12 Family Movies to Watch With Someone Who Has Dementia

Looking for a holiday activity someone with dementia can enjoy with the whole family, including kids, during the upcoming holidays? An intergenerational movie is a stress-free way to share time and togetherness. Here are 12 family movies to consider, organized into three categories: newish movies, old movies, and something different.

New(ish) Movies
Enchanted
Wholesome, cute, and clever, it starts as a classic Disney princess cartoon, then the drawn characters turn into real actors, including Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey (who look and sound exactly like their cartoon counterparts). It’s especially well-suited for grandmas and granddaughters.

Up
A 78-year-old homebody flies away with an 8-year-old; the perfect plot for an intergenerational showing.

Miss Potter
Renee Zellweger stars as children’s author Beatrix Potter, and Peter Rabbit (in cartoon form) makes surprise appearances. A happy story (set in England’s lush Lake District) that might inspire pulling out the tales of Tom Kitten, Squirrel Nutkin, Jemima Puddleduck, et. al. to read aloud later.

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep
A 2007 British family film about a Scottish boy who finds an odd egg at the shore of a nearby loch will offend no one and pleasantly surprise everyone. A plus: It’s set in WWII, evocative for older viewers.

Spirited Away
Director Hayao Miyazaki, of Japan, made this Oscar-winning masterpiece for slightly older kids, with a wonderfully surreal flavor and equally surreal characters; even if you can’t follow the plot, there’s always something interesting onscreen.

12 Family Movies to Watch With Someone Who Has Dementia originally appeared on Caring.com.

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Read more: Alzheimer's, Caregiving, Family, Healthy Aging, Holidays

By Paula Spencer, Caring.com

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

New G.

8:05PM PST on Dec 31, 2011

Thanks for the ideas.

send a green star

Pinayah D.

11:06PM PST on Dec 29, 2011

I would like to check out UP myself
.Wizard of Oz is always a hit and let's not forget"ANNIE" for grandma and the girls I just recently share with a group of young teenage girls Annie and they absolutely loved it.... It brings the girl out in us and great stimulating conversation from the girls...

Gloria M.

3:55AM PST on Dec 28, 2011

Another great movie is Sounder.

Thanks for the great list.

iii q.

5:22PM PST on Dec 25, 2011

good movies...
lots more out there too!

Giovanna M.

12:03PM PST on Dec 25, 2011

I'm not sure how some people with dementia might follow some of these pics at all _I guess it depends on teh particular cases-, but (and sorry if I sound cruel or of bad taste), I'm sure I'd end the day with anxiety, agresiveness and even feeling slightly demented were I forced to sith through some of these movies... more so if kids are stuck having to watch them too.

Deborah L.

11:15PM PST on Dec 21, 2011

Yeah, but patience to sit through them is paramount. My Mom would love most of those movies, but me? Snooore!

Jo A.

12:09AM PST on Dec 13, 2011

Thanks for this list.

Elvina A.

10:25AM PST on Dec 11, 2011

Up is a really good movie. Both fun and meaningful.

Lisa W.

11:57PM PST on Dec 10, 2011

Great suggestions will have to check some of them out.