Spring on Over to Disney+ to Celebrate Easter With 10 Colorful Family Films
When it comes to holiday movies, Easter is not exactly a popular topic. Yes, you can find the usual religious films in the usual places, and you can even find a few true Easter films like Hop on certain streamers, but what options do we have on Disney+?
When selecting a movie to watch with the family on Easter Sunday, we’re looking for a few basic things: cute animals, fun characters, signs of spring-like flowers and colorful scenery, and most importantly, a nice message about love, family, and acceptance.
Based on those factors, here are 10 films currently streaming on Disney+ that are perfect for Easter day snuggle sessions with the fam.
10. Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo (2004)
This charming direct-to-video movie is just over an hour long, making it the perfect way to celebrate Easter with your youngest “Roos.” All of our favorite characters from Disney’s Winnie the Pooh franchise, which was based on the books by A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard, including Winnie, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, and Roo. Springtime With Roo is loosely based on Charles Dickens’ holiday classic A Christmas Carol, with Rabbit hopping into the role of Ebenezer Scrooge.
Just as in the original novella, Rabbit is “giddy as a jackrabbit” by the time the film wraps up, and all of the gang celebrate with a classic Easter meal and egg hunt.
9. Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
Okay, Wreck-It Ralph isn’t technically an Easter movie, but it takes place in a pastel-pink world filled with delicious candy … so we’re making an exception! The story is about Wreck-It Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly), the misunderstood villain in a video game called Fix-it Felix, Jr. Dreaming of becoming a hero instead of a bad guy, Ralph embarks on a mission to the game Sugar Rush, where he meets and develops a bond with speed racer Vanellope von Scheetz (Sarah Silverman). Other voices include Jack McBrayer and Jane Lynch.
8. Sister Act (1992)
Sister Act is a timeless movie that anyone who’s ever sat through Sunday church services will appreciate! Plus, kids these days need to learn to appreciate actresses like Whoopi Goldberg and Maggie Smith, both of whom shine in this musical comedy-meets-crime caper.
Goldberg plays Deloris Van Cartier, a lounge singer in Reno who witnesses a mafia crime and is forced to enter the witness protection program. She takes cover at the struggling Saint Katherine’s Parish in San Francisco, pretending to be a nun alongside fellow sisters played by Kathy Najimy, Wendy Makkena, and Mary Wickes. When Mother Superior (Smith) catches her sneaking out, she puts her in charge of the choir, and Delores transforms it into a Motown-crooning dancing machine.
7. Bambi (1942)
Nothing says springtime like adorable baby woodland creatures, and this 1942 classic has lots of them. It starts with Bambi, a white-tailed deer fawn, as he lives with his mother and makes friends with Thumber, a bunny rabbit, and Flower, a baby skunk. Bambi will someday be the Great Prince of the Forest like his father, a buck who guards the other creatures from the dangers of “Man.”
Everyone knows that Bambi’s mother doesn’t live to see the end of this tale, but that part aside, the rest of the film is a sweet romp with adorable animals and a timeless message about growing up, finding love, and becoming who we were always meant to be.
6. Cinderella (2015)
This 2015 live-action version of the 1950 animated film is an instant classic. The lovely Lily James stars in the title role and Cate Blanchett is all icy raised eyebrows as Lady Tremaine, her wicked new stepmother. Directed by the legendary Kenneth Branagh, this lavish production recaptures all of the magic of the original movie while somehow bringing new elements of romance to screen.
5. Ice Age: The Great Egg-scapade (2016)
This animated television special premiered on Fox during the Easter season in 2016. It’s meant to fit in between the franchise’s fourth movie, Continental Drift, and its fifth, Collision Course. In it, Manny (Ray Romano) and his family are preparing for Easter, while Squint is dealing with his unruly brother, Clint. All of the original cast members lent their voices to this short film, including John Leguizamo as Sid, Denis Leary as Diego, Taraji P. Henson as Ethel, and Queen Latifah as Ellie.
4. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
If you’re looking to start an epic adventure, look no further than the 2005 adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s 1950 novel, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The story follows the four Pevensie children, Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skandar Keynes), and Lucy (Georgie Henley), who go to live in the London countryside to avoid Nazi bombing during World War II. The children discover a hidden door in a wardrobe that transports them to Narnia, a magical fantasy world. There, they align with Aslan (Liam Neeson), who scholars agree is an allegorical version of Jesus Christ, in a battle against the White Witch (Tilda Swinton), who is evilness, or maybe Satan. As far as Christian allegories go, this one is subtle, we promise!
3. Zootopia (2016)
Nothing says Easter like an adorable bunny rabbit! Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) is a rookie cop on her first day on the job in the bustling city of Zootopia. She meets Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), a sly fox and con artist, and the pair form an unlikely bond. Soon the new buddies are investigating a criminal conspiracy that effects everyone in the city, but especially the predators among them.
Other voices include Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Bonnie Hunt, Tommy Chong, J. K. Simmons, Octavia Spencer, Alan Tudyk, and Shakira.
2. Enchanted (2007)
Enchanted is, in a word, enchanting! It’s also one of the rare times when Disney poked some fun at itself by spoofing many of the Disney princess stereotypes in their other films. Julie Andrews narrates this musical romantic comedy, which is a combination of live-action and animation. The action follows Giselle (Adams), who is banished to the real world of New York City by an evil queen (Susan Sarandon), where she falls for a regular guy (Patrick Dempsey).
Not only is the music catchy and the acting brilliant, but the whole thing takes place at the height of springtime in beautiful New York City. If you can watch just one scene, make it the one where Giselle and wander through Central Park singing “How Do You Know.” Here, we’ll save you a search:
1. Encanto (2021)
Finally, why not spend the holiday surrounded by a loud, boisterous family who take pride in upholding their family traditions? Meet the Madrigals, a Colombian family whose children and grandchildren all get a special magical gift … except for one. Mirabel (voice of Stephanie Beatriz) did not receive a gift, but she discovers her own importance when the family magic begins to wane and only she can fix the glitch.
With gorgeous original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Encanto is a colorful springtime fiesta of bright flowers, catchy songs, and a celebration of family.
All of these fine features are now streaming on Disney+. Happy Easter to all who celebrate!
(featured image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
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