6 Children's Films With Christian Principles

There’s no doubt about it. Films can have an enormous impact on our lives. Well-written films with multi-dimensional, empathetic characters and those with characters based on real people can give us insights into other people’s perspectives and challenges. Films can also encourage us to boldly pursue our dreams. Watching someone struggling to overcome obstacles in order to reach a seemingly impossible goal could be the catalyst that sets our dreams in motion. And, of course, the best films can remind us of what’s really important in life.

While films can have such powerful effects on us, they can potentially have even greater effects on children. Unfortunately, since children’s brains are still developing, the films they watch can encourage bad habits or even steer them in the wrong direction. But, thankfully, the opposite is also true. Good films can nurture good values and principles. Since most parents want their children to embrace the values and principles that they believe are good, finding children’s films that reflect them is one great way to instill those beliefs in their kids.

For Christian families, films that demonstrate Christian principles can be a blessing. Whether or not they’re Christian films, they can have a positive impact on children’s faith. Here are six children’s films that beautifully illustrate Christian principles. And although they each contain different Christian principles, there’s one that is present in all of them. It’s what Jesus said was the second greatest Commandment – that we should love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Home Alone

20th Century Fox

Since debuting in 1990, “Home Alone” has become a perennial Christmas favorite for many people. When a precocious child is accidentally left home alone, while his family goes away on a Christmas vacation, he discovers that two men plan to burglarize his home. He musters up the courage to defend his home and outsmart the bumbling bandits.

Despite the hilarious hijinks of Kevin McCallister (played by Macaulay Culkin), the Christian principle that we should love our neighbors is demonstrated in a couple of ways. In a touching scene, the neighbor who Kevin was previously afraid of is consoled and given kind advice by Kevin, and the neighbor later helps him as well. Kevin’s mother is also helped with transportation home by a stranger she meets. Additionally, Kevin also demonstrates the principles that we should forgive one another, that we should be peacemakers and that we should honor our fathers and our mothers.

The Little Princess

Warner Bros

In the 1939 adaptation of the Frances Hodgson Burnett novel “A Little Princess,” Shirley Temple plays Sara Crewe, a tenacious little girl who lost her mother and is devoted to her father. When he has to go to war, the wealthy man enrolls his daughter at a prestigious London boarding school for girls. But when he is presumed dead – and it’s believed that the family’s fortune was stolen – Sara is forced to give up her fine clothes and warm, elegant room, so she can become an unappreciated servant and live in a dark, cold attic room.

This film also illustrates, in multiple ways, that we should love our neighbors. It does so through Sara’s generosity of her time and treasure to others when she’s wealthy and her generosity of her time and talent when she’s poor. With the exception of the woman who runs the school and a vain, spoiled girl, most characters show their love for Sara as well. Additionally, the film shows the power of faith, as Sara never gives up hope that her dad will return. And through her humble, kind, gracious disposition, she illustrates what it means to be poor in spirit.

Akeelah and the Bee

Lionsgate Films

The 2006 film starring Keke Palmer as Akeelah is inspirational and uplifting for both children and adults. In it, 11-year-old Akeelah is a bright, kind-hearted girl who has a gift for spelling that she has quietly honed for years. Even though spelling helps her feel connected to her late dad, she’s initially afraid to compete in spelling bees because she doesn’t want to be made fun of or to draw attention to herself. But when she’s recruited for her school’s competition, she begins a challenging journey that leads her to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The film teaches children to love their neighbors through Akeelah’s kindness towards others. While she appreciates and loves her friends, community and coach, the principle is most clearly seen when she attempts to lose a competition to help a boy who was rude to her. The film also teaches kids to let their lights shine and to work hard to achieve their goals.

Little Boy

Open Road Films

In “Little Boy,” the poignant film that was released in 2015 and features Jakob Salvati as Pepper, a young boy is bullied because of his small stature. But while his dad – his best friend – must fight in WWII, Pepper does all that he can to stand tall in his faith. After hearing a priest preach the Gospel about the mustard seed, he asks another priest what he needs to do to make his faith strong enough to end the war, so that his dad will return home. The priest gives him a list of the Corporal Works of Mercy that Jesus asks us to do. He tells Pepper that if he completes the list after becoming friends with the Japanese neighbor who most of the town hates/fears out of prejudice, his faith will be strong enough to do amazing things.

Like in the other three films, kids are taught to love their neighbors through the actions of the main character. He genuinely becomes friends with and defends a neighbor who he hated. And although the film is not specifically a children’s film due to violence and complex situations, the film can teach kids the extraordinary power of faith and the Corporal Works of Mercy.

Chicken Run

DreamWorks Pictures

Like “Home Alone,” “Chicken Run” is an endearing film in the form of a comedy. The 2000 animated film tells the tale of a close-knit community of chickens “imprisoned” on a farm in England. Ginger, the leader of the hens, attempts to escape several times, but she’s caught every time. So, when Rocky, a charming rooster who appears to know how to fly, drops onto the farm – after he runs away from a circus – Ginger believes he’s the answer to their prayers. She convinces him to stay and to teach them all how to fly. Then, the chickens all work together to get themselves off the farm.

In this film, all the chickens show their love for each other by working together. But it’s best demonstrated when Ginger risks her life for the community and when Rocky faces danger to help them as well, despite previously being a self-centered rooster. The film also illustrates the way we are all blessed with different gifts and if we share them while working together, amazing things can happen. It also demonstrates the importance of faith.

Ratatouille

Buena Vista Pictures

The 2007 Pixar film “Ratatouille” is another heartwarming animated comedy. In it, Remy, a lovable rat living in France, dreams of becoming a chef. When the talented rodent is separated from his family and friends while escaping a dangerous situation, he ends up alone in a dark place. But he soon learns he’s in Paris and he meets Linguini, an untalented kitchen worker at one of the finest restaurants in the city. With Remy’s culinary skills and Linguini’s hands, the two work to become one of the best chefs in Paris.

Remy demonstrates that he loves his neighbors by helping Linguini to save his job, despite the dangers that humans pose to rats. He also shows it through his care for other rats. The film also demonstrates how much we need each other and how we should try to make the world a better place by using the gifts we’ve been given.