Family: love em or hate em, you’re stuck with em. Most of the time, you only have immediate family members to deal with. But every so often, once the holidays come around, you get distant relations that might as well be strangers cramming into your home and relegating you to the kid’s table for dinner. No one’s perfect, but Hollywood has repeatedly tried to construct the model idea of what a Hallmark nuclear family should look like. We’ve put together the five most ideal movie families, even if they’re a little bit flawed. Squeeze in for the group photo and hit the jump for Collider’s Thanksgiving Top 5 Best Movie Families. If you missed any of our previous "Thanksgiving Top 5" articles click here.
*The following article and clips contain spoilers.*
The Griswolds
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is not just my favorite comedy/Christmas/Chevy Chase movie, it’s my #1 movie of all time. Period. While you may not agree with that statement, I’m sure you’ll concede that the Griswold family is one of the zaniest but most true-to-life families in movie history. They’re obnoxious, self-centered, rude and dim-witted, but at the end of the day they’ll do anything for you. Even drive out to Melody Lane to bring your boss out of his happy, holiday slumber so you can tell him a few things:
The Simpsons
What better family to be a part of than The Simpsons? (Yes, it more TV but there was a movie so it makes the list) They’re the perfect model of blue-collar (and blue-haired) suburban life with 2.5 kids, a dog and a lengthy record of domestic abuse. Well, I guess it’s mostly just father-on-son strangling, but Bart really does deserve it. Luckily the series has been renewed for a 24th and 25th season (1), so we have plenty more of the Springfield family to look forward to…that is, if they don’t kill each other first:
The Addams Family
I’ve always been fascinated by big, rambling old houses, such as the mansion that The Addams Family lives in, although I could understand you not sharing that fascination (again: TV but also movie). Perks of being a member of this family include: Lurch, the manservant; Fester, the electric uncle; fashionable and athletic parents Morticia and Gomez, and Thing, who’s always willing to lend a hand. Snap along to the trailer for the 1991 movie here:
The Szalinskis
If there’s a house that would be more fun to live in than The Addams Family mansion, I’d have to go with the Szalinski’s household from Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. The inventive father, Wayne Szalinksi (Rick Moranis) mistakenly shrinks his own children along with the neighbors’s kids. Sure they almost get eaten about a dozen times, but it turns into one of the best adventures ever! And they don’t even have to leave their own yard! Growing up (or getting blown back up to the appropriate size) would never be dull in the Szalinksi house. Take a look at the trailer from the 1989 classic here:
The Parrs/Incredibles
While living in awesome houses would be a great way to grow up, it’s nothing compared to having superpowers. Imagine if your dad had super-everything abilities and your mom was basically Mrs. Fantastic; you’re pretty much guaranteed to get some sweet powers. Sure your brother might be the fastest person on Earth, your sister can turn invisible and Jack-Jack…well, turns into whatever the hell Jack-Jack wants, but there are plenty of powers to go around. Hell, even if you turned out completely normal, you’d always have this family there to protect you, because nobody messes with The Incredibles. Check out the trailer from the 2004 movie here: