Movies from childhood can maintain special places in our hearts well into adulthood. The excitement of seeing a world you didn’t know was possible, relating to characters in ways you weren’t aware possible, and watching a story unfold seemingly just for you. Here are a few of our favorites!

The NeverEnding Story

There is just something so magical and iconic about The NeverEnding Story… my friends and I were obsessed with it! Great characters, plot twists and one gut-wrenching line I’ll always remember (when the Empress screams at the end, as their world is threatening to disappear, “CALL MY NAME!!”) – Ellen Schmidt

The Secret Garden

This was one of my very first “big kid” books, so seeing on screen match what I had envisioned in my head was a pretty special experience. The main character, Mary Lenox, isn’t perfect in fact she’s quite complicated with a strong arc throughout the film. I loved watching the different ideas about what friendship means, how loving yourself is important when learning to care about other people, and creating a space just for you and your best pals. (Editors Note: while I loved the 1993 version, the 1987 version with a young Colin Firth was the first adaptation I saw, on a VHS recorded from PBS and a confusing fifteen minutes where my mother had accidentally taped over the film with an episode of Three’s Company). – Katy Hartnett

The Little Princess with Shirley Temple

I always loved musicals growing up, and this one was one of my favorites, probably because it featured a little girl like me. I love the story of the “princess” who was kind and good no matter what happened to her, and how she’s reunited with her missing father at the end. Gets me every time! – Ellen Schmidt

Hook

I was too young to understand this movie when I first saw it loving it for the colorful food fight, the costumes, and the fun of yelling “Ru-Fi-OOO” at the top of my lungs. It would be quite a few more years until I understood the larger themes about recapturing childhood and what it means to be a grownup. I still laugh thinking about the transformation of Dustin Hoffman into the terrible Captain Hook and the fun of seeing Julia Roberts grow into full-sized Tinkerbell. – Katy Hartnett