What came first? The bunny or the eggs? This holiday weekend, we have just the right family-friendly cinematic treats to put a smile on your face!
The following film-favorites each celebrate the spirit of the season in their own way, so gather up your chocolate bunnies and hard-boiled eggs, and hold your family close: these five fun films will have you believing in your own miracles.
‘The Prince of Egypt’
With a score composed by Hans Zimmer and featuring the vocal talents of Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Patrick Stewart, and a pre-Oscar winning Sandra Bullock, The Prince of Egypt is an animated masterpiece with stunning art and Academy Award-winning musical numbers.
At its core, The Prince of Egypt is a tragic story about two brothers whose unwavering love for each other couldn’t be enough in the face of such differing values. Telling a story that is both heartbreaking and redemptive, we watch a spoiled, pampered young man become a leader when his eyes are opened to the cruelty of slavery. From Miriam, who places unwavering faith in the baby brother she saved, to the Pharaoh, who strives to instill responsibility into his royal sons, every member of the prince’s family is realized in a way that we understand his internal struggles of love and loyalty.
The spectacular opening alone is striking in its ability to capture both the majesty of Egyptian architecture, and the suffering of the slaves who built the works of art we still marvel at today.
‘Veggie Tales: Rack, Shack, and Benny’
The bunny. The bunny. Oh, we love the bunny.
Nothing can put a smile on someone’s face quite like a singing vegetable. In the first full-length Veggie Tales episode, Rack, Shack, and Benny are mistreated workers at a chocolate factory who are forced by their evil and greedy boss to bow down before a giant chocolate bunny. Also, at one point, Larry the Cucumber sings in Spanish while wearing a sombrero.
This beloved special is a PSA against peer pressure of course, but I think that the most important moral takeaway from the tale is that you really SHOULD take a tissue when your nose is runny… even if you do want a plate, and a fork, and bunny.
‘The Tale of the Bunny Picnic’
This quirky muppet tale is equal parts adorable and unapologetically obnoxious. When a bunny named Bean gets shut out of the annual Bunny Picnic preparations for being too little, he wanders off on his own only to discover that the farmer’s got himself a new… DOG.
This David vs Goliath story takes a couple of interesting turns along the way as we eventually reach Bean’s heroic climax, and Jim Henson brings a surprising sweetness to a dog who could have been easily vilified. And in the end, as the bunnies squeal along to that irritating earworm of a theme song, you’ll find yourself quoting along: “Those who hurt others, hurt themselves.”
‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’
Because it’s springtime, and you need a reminder of how badass bunnies can be.
‘It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown’
After the Great Pumpkin disaster of last year, Sally is less than enthusiastic to subscribe to Linus’ fantastic Easter Beagle superstitions. Linus is a man of faith though, and past disappointments only fuel his belief in the possible.
Meanwhile, Lucy is being proactive in this “gift-giving season,” by painting and hiding her eggs ahead of time so she can surprise herself Easter morning. And in a twist of fate, she unwittingly makes her brother’s wish come true, as Snoopy snoops out her eggs and tosses them to every good little boy, girl, and bird.