An American Tail is a beautifully rendered animated film that tells an overly familiar story in terms children can easily understand. Fievel Mousekewitz and his family of Russian-Jewish mice escape from their homeland in the late 1800s, boarding a boat headed toward America to evade the Czarist rule of the Russian cats. Upon his arrival in New York City, Fievel is separated from his family and discovers to his horror that there are cats in America too (his father said there weren’t). Fievel meets his share of both friendly and hostile mice, and he eventually befriends a cat as well.

Cast: Cathianne Blore, Dom DeLuise, John Finnegan

Director: Don Bluth

Categories: Adventure, Animation, Children’s/Family

Rating: Not rated

• Self-Awareness
• Perseverance
• Use of Social Support Systems

This is a charming tale of an adorable orphan named Annie. For a young girl living a “hard-knock” life in a children’s orphanage, things can seem pretty bad, especially at Christmas. But feisty Annie carries a song in her heart and hope in her locket – the only thing she has from her parents. One day, fed up with the dastardly Miss Hannigan, Annie escapes the rundown orphanage determined to find her mom and dad. Her adventure takes her from the cold, mean streets of New York to the warm, comforting arms of big-hearted billionaire Oliver Warbucks, with plenty of mischief and music in between!

Cast: Alicia Morton, Victor Garber, Kathy Bates

Director: Rob Marshall

Categories: Musical, Children’s/Family

Rating: Not rated

• Perseverance
• Proactivity
• Emotional Coping Strategies
• Use of Social Support Systems

This is a wonderfully unique and delightfully offbeat romantic comedy. Joon is a little unbalanced. Sometimes, without warning, her sweet nature gives way to odd behavior -- including a penchant for setting fires! She lives with her older brother Benny, who has spent his life taking care of her since their parents died. One night, while playing in a poker game with unusual stakes, Joon loses her hand ... and wins Sam, a whimsical misfit who soon charms his way into Joon’s heart. Now if they could only find the perfect mate for her overprotective brother.

Cast: Johnny Depp, Mary Stuart Masterson, Aidan Quinn

Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik

Categories: Comedy, Romance

Rating: PG

• Self-Awareness
• Use of Social Support Systems
• Emotional Coping Strategies

Teenagers adapt to life after high school in this low-key, acclaimed, bittersweet comedy/drama. Amiable sleeper remains joyous fare for those seeking colorful, endearing characters, a realistic drama with comic undertones.

Cast: Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern

Director: Peter Yates

Categories: Comedy, Drama

Rating: PG

• Perseverance

This movie is based on the true story of Bill Porter, a man who suffered from the effects of cerebral palsy, spoke with difficulty, had severe spinal problems that caused him to walk in a stooped manner, and who was not blessed with what we would call “movie star” good looks. Despite all of these apparent strikes against him, Bill Porter was blessed with an indomitable spirit and drive to succeed on his own.

Cast: William H. Macy, Helen Mirren, Kyra Sedgwick

Director: Steven Schachter

Categories: Drama

Rating: Not rated

• Perseverance
• Proactivity
• Goal-Setting

Father-and-son clownfish, Marlin and Nemo, become separated in the Great Barrier Reef, and little Nemo ends up in a dentist-office fish tank. Grief-stricken, Marlin goes on a wild adventure to find and rescue his son.

Cast: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres

Director: Andrew Stanton

Categories: Animation, Comedy, Children’s

Rating: G

• Perseverance
• Self-Awareness
• Emotional Coping Strategies
• Use of Social Support Systems

This all-American social drama follows a simple but honorable man as he unwittingly influences some of the most important people and events in 1950s-’70s U.S. history, including Elvis Presley, JFK, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and the war in Vietnam, all while carrying a torch for his beloved Jenny.

Cast: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright Penn, Gary Sinise

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Categories: Comedy, Drama

Rating: PG-13

• Perseverance
• Use of Social Support Systems
• Goal-Setting

Energetic, computer-animated, prehistoric-era buddy-comedy relates the adventures of  a mammoth and sloth that find a human infant and are forced to rely on the help of a shifty saber-tooth tiger to return the baby to its tribe.

Cast: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary

Director: Chris Wedge, Carlos Saldanha

Categories: Fantasy, Children's/Family

Rating: PG

• Use of Social Support Systems
• Perseverance

This is an uplifting true story about a deaf, blind, and mute girl learning to communicate with the world.

Cast: Anne Bancroft, Patty Duke, Victor Jory

Director: Arthur Penn

Categories: Drama, Family

Rating: Not rated

• Perseverance
• Self-Awareness
• Use of Social Support Systems
• Goal-Setting

This emotionally uplifting crowd-pleaser shows teenagers in a 1950s mining town intent on building a rocket.

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper, Laura Dern

Director: Joe Johnston

Categories: Drama, Family

Rating: PG

• Self-Awareness
• Perseverance
• Proactivity
• Goal-Setting
• Use of Social Support Systems

This is a true tale of a tough teacher who motivates a class of potential losers into amazing achievements.

Cast: Edward James Olmos, Lou Diamond Phillips

Director: Ramon Menendez

Categories: Drama

Rating: PG

• Use of Social Support Systems
• Perseverance
• Self-Awareness

This compelling classic confronts racial bigotry via the tale of a widowed Southern lawyer and his kids. Sensitive coming-of-age tales, and riveting courtroom confrontations.

Cast: Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, Philip Alford

Director: Robert Mulligan

Categories: Drama, Classic

Rating: Not rated

• Use of Social Support Systems
• Self-Awareness
• Perseverance
• Proactivity