Sometimes a nice, wholesome family movie is exactly what the doctor ordered. With so many shock and awe movies out there, it can get tiring watching the same type of entertainment for a movie night with the family over and over again— especially if you have youngsters in the house. Even if it's just you and your cat, everyone enjoys some light-hearted comedy and wholesome friendship-goal movies from time to time. Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of our lives, we forget to do things to relax as a family or in general.

Having some downtime without added stress is really important to keep your mind and your body healthy. Watching graphic murder scenes, betrayal, or anything that's going to make you feel a negative emotion is not how you should spend a night you'd like to keep peaceful and relaxing. You may think sitting on your couch watching Game of Thrones or Dexter is a nice relaxing evening, but the excitement caused by what we watch on TV affects us mentally and physically. Watch something light-hearted, and you will see the difference.

Life can be pretty stressful, and that can transfer over and negatively affect our relationships within our household and family. Plan a nice relaxing family evening with some homemade popcorn, candy, and your favorite people. Start the evening with some pizza or whatever you might fancy as your favorite food, and just focus on each other. Try to limit your phone time and be present in the moment. Before long, those little ones of yours will be grown and have much less time to come over and have a family movie night. Make sure to select a movie that appeals to everyone, which is easier said than done but worth it in the end.

There's plenty to be said about a movie that you walk away from with a smile on your face and a desire to be a better friend and human in general. This can be said for many movies out there. However, many aren't for all ages. In this list, we'll explore some family-friendly choices for movies about friendship.

9 Fox and the Hound (1981)

Fox and the Hound, a Disney classic and favorite among children and adults for the way it depicts a unique and often forbidden friendship between two very unlikely companions; a fox kit, Tod and the hunting hound pup, Copper. These two creatures are generally enemies once adulthood arrives and hunting season begins. In this animated children's movie, we watch along as Tod and Copper swear to be best friends forever. Obviously their friendship will come with many hiccups, especially when Copper's mean owner gets involved and becomes obsessed with catching Tod.

This is a brilliant classic film highlighting an important lesson in friendship; a friendship between two opposites might not always make sense, but what might seem impossible is always possible when two like-minded souls find one another. Considering the times we are living in currently, this is a fantastic feel-good movie for all ages and will prime those brand-new minds for friendship in whatever package it arrives in. The old saying, "never judge a book by its cover," is an important thing for all of us to remember.

8 Homeward Bound (1996)

This adorable movie, Homeward Bound, about three pets, drives home the point of helping your friends when they need you and to never leave behind a friend. Also, it is important that if you and your friends find yourselves in danger, always stick together until help arrives or you figure out a good way out. This trio made up of an elderly Golden Retriever, a young adult American Bulldog and a longhaired Siamese cat, sure knew how to paint a wonderful picture of three sweet farm pets and their humans. Before long, their loved ones must leave their pets with a sitter for a few months as they find a permanent home in a city.

The trio believes they have been left behind and decides to go back to the farm to find their humans. Plenty of chaos follows, and their friendship and loyalty to one another is tested time and time again. This is another great movie about friendship and sticking together through thick and thin. Something else to note is that no animals were harmed in any way during the filming of this movie.

7 Up (2009)

Up is one of the most beautiful family movies ever made about friendship. At the beginning of Up, we meet 78-year-old Carl and his annoying Boy Scout neighbor, Russell. Carl had lost his wife a bit ago, and now his house is in danger of being knocked down. Carl wants to just give up but instead devises a fantastic and bittersweet plan to go find Paradise Falls in South America and does so with his flying house. He realizes Russell was a stowaway, and the adventure of both their lifetimes begins.

The beautiful part of the movie about friendship is that Carl hates everyone except his dog. His wife died, and he has been a mess since. He cannot stand the neighbor kid, but after a bit of time and talking, they both realize they needed each other, and then the real adventure begins. Sometimes friendships come from places we would never guess. That's one reason it's always important to be kind. Bring your tissues for this lovely movie.

6 Charlotte's Web (2006)

This classic tale, Charlotte's Web, is about a doomed runt piglet, Wilbur, and his best friend, the writing spider, Charlotte. Plenty of other furred, feathered, and eight-legged friends make their appearance in this lovely children's movie. Throughout the movie, Charlotte calms Wilbur's many anxieties and helps him at every turn. She is almost like a mother to Wilbur and promises she will save his life, and she does.

Charlotte also teaches everyone, human and animal, on the farm that friendship isn't one size fits all, and they all know her to be very kind and wise. This is another tearjerker, so bring the tissues. Though, I assure you that there is a happy ending and an important lesson about life. Everyone deserves love, companionship, and kindness.

5 The Goonies (1985)

The Goonies is a movie about a group of castoff kids who decided to embark on an amazing adventure once Mikey (Sean Astin), finds a map of some secret treasure in the attic. On the way to the treasure, one of the friends is captured by a mean lady who has Sloth, one of her children who is deformed, in the basement. He doesn't have any friends but is such a cool guy that the crew adopts him. Sloth becomes part of the crew, and their adventures unroll.

This is a great movie about loyalty, friendship, and how even if two people are not the same, they can still be great friends. Another lesson is one in kindness; no matter how different someone looks from what you are used to, we all have the same basic needs and desires. Sloth needed a friend, and the boys needed Sloth.

4 The Muppet Movie (1979)

The Muppets are an all-around great group of goofballs, and pretty much everyone knows who they are and can even name several of their favorite Muppet movies. In the original Muppet Movie, we meet Kermit the Frog and go along with him as he makes friends with everyone everywhere he goes. On his epic first adventure after leaving the swamp, he meets Fozzy Bear, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and Camila, and so many more completely original characters. Kermit isn't afraid to be kind to everyone, and that's definitely something the world needs to work on, and instilling it early in children is never a bad idea.

3 Bingo (1991)

This is an older but really cute movie, Bingo, about friendship. Bingo is a runaway circus dog, and Chuckie is a bit of an outcast. Bingo meets Chuckie when he saves his life from drowning. The two become inseparable, and Chuckie's family isn't exactly thrilled. Bingo is a very kind and loyal dog despite all of his hardships and abuse. It's a good lesson about sticking together for support, helping friends live their best lives, and the greatest lesson; if it seems impossible, keep trying. There are a few lessons for the parents in this one, too. Listen to your children because they need you. There are a few adult moments and a bit of adult language in this cute movie.

2 Toy Story (1995)

It really doesn't matter which edition of the Toy Story Franchise because every one of the movies offers great insight on what it is to be a good friend. Every character faces unknown obstacles, but it never fails that by the end of the movie, the pack is back together, safe, and loved. Sure, it's a bit goofy, but even parents enjoy these movies. They may all have problems from time to time, and some of those problems are with each other, but by the end of the day, everyone is great friends again. This is a movie that definitely teaches about loyalty, truth-telling and forgiveness.

1 E.T. (1982)

E.T. is an older movie that has gone down as one of the greatest movies ever made. The entire story is about friendship, trust, and compassion. E.T. Just wants to find his way back home, and his human friends will do anything they can to make that happen. Without trust, friendship cannot be real, and the friendship between Elliot and E.T. is beautiful. Spielberg based this movie on his own imaginary friend he concocted while his parents were divorcing. The lengths Elliot goes to in order to get E.T. safe from the government and on his way home are really sweet. This one is a tearjerker, but as I'm sure you already know, well worth it with a happy ending.