As fall heats up with a fresh crop of TV premieres and publishing and film studios start to put out some of the year's best work for awards season, streaming options have consequentially thinned a little.
But here are 10 shows and movies streaming this month for the whole family.
1. Roman Holiday (1953)
Amazon Prime
The quintessential romantic comedy starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck reminds viewers why this genre was once a beloved movie tradition rather than a tired trope. Hepburn plays a young European aristocrat who takes a powder from palace life to see how the other half lives while on tour in Italy. She befriends a reporter played by Peck, who pretends not to know her identity in the hopes of getting a scoop and falls in love with her instead.
2. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (2015)
Netflix
This BBC miniseries is an adaptation of Susanna Clarke's 2004 novel about two men who bring magic back to 19th-century England. Strange and Norrell play off of each other like Holmes and Watson, except their differences lie in the use and importance of magic in British history at the height of the Napoleonic wars. As England intensifies its offensive against France, Strange and Norrell become adversaries in how magic may save their society or destroy it.
3. Zootopia (2016)
Netflix
A dedicated rookie rabbit cop and a fox con artist become unlikely friends in this Disney Animation Studios release from earlier this year. This timely feature boasts the strength in recognizing and celebrating the differences in others.
4. Galavant (2015)
Netflix
Families looking for something a little different should turn on this musical, comedic gem recently cancelled after its second season on ABC. Original music accompanies the quest of the knight Galavant to rescue is wife from the clutches of evil King Richard, righting wrongs in the kingdom along the way.
5. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
Amazon Prime
This charming and gorgeous documentary follows the career and rise of 85-year-old Japanese sushi chef Jiro Ono from his humble beginnings to a 3-star Michelin chef. Through the story of Jiro and his family, viewers get a rare glimpse at his restaurant, a 10-seat intimate corner of a Tokyo train station called Sukibayashi and a new appreciation for the art of sushi making.
6. Joyful Noise (2012)
Netflix
In small-town Georgia, the death of a church choir director leads to a good-natured rivalry between his widow (played by Dolly Parton) and the new choir director (Queen Latifah) bent on a winning the national Joyful Noise competition for the church choir. The reviews for this family friendly flick were highly mixed, but the music and watching the two huge musical personalities of Parton and Latifah square off make it a fun family watch.
7. Hoot (2006)
Netflix
A middle-school underdog struggling to adjust to a new life and new school in Florida finds a purpose and makes new friends while trying to save a family of burrowing owls from a construction site. This movie is adapted from the Carl Hiaasen novel of the same name.
8. Call the Midwife, Season 5
Netflix
This popular BBC series chronicles the work of a group of Anglican nuns and midwives in mid-century London's East End. Through a revolving cast of characters and an ever-changing set of historical circumstances, the story follows the growth and development of the community through the formation of its families and the challenges wrought from changing perspectives on what it means to raise children.
9. Apollo 13 (1995)
Amazon Prime
This 1995 hit starring Tom Hanks as NASA astronaut Jim Lovell details the real-life struggle of three American astronauts trying to make it back to Earth safely after a mission to the moon goes awry in April of 1970. Destined to be a classic thanks to Hanks' trademark line, "Houston, we have a problem," this film is inspiring and also educational for children to see.
10. Man on Wire (2008)
Amazon Prime
This 2008 Oscar-winning documentary details the story of Frenchman Philippe Petit's high-wire performance between the World Trade Center twin towers in 1974. In an unauthorized, controversial act, Petit strung a 450-pound cable between the towers, where he performed for about 45 minutes, teetering more than 1,300 feet in the air. Released in the wake of 9/11, director James Marsh said the film was intended as a love letter to New York City in the aftermath of the attack that toppled the towers.
But here are 10 shows and movies streaming this month for the whole family.
1. Roman Holiday (1953)
Amazon Prime
The quintessential romantic comedy starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck reminds viewers why this genre was once a beloved movie tradition rather than a tired trope. Hepburn plays a young European aristocrat who takes a powder from palace life to see how the other half lives while on tour in Italy. She befriends a reporter played by Peck, who pretends not to know her identity in the hopes of getting a scoop and falls in love with her instead.
2. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (2015)
Netflix
This BBC miniseries is an adaptation of Susanna Clarke's 2004 novel about two men who bring magic back to 19th-century England. Strange and Norrell play off of each other like Holmes and Watson, except their differences lie in the use and importance of magic in British history at the height of the Napoleonic wars. As England intensifies its offensive against France, Strange and Norrell become adversaries in how magic may save their society or destroy it.
3. Zootopia (2016)
Netflix
A dedicated rookie rabbit cop and a fox con artist become unlikely friends in this Disney Animation Studios release from earlier this year. This timely feature boasts the strength in recognizing and celebrating the differences in others.
4. Galavant (2015)
Netflix
Families looking for something a little different should turn on this musical, comedic gem recently cancelled after its second season on ABC. Original music accompanies the quest of the knight Galavant to rescue is wife from the clutches of evil King Richard, righting wrongs in the kingdom along the way.
5. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
Amazon Prime
This charming and gorgeous documentary follows the career and rise of 85-year-old Japanese sushi chef Jiro Ono from his humble beginnings to a 3-star Michelin chef. Through the story of Jiro and his family, viewers get a rare glimpse at his restaurant, a 10-seat intimate corner of a Tokyo train station called Sukibayashi and a new appreciation for the art of sushi making.
6. Joyful Noise (2012)
Netflix
In small-town Georgia, the death of a church choir director leads to a good-natured rivalry between his widow (played by Dolly Parton) and the new choir director (Queen Latifah) bent on a winning the national Joyful Noise competition for the church choir. The reviews for this family friendly flick were highly mixed, but the music and watching the two huge musical personalities of Parton and Latifah square off make it a fun family watch.
7. Hoot (2006)
Netflix
A middle-school underdog struggling to adjust to a new life and new school in Florida finds a purpose and makes new friends while trying to save a family of burrowing owls from a construction site. This movie is adapted from the Carl Hiaasen novel of the same name.
8. Call the Midwife, Season 5
Netflix
This popular BBC series chronicles the work of a group of Anglican nuns and midwives in mid-century London's East End. Through a revolving cast of characters and an ever-changing set of historical circumstances, the story follows the growth and development of the community through the formation of its families and the challenges wrought from changing perspectives on what it means to raise children.
9. Apollo 13 (1995)
Amazon Prime
This 1995 hit starring Tom Hanks as NASA astronaut Jim Lovell details the real-life struggle of three American astronauts trying to make it back to Earth safely after a mission to the moon goes awry in April of 1970. Destined to be a classic thanks to Hanks' trademark line, "Houston, we have a problem," this film is inspiring and also educational for children to see.
10. Man on Wire (2008)
Amazon Prime
This 2008 Oscar-winning documentary details the story of Frenchman Philippe Petit's high-wire performance between the World Trade Center twin towers in 1974. In an unauthorized, controversial act, Petit strung a 450-pound cable between the towers, where he performed for about 45 minutes, teetering more than 1,300 feet in the air. Released in the wake of 9/11, director James Marsh said the film was intended as a love letter to New York City in the aftermath of the attack that toppled the towers.
