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Valentine’s Day is just days away and, no matter how you feel about the holiday, you’ve likely spent some time thinking about how you’re going to spend it this year. Listen, we know that a lot goes into this one day a year, and we wish that a lot of V-Day customs could just exist all year long (hello, flowers and chocolate) — while others, like the stress about whether or not you need to make this day a big deal, we wish could go away completely. Regardless, this might be the best year yet to just take some time relaxing, staying home, and watching a good movie — one that, flying in the face of the Valentine’s Day industrial complex, celebrates a non-romantic kind of love.
Hear us out: the bonds between brothers and sisters, mothers and daughters, and close friends can be just as important to your life — if not more — than the romantic loves you have along the way. And this Valentine’s Day, we recommend that you celebrate those other great loves with these non-romantic movies — many of which happen to be perfect for the whole family to enjoy together.
Let’s say you’re spending the night in with kids. It’s a perfect night for Frozen, Finding Nemo, and tons of Disney fare! But on the flip side, what if you just want to get your girlfriends together? Galentine’s Day is just as important as Valentine’s Day, right? Well, Steel Magnolias, Little Women, and Hidden Figures will be there to make you laugh, cry, and spread the love. Thinking a mother-daughter movie night might be best? You can’t go wrong with TermsofEndearment or Mama Mia!
See, there are several great movies to check out this Valentine’s Day that aren’t all romance — though, we still love a feel-good rom-com too. Take a look at some of our favorite movies about non-romantic love perfect for a non-traditional Valentine’s Day viewing party.
‘Lilo & Stitch’
Rated: PG
“‘Ohana’ means ‘family.’ ‘Family’ means ‘no one gets left behind.'” It’s the enduring line from Disney’s 2002 animated film Lilo & Stitch and the perfect example of why we made this list! Lilo & Stitch features a bond like no other. Both misfits in their own way, Lilo and Stitch develop such a strong bond — anyone who’s ever owned a pet or alien-dog-thing can relate. Added bonus? The sibling dynamic between Lilo and her big sister Nani feels so relatable. Their arguments are balanced out by their tender moments. Basically, this film is a total love fest.
Watch the movie on Disney+.
‘Frozen’
Rated: PG
Speaking of sisterly love, few animated films capture that unique bond better than 2013’s Frozen. The animated Disney hit follows Elsa and Anna from little girls to young adults trying to pave their own way — with Elsa trying to, you guessed, conceal, don’t feel, and not let them know about her secret ability. Anna’s love for her sister puts her on a quest to bring Elsa back to the kingdom where she’s to become queen. Through it all, the sisters’ love is tested and finally strengthened.
Watch the movie on Disney+.
‘Brother Bear’
Rated: G
From sisterly bonds, to brotherly love, Disney’s 2003 animated film Brother Bear may not have garnered the rave reviews of films that came before, but the bond between Koda and Kenai is really wonderful to watch. When Kenai is mysteriously transformed from a human into a bear, he relies on Koda to take him back to the place where light meets the Earth so he can be restored to his rightful form. Watching their bond grow over the course of the film — that of protective big brother and rambunctious youngster — simply can’t be missed.
Watch the movie on Disney+.
‘Finding Nemo’
Rated: G
From the wintery wilderness we’re heading under the sea. Watching the father-son bond between Marlin and Nemo really pulls at the heartstrings. When Nemo goes missing, Marlin, along with the help of Dory, spends the entire film trying to find his son. It’s a feeling every parent dreads, with impulses they can totally relate to and it all comes back to love.
Watch the movie on Disney+.
‘Hidden Figures’
Rated: PG
When we talk about love, we can sometimes forget the love there is to be found in community. In the Oscar nominated 2016 film Hidden Figures a team of female African-American mathematicians who played a vital role in the early years of the United States’ space program ban together and lift one another up in ways that can only come from a place of appreciation, understanding, and love. There’s a lot of love to go around in this film, and the bonds between Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) how love transcends our familial ties.
Watch the movie on Disney+.
‘Coco’
Rated: PG
We’re still riding the familial love train now with Coco! The sweet and tender 2017 animated film follows Miguel as he defies his family by playing music. When he tries to uncover parts of his past, he finds himself in the Land of the Dead, where he reconnects with ancestors and overcomes deceitful foes. In the end, Miguel learns how to love his family even more.
