Do you feel like just no time ago you were 12 years old, watching Disney Channel movies on the couch eating pizza rolls without a care in the world, but suddenly you find yourself in the throes of adulthood, getting ready to spread your wings and take off into the great unknown called life? In other words, are you a college upperclassman about to graduate? Well this is the movie compilation list for you. See, if you were born in the mid to late 1990’s, you were born into the most perfect time for children’s cinema. Ever. Not only did you have a plethora of brand new, quality kid’s movies at your disposal when you turned on the television, but you could also watch all the best kid’s movies from decades past just by popping in a VHS tape. You had it all. Compiled here, in no particular order, is a list of movies you may have encountered if you spent your formative years in late-1990’s, early-2000’s America. I hope that you can find at least one movie here that played a role in forming you into the adult you are today. Disclaimer: If you’re like me and about to graduate in a couple of weeks, this list may evoke an existential crisis of sorts. Reader beware.
1. The Cheetah Girls (2003)
Admit it. You knew every song by heart.
2. My Girl (1991)
This was the saddest movie you had ever seen. You still cry watching this movie.
3. The Parent Trap (1998)
You just knew someday you’d find your long lost twin.
4. The Land Before Time (1988)
You never saw dinosaurs the same way again.
5.Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
If you didn’t see this movie at precisely the right time in your childhood, you probably find it more creepy than endearing. 7 year old me, on the other hand, firmly believed that the bad kids got what they deserved.
6. Stand By Me (1986)
If you were like me, you spent a portion of your childhood plotting to run away. These kids were everything you wanted to be.
7. Max Keeble’s Big Move (2001)
We all low key dreamed of getting revenge on our teachers and bullies.
8. The Thirteenth Year (1999)
Being a mermaid would have made being 13 years old totally worth it.
9. High School Musical (2006)
No list would be complete without this all-time classic. You know you still listen to the soundtracks to all three movies, and you will never be over it. This was your life.
10. The Sandlot (1993)
It may be 25 years old, but The Sandlot will forever be the perfect summer flick.
11. Matilda (1996)
I tried so hard to move things with my mind.
12. The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003)
You still watch this when it comes on because This Is What Dreams Are Made Of.
13. The Jungle Book
If your childhood was more wholesome than mine was, you probably still know the words to every song in this classic Disney film.
14. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
Where it all started. If you’re in your late teens/early twenties, you spent your entire early life anticipating the next book or movie.
15. Smart House (1999)
You still wanted a house like this, even when things went horribly wrong.
16. Johnny Tsunami (1999)
17. Akeelah and the Bee (2006)
18. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (2005)
This was a dream come true for all you book worms who had already fallen in love with the C.S. Lewis book series (myself included).
19. The Goofy Movie (1995)
For some reason, I didn’t know a single kid growing up who had not seen this movie.
20. Finding Nemo (2003)
I think we can all agree that Finding Nemo is the landmark movie that defines our entire generation. We were all captivated by this movie, and there are so many references to it in popular culture. It has everything: comedy, drama, action, adventure, a butt. Everyone can quote at least one line from the movie. Without it, our childhoods just wouldn’t have been the same.