholesome. So good.
From Ryann – Band Of Brothers: This is a great show to watch if your family is into war movies. It’s extremely well done and heartwarming in the most unexpected ways. It’s about World War II, so it is not without blood and violence, but it’s a show I think everyone should watch because it portrays the war and brotherhood in such a compelling way. I cry a lot while watching it, obviously. Oh and each episode starts with interviews from the actual survivors of Easy Company so it’s based on actual events. My entire family loves it and even though it’s quite heavy we’re almost always down to watch it.
From Jess – 30 Rock: I know this is a TV show but hey MORE viewing hours isn’t a bad thing at the moment, right? Plus, it’s just the best. Definitely not for the ultra-conservative relatives but so smart, funny and any slight cringy moment passes within a couple of seconds.
From Jess – Parks and Recreation: Another all-time favorite TV gem. Even less “race-y” than 30 Rock but just as smart and funny. What I would give to see it for the first time again!
From Ryann – The Office (U.S. version, obviously): If you haven’t binge-watched this show multiple times with your entire family, what are ya doing???
That’s all from us so now it’s your turn. What movies do you love that you can actually sit through and enjoy with parents or in-laws? We want the scoop. xx
Opener Image Credit: Design by Orlando Soria | Photo by Zeke Ruelas | From: Combining Furniture Styles In The Casa Soria Family Room
While I would enjoy my Italian American MIL’s cooking and FIL’s jokes and easy humor, were we to be stuck together during these times, I can’t imagine a single “live” tv, movie or series that wouldn’t tap into my intense dislike of the “Dancing with the Stars’ genre they so love, or our acute discomfort at their acute discomfort with anything relating to sex, any religion other than theirs, any race other than theirs or who they identify with, any mention of other genders than those they recognize, anything illegal or dishonest in their eyes…you get the drift.
Nope, Nada, No Way. “No really, you guys take the tv tonight (and every night, for that matter.) We’re going to make it an early night (and watch anything we want on the laptop under the covers!)
I recommend “The Martian” unless anyone’s allergic to science fiction.
Ha yes and Interstellar is another good one! Totally blanked on Sci Fi (including Star Wars which is my dad’s favorite)
Yesss!! It’s so good!
Tom Hanks in “That Thing You Do” the music and the story are both great!
Came here to say this! It’s just the best! Fun, funny, genuine, well acted. One of my favorite movies of all time.
Love this movie, too. It has a joyful, innocent vibe, kind of like La-La-Land. The one-hit-wonder theme song will stay in your brain for a long time. It deserves to be better known.
There’s a sexual reference and quite a bit of the f-word thrown about as the Scottish and Irish can do, but Wild Rose is a great movie. Jessie Buckley is great as an immature mom who wants to be a country star but lives in Glasgow. The love story is between her and her mom and it’s a little gritty, but really great.
Just watched this with my mom, we loved it!
I have two great ones that came out in the last year or so! Instant family on Amazon Prime is about a couple that ventures into fostering/adoption and it is so heartwarming with a lot of funny moments, my mom and I loved it on a rainy Saturday! Also it has Tig Nataro and I’ve never not liked something she’s in.
Next is Knives Out! The murder mystery that came out in the fall. It’s funny with a compelling plot and twists and turns. My whole family watched this past Sunday (you have to rent it) and everyone enjoyed it immensely.
Oh yess I loved Instant Family!! Cried my eyes out haha
Just watched Knives out with my picky teen daughters and we loved it too!
Yay, another terrific movie post! I saw CBS is bringing back the Sunday night movie in the 7/8pm timeslot and seems to be aiming squarely at this demographic discussed here- I’m all for it!
I mainly hate the squirm factor of watching romance with my dad so I gravitate to the action/adventure side of things, where I feel like Harrison Ford is king of the watch-with-parents flick- the Indiana Jones series, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, The Fugitive, and one of my all-time faves- Six Days, Seven Nights.
In the same genre, I have watched Spy Game with Brad Pitt and Robert Redford many, many times- still such a great story! My husband’s repeat viewing fave is National Treasure, and if your folks are fine with delightfully excessive profanity and action, I heartily recommend Hitman’s Bodyguard with Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L Jackson for laughs.
I’m simultaneously embarrassed and proud of myself that it took probably under ten seconds of staring a that photo before I could place it as Orlando’s parents’ house. Right!?
