Disney movies are magical. However, not all Disney movies are animated, and the non-animated movies can bring the magic to life as well.
Disney's live-action films have taught us all so much, and encouraged us that even the average "Joe" can be as much a part of the magic of Disney as the animated Disney princesses. Disney brought us the legendary sports triumphs of Miracle and The Mighty Ducks, the live-action princess movies such as Enchanted and The Princess Diaries, the Christmas magic of The Santa Claus and brilliant historical adventures like National Treasure.
These live-action films truly bring the magic of Disney to life before our eyes. Here is a list of the top ten live-action Disney films.
10) Mary Poppins (1964)
A musical live-action film mixed with bits and pieces of animation, Mary Poppins stars Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson and Glynis Johns. Directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi with songs composed by the Sherman Brothers, the film was nominated for 13 Academy Awards. With five wins, Mary Poppins holds the record for the most Academy Awards and nominations in Disney history. The film is based on the Mary Poppins book series by P. L. Travers, from whom Walt Disney began trying to purchase the film rights for the movie in 1938. Travers would not sell until 1961, and even then, the two disagreed on several adaptations that were made from the book to the film. Although changes had to be made, the film version works extremely well. When the banks children chase away yet another nanny for there misbehavior, Mr. Banks sets out a search for a strict and disciplining nanny, but what he gets is Mary Poppins. Although she enforces firm authority, she is a kind and gentle nanny who takes the children on wild adventures. They travel through a sidewalk chalk drawing to an animated world, dance across the London rooftops and have a tea party in midair. But Mary Poppins' greatest achievement is bringing the Banks family closer together. The heart-warming plot along with the catchy tunes - with some of the most beloved songs in Disney, including "A Spoonful of Sugar," "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and "Chim Chim Cher-ee" - make this film one of Disney's best.
9) The Parent Trap (1998)
Lindsay Lohan used to be adorable! In her debut film, she stars alongside Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson in this lovable comedy co-written and directed by Nancy Meyers and co-written and produced by Charles Shyer. This is an adaptation of the 1961 film, which in turn was adapted from Erich Kästner's German novel Das doppelte Lottchen. When Hallie Parker and Annie James meet up at a summer camp in Maine, they discover they are twin sisters who were separated at birth when their parents got divorced. They then decide to conspire together to get their parents back together again in order to once again complete the family. The film features quite a few clever and hilarious scenes, where the girls, both played by Lohan, scheme up some brilliant pranks. There are also an abundance of pop culture references throughout the film, from the cover scene of The Beatles' Abbey Road album to the films The Great Escape, Taxi Driver and more. It's the film that inspires children everywhere that there is still hope for their own parents.
8) Old Yeller (1957)
Set in 1860s post-Civil War Texas, this story is based on the Newbery Honor-winning book of the same name written by Fred Gipson. Starring Tommy Kirk and Dorothy McGuire, it tells the story about a boy's relationship with a dog. When Travis' father must leave to work on a cattle drive, he is forced to become the man of the house and take care of the farm. A stray dog enters their lives, and gains the family's trust after saving the youngest son from a bear, fending off raccoon, defeating wild boar and more. Just when Travis falls in love with the dog, he is faced with an extremely difficult situation. In this heart-wrenching story, we see just what it takes to become an adult, as the facts about life and death are harshly explained. One of the saddest endings in cinematic history, this film is one of the greatest stories about the relationship between man and dog out there.
7) Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
One of the greatest adventure story of all time, this film features a shipwrecked faimly who is forced to build an defend a house on an island. The family must learn all sorts of survival skills, such as how to build a home, fetch water and food and defeat pirates. The film is loosely based on the novel Der Schweizerische Robinson written by Johann David Wyss. Directed by Ken Annakin and starring John Mills, Dorothy McGuire, James MacArthur and Janet Munro, the adventures of a family who must on an island without knowing how long they will be stranded there are brought to life. While filming in Tobago, the film crew encountered several problems, including the lack of daylight hours and bad weather. However, they endured and succeeded in producing an extraordinary film. Walt Disney World features an exhibit of the Swiss Family Robinson tree house, an interactive tree house that families can explore.
6) Cool Runnings (1993)
This inspirational film was directed by Jon Turteltaub and stars Leon, Doug E. Doug, Rawle D. Lewis, Malik Yoba and John Candy. Although it is somewhat based on the true story of the 1988 Winter Olympics Jamaican national bobsled team, there are several inconsistencies with real life, including the characters, the teams and their relationships with other teams and the competition details. When three men fall short of qualifying for the 1988 Summer Olympic games due to one of them tripping, they join a champion push cart racer to form a bobsled team. Coached by two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Irv Blitzer, the team is looked down upon by the other countries. They put up a great fight, and although they don't stand much chance of winning, they persevere in order to gain a sense of accomplishment and the respect of the world. This film presents an endearing story of the determination and perseverance it takes to participate in the Olympic games.
5) Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
Based on the books The Magic Bed Knob; or How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons and Bonfires and Broomsticks written by Mary Norton, Disney brought us another historical and magical tale. Three siblings fled London during the London Blitz and taken in by apprentice witch Ms. Price (Angela Lansbury). When Ms. Price's last magic lesson is cut short, she sets out with the children to track down Professor Emelius Browne (David Tomlinson) and search for the missing half of the final spell. She wishes to learn the substitutiary locomotion spell in order to help the war efforts. The children, along with Ms. Price and the professor embark on an adventure, traveling on a flying bed to the island of Naboombu. This film is extremely similar to Mary Poppins, in that they both combine live action and animation, they both include London settings, and even share some of the same cast. Bedknobs won one of the five Academy Awards for which it was nominated.
4) Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)
This remake of the 1963 film The Incredible Journey, which was adapted from the best-selling novel of the same name written by Sheila Burnford.
When their family travels to San Francisco, an American bulldog (voiced by Michael J. Fox), a golden retriever (Don Ameche) and a Himalayan cat (Sally Field) are dropped off on a ranch with a family friend. When she leaves to go on a cattle drive, the pets believe that they have been abandoned, and decide to go find their owners. They embark on a journey through the Rocky Mountain wilderness, where they encounter bears, waterfalls, a mountain lion, a porcupine and more. These animals do everything they can to attempt to make their way home. Chance, the bulldog and narrator of the film, was a rescue who never knew the meaning of the word "home." By the conclusion of the film, the animals learn what family is all about and what it is like to really have a home.
3) Iron Will (1994)
Directed by Charles Haid and starring Mackenzie Astin and Kevin Spacey, this is another inspiring Disney film in which the character fights against all his odds in order to prove himself to the world. After Will Stoneman's father dies in a dogsled accident, Will desperately needs money in order to take care of his mother and go to college. He decides to enter a dogsled race from Winnipeg to Saint Paul, Minnesota, in which the prize money is $10,000. He battles brutal weather and terrain as he fights to stay in the race and to everyone that he is in fact strong enough to compete. Most of this inspirational film is fictional, but Will's character is somewhat based on the combined stories of Albert Campbell, who won the 1917 dogsled race from Winnipeg to Saint Paul, and Fred Hartman, who was racing for America. A story of courage, perseverance, strength and pride, Iron Will succeeds in making all of its viewers passionately hope and cheer for Will along his journey.
2) Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
An interesting twist on the usual pirate story, pirates in this film attempt to return the treasure instead of pillage it, and their mutiny already happened before the film's start. This adventure fantasy film was directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and stars Orlando Bloom, Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley and Geoffrey Rush. When the Governor's daughter is kidnapped by cursed pirates, blacksmith Will Turner joins forces with pirate Captain Jack Sparrow to rescue her. The role of Captain Jack Sparrow was originally written just for Hugh Jackman (hence the character's name), but since Jackman wasn't as well known as Depp, the part was given to the latter. Depp was initially uncooperative, and acted the character how he felt he should - after research on 18th-century pirates he equated them to modern rock stars and decided to construct his persona after that of Keith Richards. Depp went on to win several awards for his performance, including Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and Teen Choice Awards. Several filming difficulties ensued throughout production, due to script arguments, an accidental fire and an attempt to shut efforts down after the Box Office flub of The Country Bears. The entire film serves as a tribute to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in Disney World. Scenes from the amusement park ride include the jail scene with the dog, the Tortuga scene, Gibbs sleeping with the pigs, the song "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)" and more. The money invested to create the costumes (including the prosthetics and contact lenses that most of the actors wore) and special effects were definitely worth it, as they, combined with the incredible music score by Klaus Badelt and Hans Zimmer, produced an amazingly entertaining film.
1) Remember the Titans (2000)
Set in 1971 during the time of
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Boaz Yakin worked together to produce this American sports masterpiece. Based on the true story of coach Herman Boone, the story of a racially-divided team is presented. When African American Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) is hired as head coach at T.C. Williams High School and steals Bill Yoast (Will Patton), chaos ensues. Boone battles persecution from the whole town and struggles to keep his team together. Throughout the film, the team must fight to win victories in games and victories over racism, both internally and externally. The team must learn to work together, no matter what their differences, in order to win games. This film addresses numerous topical themes, including racism, discrimination and sports. Following the immense success of this film, Disney was inspired to create several additional sports films.
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