Now That's Funny! Movies to Tickle Your Child's Funny Bone

Nothing cuts through the heaviness of a bad day more than hearing your kids laughing themselves silly. On the flip side, few activities are more important to children than laughter. Laughter gets kids through embarrassing moments (like spilling something or tripping) and helps them excel in social interactions (everyone feels at ease with someone who shares the gift of laughter).

In Kids Who Laugh: How to Develop Your Child's Sense of Humor, psychologist and former comedian Louis R. Franzini, Ph.D., talks about what makes kids laugh (infants love peek-a-boo, early grade-schoolers gravitate toward taboo language such as poopie). Not surprisingly, these are the kinds of humor elements found in the better child-oriented movie comedies. Listed below (in no particular order) are a few of the all-time great belly-busting movies available on DVD and/or VHS. Some are full of slapstick and others packed with silly words, but all are sure to keep the family laughing.

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Finding Nemo
Ages: All Ages
Buena Vista Home Entertainment, $19.99 (DVD)   

The depth of genius at Pixar knows no end, as this 2003 film proves. Colors splash and fine details leap off the screen in the see-worthy tale of a neurotic clownfish father on an odyssey to rescue his son, who has been captured and bound to a dental-office aquarium. At its heart, Finding Nemo is about the parent-child bond, something that tugs at the heart of everyone. In the face of one of a family's worst nightmares -- getting lost or kidnapped -- the humor bubbles upward with amazing consistency. Albert Brooks plays the fearful father to perfection and other voices range from Willem Dafoe to Geoffrey Rush. But few comic performances can top Ellen DeGeneres' Dory, whose short-term memory pops up as frequently as her hyperactive wit. One caveat for the film involves the opening, in which a predatorial fish eats Nemo's mom and unborn siblings. Although the violence happens "offscreen," the concept of a parent dying may be too intense for toddlers. Still, preschoolers on up should find the film an absolute gill-expanding delight.

Freaky Friday
Ages: 7 yrs. & Up
Walt Disney Home Video, $29.99 (DVD)

Yes, the original (1976) version of this movie, starring Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster, is funny. But this 2003 edition goes all out in a contemporary setting for this yarn about a mother and daughter who magically switch bodies. Jamie Lee Curtis is nothing short of a revelation in playing her character's teenage daughter. Curtis cuts loose as a rock guitar-playing, Britney Spears clothes-wearing young girl. Lindsay Lohan admirably portrays the daughter who adopts who overworked, conservative mom's persona. In the story, the mother and daughter patch a damaged relationship by seeing life from each other's side. Loads of goofiness, snappy dialogue, and a plot that can't fail turn this remake into a belly-laugh event. 

The Muppets Take Manhattan
Ages: All Ages
Columbia TriStar Home Video, $9.95 (VHS)

What list of family comedies is complete without a nod to the masterful work of Jim Henson? Arguments can be made for several of the films starring some of the refugees from Sesame Street, but this musical has the most laughs for kids and adults alike. Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and their Muppet ensemble hit the Big Apple to produce a play on old Broadway. They run into some shady and creative characters (some played by the real Liza Minnelli, Art Carney, Brooke Shields, and other big-name stars) yet find happiness and success in the end. Gentle fun is mixed with witty jokes for a truly sunny-day experience.