Ignite the Light: Movies of Family Adventures

Check out these films of family adventures and misadventures alike!  

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Deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, isolated from society, a devoted father dedicates his life to transforming his six young children into extraordinary adults. But when a tragedy strikes the family, they are forced to leave this self-created paradise and begin a journey into the outside world that challenges his idea of what it means to be a parent and brings into question everything he's taught them.
Streaming available on Kanopy

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Despite his family's baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history.

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Gru delights in all things wicked. Surrounded by an army of tireless little yellow minions, and armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays, and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen, a potential dad.

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Based on author and naturalist Gerald Durrell's much-loved Corfu trilogy of novels, The Durrells sees impoverished but sparky widow Louisa Durrell make the radical decision to leave 1930s England in hopes of a better life for her children. As Louisa relocates her reluctant brood to a dilapidated house in the Greek sun, the Durrells face a whole new set of challenges as they meet new friends, rivals, lovers, and animals.

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The Madrigals live hidden in the mountains of Colombia, in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift from super strength to the power to heal, every child except one, Mirabel. But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she, the only ordinary Madrigal, might just be her exceptional family's last hope.

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Everett brings his fiancé Meredith home to meet his family for the Christmas holiday. It's an instant disaster when Everett's parents, Sybil and Kelly, agree with their gay, deaf son Thad, pot-smoking son Ben and daughters Amy and Susannah that Meredith is way too uptight to be welcomed into their family. Wanting to please Everett and get along with his family, Meredith recruits her sister Julie to help her thaw the Stone family cold front.

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Chinese-born, U.S.-raised Billi reluctantly returns to Changchun to find that, although the whole family knows their beloved matriarch, Nai-Nai, has been given mere weeks to live, everyone has decided not to tell Nai Nai herself. To assure her happiness, they gather under the joyful guise of an expedited wedding, uniting family members scattered among new homes abroad. As Billi navigates a minefield of family expectations and proprieties, she finds there's a lot to celebrate.

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A chance car accident introduces the Henderson family to the real-life Bigfoot, who is anything but a ferocious monster. He quickly becomes a true friend of the family. They're soon in a race against the clock to return "Harry' to his natural environment before the authorities capture him.

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From acclaimed New Zealand director Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok, What We Do in the Shadows) comes an award-winning new comedy. Julian Dennison stars as Ricky is a defiant young city kid who finds himself on the run with his cantankerous foster uncle (Sam Neil) in the wild New Zealand bush. A national manhunt ensues, and the two are forced to put aside their differences and work together.
Streaming available on Kanopy

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Bob and his wife Helen used to be among the world's greatest crime fighters, saving lives and battling evil on a daily basis. Fifteen years later, they have been forced to adopt civilian identities and retreat to the suburbs where they live "normal" lives with their three kids, Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack. Itching to get back into action, Bob gets his chance when a mysterious communication summons him to a remote island for a top secret assignment. He soon discovers that it will take a super family effort to rescue the world from total destruction.

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When Pete and Ellie choose to start a family, they stumble headfirst into the world of foster care adoption. After they learn their perfect foster child comes with two other siblings, Pete and Ellie find themselves speeding from zero to three kids overnight and must hilariously learn the ropes of instant parenthood if they hope to become a real family

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Based on the true story that will inspire the world, follow the journey of Richard Williams, an undeterred father instrumental in raising two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all time, Venus and Serena Williams, who will end up changing the sport of tennis forever.

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Olive is a little girl who dreams of winning the Little Miss Sunshine contest. Her family wants her dream to come true, but they are so dysfunctional that they can barely make it through a day without some disaster befalling them. Olive's father, Richard, is unsuccessful as a motivational speaker. He is barely on speaking terms with Olive's mother. Her uncle Frank has attempted suicide following an unsuccessful romance with a male graduate student. Her brother Dwayne, a fanatical follower of Nietzsche, has taken a vow of silence. And Olive's grandfather is a loser with a drug habit, but at least he enthusiastically coaches Olive in her contest talent routine. Circumstances conspire to put the entire family on the road together with the goal of getting Olive to the Little Miss Sunshine contest in California.

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The Mallard family is in a bit of a rut: while dad Mack is content to keep his family safe paddling around their New England pond forever, mom Pam is eager to shake things up and show their kids - teen son Dax and duckling daughter Gwen - the whole wide world. After a migrating duck family alights on their pond with thrilling tales of far-flung places, Pam persuades Mack to embark on a family trip, via New York City, to tropical Jamaica.

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When Katie Mitchell, a creative outsider, is accepted into the film school of her dreams, her plans are upended when her nature-loving dad Rick determines the whole family should drive Katie to school together. The Mitchells' plans are interrupted by a tech uprising: all around the world, the electronic devices people love decide it's time to take over. With the help of two friendly malfunctioning robots, the Mitchells will have to work together to save each other and the world!

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A mythic adventure set around 2,000 years ago across a series of islands in the South Pacific. The film follows the journey of a spirited teenager named Moana as she meets the once-mighty demi-god Maui, and together they traverse the open ocean, encountering enormous fiery creatures and impossible odds.

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The story of the comic misadventures of a young Peruvian bear that travels to the city in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone, he begins to realize that city life is not all he had imagined; until he meets the kindly Brown family who read the label around his neck that says "Please look after this bear. Thank you", and offer him a temporary haven. It looks as though his luck has changed until this rarest of bears catches the eye of a museum taxidermist.

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Susan and Sharon are identical twins that are separated by birth. Once they realize who they are, they make a plan to switch place with the high hopes of getting their parents back together again.

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Three grown prodigies, all with a unique genius of some kind, and their mother are staying at the family household. Their father, Royal, had left them long ago, but now returns to make things right with his family.

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Recounts the story of Maria, a young woman who leaves her Austrian convent to become governess to the Trapp family children at the beginning of World War II.

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The Clades are a legendary family of explorers attempting to navigate an uncharted, treacherous land alongside a motley crew that includes a mischievous blob, a three-legged dog and a slew of ravenous creatures.

Summaries provided by DPL's catalog unless otherwise noted. Click on each title to view more information.