SURVEY REVEALS THE 40 BEST LOVED FAMILY FILMS OF ALL TIME – BUT WHAT CAME TOP?

As the evenings draw in, researchers have discovered the average British family will settle down to 30 movies together this winter, with Saturday evening confirmed as the best time to bond over a film.

And the poll revealed the top 40 family movies of all time, with 1995’s Toy Story (52 percent) featuring Woody, Buzz and their toy pals topping the list.

Disney classic, The Lion King (47 percent) came a close second followed by the 1990 Christmas tale of eight-year-old Kevin who is accidentally being left behind when his family leaves for France, Home Alone, in third place (46 percent).

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (44 percent), Shrek (40 percent) E.T. (40 percent), The Jungle Book (38 percent), the Harry Potter films (36 percent), The Wizard of Oz (34 percent) and Mary Poppins (33 percent) round off the top ten, in the poll by Churchill Insurance.

More modern classics include Paddington (25 percent), Frozen (25 percent), The Greatest Showman (25 percent) and the live action version of Beauty and The Beast (22 percent) also feature in the list, alongside vintage classics, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (31 percent), The Sound of Music (31 percent), Star Wars (30 percent) and The Goonies (29 percent).

A WHOPPING nine out of ten (91 percent) of British families love watching films together, with 87 percent agreeing that there is no better feeling than sitting down to watch a movie with the family.

It’s no surprise that 88 percent of parents say they enjoy introducing their children to some of the films they watched as a child, while a further 76 percent say that watching films with their family is one of their favourite childhood memories.

Three quarters (76 percent) of people think family films are a good way to teach children about life and start a family conversation about important life topics, films such as the Lion King explore themes of bereavement while Frozen highlights the importance of not bottling up feelings.

A spokesperson for Churchill Insurance, who commissioned the poll commented, “With the weather getting colder, we wanted to find out the top family films to snuggle down with, on the sofa with all the family. Parents love introducing their children to the classics they watched as a child and millions are also exploring new films as a family.”

However, according to the poll, it can take almost a quarter of an hour for everyone to agree on which film to watch, with 80 percent admitting that they often disagree over what flick to play. According to the data, the average family has three arguments a month about what to watch on the box.

Two thirds (65 percent) say there is a “sofa hogger” in the family, with DAD (27 percent) emerging as the most likely to be found taking up more space than everyone would like. Daughters (21 percent), sons (19 percent) and mum (18 percent) also take up space on the sofa.

Almost half of the nation (49 percent) like to snuggle with a big blanket on the sofa, while 47 percent like nothing better than nibbling on a bag of sweets in front of the box. Comfy clothes like dressing gowns and pyjamas (42 percent), the curtains drawn (40 percent), lights dimmed (39 percent), a pizza on delivery (34 percent) and a bar of chocolate (30 percent) also make for the perfect film viewing experience.

A WHOPPING 85 percent agree that it is better to watch a family movie in the colder months, with 65 percent agreeing that they watch more movies in the cold than hot (three percent).

40 GREATEST FAMILY MOVIES OF ALL TIME:

Toy Story (1995) – 52%
The Lion King (1994) – 47%
Home Alone (1990) – 46%
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) – 44%
Shrek (2001) – 40%
E.T. (1982) – 40%
The Jungle Book (1967) – 38%
Harry Potter films (2001 – 2010) – 36%
The Wizard of Oz (1939) – 34%
Mary Poppins (1964) – 33%
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) – 31%
The Sound of Music (1965) – 31%
Matilda (1996) – 30%
Star Wars (1977) – 30%
Finding Nemo (2003) – 30%
Jurassic Park (1993) – 29%
The Goonies (1985) – 29%
Elf (2003) – 27%
Paddington (2015) – 25%
Frozen (2013) – 25%
The Greatest Showman (2017) – 25%
Jumanji (1995) – 25%
Nanny McPhee (2005) – 25%
Aladdin (1992) – 24%
Honey, I Shrunk The Kids (1989) – 23%
Uncle Buck (1989) – 23%
Despicable Me (2010) – 22%
Beauty and the Beast (2017) – 22%
The Karate Kid (1984) – 21%
The Addams Family (1991) – 20%
Moana (2016) – 20%
Annie (1982) – 20%
Sister Act (1992) – 18%
The Parent Trap (1998) – 18%
The NeverEnding Story (1984) – 18%
Marley and Me (2008) – 17%
Ratatouille (2007) – 17%
Hook (1991) – 17%
Up (2009) – 17%
Chicken Run (2000) – 17%