1. Wizard of Oz (1939): A Story about young Dorothy who lives on a farm in Kansas. A large tornado one day picks her house, and her dog up and deposits them in the land of Oz. Things in Oz are strange and beautiful, but Dorothy just wants to get back home. She’s helped by the Good Fairy of the North, but she’s also in trouble with the Wicked Witch of the West. The wicked witch seeks revenge for the death of the Wicked Witch of the East, for which she blames Dorothy. While searching her way home she meets a Scarecrow who needs a brain, a Tin Man who needs a heart, and a cowardly lion who needs courage.
2. The Lion king (1994): It tells the story of Simba, a young lion who is to succeed his father, Mufasa, as king; however, after Simba’s uncle Scar murders Mufasa, Simba is fooled into thinking he was responsible and flees into exile in shame and despair. Upon maturation living with two wastrels, Simba is given some valuable perspective from his friend, Nala, and his shaman, Rafiki, before returning to challenge Scar to end his tyranny.
3. Peter Pan (1953) – The story concerns the Darling family, specifically the children: Wendy, Michael and John. Wendy enjoys telling her younger siblings stories about the mythical Peter Pan, the little boy who never grew up. One night, much to everyone’s surprise, Peter flies into the Darling nursery, in search of his shadow, which Wendy had previously captured. Sprinkling the kids with magic pixie dust, Peter flies off to Never-Never Land with Wendy, Michael and John following behind. Once in Peter’s domain, the children are terrorized by Captain Hook, who intends to capture Peter and do away with him.
4. E.T the extra territorial (1982): Elliott, a young boy living with his older brother Michael, and his younger sister Gertie Elliott often seems lonely, and lost in his own world. One day, while looking for something in the back yard, he senses something mysterious in the woods watching him. And he’s right: an alien spacecraft on a scientific mission mistakenly left behind an aging botanist who isn’t sure how to get home. Eventually Elliott puts his fears aside and makes contact with the alien. As Elliott tries to keep the alien under wraps and help him figure out a way to get home, he discovers that the creature can communicate with him telepathically. Soon they begin to learn from each other, and Elliott becomes braver and less threatened by life.
5. The Goonies (1985) – The film follows a group of misfit kids as they search for buried treasure in a subterranean cavern. Here they cross the path of lady criminal Mama Fratelli and her outlaw brood. Fortunately, the kids manage to befriend Fratelli’s hideously deformed (but soft-hearted) son, who comes to their rescue. The Spielberg influence is most pronounced in the film’s prologue and epilogue, when the viewer is advised that the film’s real villains are a group of “Evil Land Developers.”
6. Beauty and the beast (1991) – The film captures the fantastic journey of Belle, a bright and beautiful young woman, who’s taken prisoner by a hideous beast in his castle. Despite her precarious situation, Belle befriends the castle’s enchanted staff-a teapot, a candelabra and a mantel clock, among others-and ultimately learns to see beneath the Beast’s exterior to discover the heart and soul of a prince.