Whatever the situation may be, we’ve chosen our top 5 favorite pet-themed movies ever made.
1) Babe
Like many good pet movies, Babe starts with a ridiculous concept: a pig raised by sheepdogs learns to herd sheep like a dog. And also, that pig can talk. If you’re looking for extreme realism, then Babe isn’t the right movie for you (in fact, none of the movies on this list are a good idea).
But if you’re looking for a heartwarming movie about courageous farm animals banding together to help one another, then Babe may be your favorite movie.
The main character, as you may have guessed, is a young pig named Babe. Babe learns how to herd sheep as well as a dog, eventually winning him the favor of the farmer and saving him from the butcher’s block.
But the best part of this movie? It’s set in Australia. You know we had to put it at number one our list (and apparently, IMDB agrees).
It’s not just us who like Babe! The movie was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture in 1995.
2) 101 Dalmatians
Sure, the content matter of 101 Dalmatians may be a little extreme for kids, but a lot of the serious stuff will go right over their heads. Instead of seeing a movie about a cruel fashionista who wants to skin cute puppies, kids will just like seeing 101 cute puppies running around on screen for 90 minutes.
The cartoon movie follows the adventures of the Radcliffe family as they watch their two Dalmatians grow an enormous litter of puppies. Eventually, that letter catches the attention of the evil Cruella de Ville, who tries to pry the puppies away to make fur coats.
If you liked the cartoon, then you may want to check out the 1996 live action movie starring Glenn Close. It’s not bad – but it’s not exactly a masterpiece.
3)Homeward Bound
If you like watching animals try to conquer ridiculous odds to survive, then Homeward Bound is a great movie choice. The 1993 movie is actually a remake of the 1963 original.
In Homeward Bound, three pets – an American bulldog named Chance, a golden retriever named Shadow, and a Himalayan cat named Sassy – all try to make their way through the wilderness to find their owners.
This isn’t just a pet movie – it’s also a nature movie! There’s some truly impressive scenery along the way. Oh, and the pets are voiced by some big-name actors. Michael J. Fox voices Chance and Sally Field voices Sassy.
4) Charlotte’s Web
If you liked falling in love with Babe, then you’ll love Charlotte’s Web, which is a similar movie about a pig escaping from the butcher to live a happy, successful life.
With the help of Charlotte, Wilbur the pig hatches a plan to ensure he never ends up on someone’s dinner table. There are two different versions of this movie: the 2006 version and the 1973 version. The 1973 version is a classic, while the 2006 version never received great ratings.
Plus, it’s the movie where many kids learned what words like “humble” meant. So it’s educational and heartwarming.
5) The Lion King
The Lion King is one of the all-time classic animal movies. Featuring lion cub and future (lion) king Simba searching for his identity, The Lion King teaches us about the power of forgiveness and the importance of family – among other heartwarming lessons.
I mean, it’s 2016 and if you haven’t seen The Lion King at this point, then I don’t know what to tell you. It’s been out since 1994 and is perpetually at the top of lists featuring the best animal movies of all time. Get around it.
As you can see, the 1990s were a great decade for pet movies. Do you have any of your own suggestions for the list? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll add your favorites to the list!