Watch the movie on Disney+.
‘The Princess Diaries’
Rated: G
We’re taking familial love to the bond between two different generations. The Princess Diaries follows Mia Thermopolis, an ordinary girl living in San Francisco, who is (unbeknownst to her) a princess. When her grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi, travels to San Fran to help Mia become the princess she was meant to be, the two bond and grow together, finding a deep connection and love that’s always been there, but just needed to be strengthened.
Watch the movie on Disney+.
‘Freaky Friday’
Rated: PG
Back to those mother-daughter bonds with this throwback — we’re suckers for a quality Jamie Lee Curtis movie. Add Lindsay Lohan in her Disney prime and we got ourselves on Freaky Friday. This movie takes a unique take on complicated mother-daughter relationships. When Tess and Anna swamp bodies, they get the chance to literally walk in each other’s shoes. But it’s only when they offer an act of selfless love to the other that they can change back. While there are plenty of laughs, this movie is also full of heart.
Watch the movie on Disney+.
‘Terms of Endearment’
Rated: PG
Keeping up our theme of complicated mother-daughter relationships, the Oscar winning film Terms of Endearment follows a mother and daughter as they maneuver family, relationships, and more. Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger each earned Oscar nominations for the 1984 Best Picture winner, with MacLaine taking home the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role. There won’t be a dry eye in the room once you’ve watched this movie, so get the tissues ready. (We should note this movie is very mature, though it has a PG rating.)
Watch on Hulu.
‘Steel Magnolias’
Rated: PG
1989’s Steel Magnolia‘s feels like a perfect fit for audiences at nearly any age. The movie focuses on a group of women and their strong friendships in a small-town in the south. The women endure joys and sorrows all the same, and support and love each other through it all. With a cast that includes Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton, Olympia Dukakis, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, and more, this is a must-watch.
Watch the movie on Amazon Prime Video.
‘Real Women Have Curves’
Rated: PG-13
With a lot of these non-romantic movies, we could use a dose of some self-love too. Real Women Have Curves starring America Ferrera is as much a coming-of-age story as it is a film about embracing who you are outside of your family’s expectations. The 2002 film follows Ana, who wants more than to just work at her family’s textile factory. While her sister and father support her, her mother is resolute in keeping her at home. Ana comes into her own and realizes her potential, loving who she is in spite of anyone who admonishes her.
Watch the movie on HBO Max.
‘Little Women’
Rated: PG
We know Louisa May Alcott’s enduring classic Little Women holds an incredibly special place in generations of readers’ hearts. That’s why there’ve been so many adaptations of the book over the years! One of our favorites is definitely Gillian Armstrong’s iteration starring Winona Ryder. But we also can’t count out Greta Gerwig’s unique take on the film either. And did you know there’s one starring Katharine Hepburn, too?! While the story follows the loves and losses of the March sisters, it’s their incredible love for one another that makes it a classic all of these years later.
Watch the 1933 Little Women on Amazon Prime Video. Or you can watch Gillian Armstrong’s 1994 adaptation on Amazon Prime Video, too. You can also buy Gret Gerwig’s iteration on Amazon Prime Video.
‘The Farewell’
Rated: PG
The Farewell really shows us the lengths that love will take us, and how love can sometimes mean withholding some truths for the sake of happiness. Lulu Wang’s incredible The Farewell is a bit of a biography, drawing from the filmmakers own story. The 2019 film follows Billi and her family as they travel to China after learning the family’s grandmother is dying. The only thing is, the Nai Nai doesn’t know. The entire family stage a wedding as one more celebration with the whole family before Nai Nai passes away. It’s beautiful, touching story about love and what we do to preserve and protect the ones we love.
Watch the movie on Amazon Prime Video.
‘Mamma Mia!’
Rated: PG-13
From friendship and mother-daughter love, to father-daughter love and more Mamma Mia! has it all, plus music by ABBA. In the 2008 film adaptation of the beloved musical, Sophie is getting married and her mother Donna can’t believe it. But on thing she wasn’t expecting was Sophie inviting three men from Donna’s past — one of whom is Sophie’s actual biological father! Like every entry on this list, this movie is a total love fest, and fun one to sing alont to at that.
Watch the movie on Amazon Prime Video.
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