I never thought I’d be in so deep.
haha welcome my friend:)
oh man, i’ve been in kid-land too long. The “Descendants” recommendation at the top had me very confused until I clicked through. I thought you were talking about the Disney one about all the kids of Disney Villains. LOL. So not the same thing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Descendants_(2015_film)
That’s what I thought too, and then did a double take that it was Brian’s Dads favorite!! LOL!
My parents and I really enjoyed watching The Crown together, and then watching the CNN’s “The Windsors: Inside the Royal Dynasty” to follow up because we couldn’t get enough!
If you love the royal family and comedy, you should also watch Channel 4’s “mock” series The Windsors. The first couple seasons are on Netflix. It’s so fun.
https://www.netflix.com/title/80216651?s=i&trkid=13752289
We had 3 generations watch “Jumanji – Welcome to the Jungle” (2017). It was a hit! The sequel, was less of one though because my mom objected to all of Danny Devito’s swearing. (Oh well.)
Anyone else have trouble settling in for a movie at home with any visitors of any kind? Even my own parents- I feel like we should be talking instead and I’m not an extrovert. Tv shoes do not have the same effect on me.
I liked Sully a lot. And 33 (or is it The 33?)
Comedy:. Dan In Real Life
Yes, my mom and I love that movie so much!!! Thank you for reminding me of it Cindy. 🙂
I would add, The Impossible. It is the true story of the family that survived the tsunami in Thailand. Naomi watts and Ewan McGregor are amazing in their roles as always. The film is dramatic, heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful and remarkably, has a happy ending. Saw it with my dad a few months ago and we both loved it.
Also for international movies, everyone should watch the persian film, A Separation. So beautiful, so real.
Caitlin! Wine Country is the BEST. My friend and I have watched it countless times. From Lady Sunshine, to Devon’s paella, to the E.R. scene — it’s so, so funny. Glad to see you recommended it 😊
YEEEEES. I’m laughing again now!! It’s my go-to movie if I can’t fall asleep and can’t find the right ep of The Office or Parks & Rec, too. Just SO FUNNY.
Caitlin- my Wine Country story is that almost exactly this time last year(the actual weekend the movie premiered!) I went with a group of 12 girlfriends to a big beach house in Ocean city, MD to celebrate one of their 50th birthdays. There was a lot of drinking, a little smoking along with tons of laughter. I got home that Sunday night & watched Wine Country & thought “OMG we just lived this! They were listening in on our trip” A few weeks later many of us got together with several bottles of wine & watched it as a group. The dialog is not just outstanding, it is so authentic- there were phrases they said that we say to each other all the time.
1. Shawshank Redemption
2. Catch Me If You Can
3. Dick and Jane
4. Love Affair (Warren Beatty, Annette Benning)
5. Anything with Tom Hanks is a good bet.
I really like Shawshank and Catch Me if You Can, too.
My MIL and I are zooming through Seaside Hotel (Danish Series) and we are loving it. Each season is a summer at a tiny hotel on the Danish coast during the late 20s/30s.
Another good subtitled series is Velvet (Spanish). Set during the 50s in a fashion house with a large staff that lives in the building and wealthy clients.
Second Hand Lions and For the Love of the Game are two great adult movies.
Apollo 13 is a great family movie as well.
Yes! Band of Brothers is fantastic. And Remember the Titans. Ryann, I think we’re on the same wavelength, movie-wise!
Here are my fav’s that are suitable for wide audiences:
Drama: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Schindler’s List(eh- some questionable scenes, but great movie), The Hunt for Red October, Shawshank Redemption, Defiance, Dr. Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia, A Family Thing, Tender Mercies, Honkytonk Man, Pride & Prejudice (Knightley), The African Queen, Casa Blanca, To Kill A Mockingbird, Benny and Joon.
Comedies: The Man Who Would Be King, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Cap’n Ron, Goin’ South, A New Leaf, Mixed Nuts, 3 Fugitives, The Last Detail, Hopscotch, Elf, Father Goose, Coming to America, Trading Places.
Rom-Coms (also known as DACF’s): Love, Actually, About a Boy, Dan in Real Life, The Holiday, While You Were Sleeping, Sleepless in Seattle, Sabrina (old and new), Corrina Corrina, Harold and Maude. Anything with Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Katharine Hepburn, Bogey, or Gregory Peck.
Docu-series: Band of Brothers (interviews with the real guys)
TV: yeah, none.
(I liked the Father of the Bride(s) and The Descendants, too.)
Oh! And The Last Samurai! Drama.
And Catch me if You Can!
Searching for Bobby Fisher!
And Gran Torino- reminded of that when we just watched Honkytonk Man. Clint Eastwood’s son Kyle (a jazz musician) was in that, and I read up on him- he wrote the song for Gran Torino- and I remembered that as a great one, too.
The Green Mile.
Life is Beautiful.
I had a private laugh at just the thought of attempting to watch Outlander with parents!!! LOL! Those steamy scenes! Crazy good plot line, but …. sizzle sizzle! 🤣
MIL Suz here. Emily, can’t believe Brian didn’t mention Young Frankenstein. OMG, he, his brother & Bob must have watched it 100 times!!!
I was just kicking myself because I couldn’t think of anything to watch with my co-quarantine buddy, my 89 year old mother. We just sit and watch TV reruns al day. She can’t hear well and I narrate. Yes, it’s awkward and I don’t want to narrate THAT stuff. Thank you for saving me from myself.
Have you seen Peanut Butter Falcon? We loved it and our adult children recommend it! In fact my daughter, who’s 47, has recommended tons of movies that we absolutely loved. Another one is Jojo Rabbit.
Kids-In-Mind is another good website for a breakdown of Sex&Nudity, Violence&Gore, and Language. It gives a verbal description of the action.
Wait, Wine Country!? I distinctly remember there being a scene where one lady hands out a bunch vibrators to the others. Plus doesn’t the Jason Schwartzman character have sex with a bunch of the women? I would definitely not want to watch that with my family!
Years ago, I was home visiting my folks and I was trying to convince them how good True Blood was. So we put on the first episode to watch together and OMG I can feel my face getting hot just thinking about it. When recommending it, I somehow totally blocked out all of the super graphic sex (and bloodsucking) in that show. Aaaaaahhhhhhhh I’m still not over it.
Some go-to movies I could watch with my parents without wanting to leave and never come back: Moonstruck, Groundhog Day, Uncle Buck, Sleepless in Seattle, Inside Man, Galaxy Quest, Moonrise Kingdom, Thor: Ragnarok.
Yes! I was surprised to see Wine Country on this list too, for that scene along! I really enjoyed it and have watched it multiple times, but would NOT watch it with my parents!
HAHA yes, that does happen. I guess it depends on your parent. My mom kind of toes the line on being more traditional — you know, like I’m almost 30 and if I brought someone home, he’d have to sleep in a different room — but this still didn’t feel like too much vs. an actual sex scene. I think it’d be different if like…people were talking about using their vibrator?? FWIW I grew up with just a mom so I honestly don’t know if this is weirder for people with two parents, haha. And with Devin, things are just implied rather than shown which is def key to minimize awkwardness!!!
That’s fair! Good point about Devin. Oddly, my parents wouldn’t ask their kids to sleep in separate rooms from their boyfriends/girlfriends. It’s not that my folks are traditional, it’s more that I don’t want to acknowledge the existence of sex toys — or as my father has called them, “marital aids” CRINGE CRINGE CRINGE— in their presence.
We watched the Truman Show on our weekly FFF(Forced Family Fun) night & I had forgotten how wonderful it was. We have kids 23-11 so finding something we can all watch is always a struggle. Some ones I don’t think I saw mentioned yet
Strictly Ballroom
Moulin Rouge
My Best Friend’s Wedding
My Big Fat Greek Wedding & the sequel
Crazy Rich Asians
Modern Family
Trains Planes and Automobiles
and literally anything with Tom Hanks!
Possibly my favourite movie of all movies (and one I force everyone I know to watch – parents or otherwise) is Hunt for the Wilderpeople. The best way I can think of to describe it is Up meets Flight of the Conchords meets Wes Anderson (though it’s actually directed by the delightful Taika Waititi). It’s such a sweet, funny, and feel-good story, and so far everyone that’s watched it with me has also loved it.
The Canadian series Heartland. Kind of like Anne of Green Gables on a ranch with horses. Something like 11 seasons. My husband likes it as much as I do.