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If Easter is one of your favorite holidays, then we have some brilliant movie recommendations for you and your family! This holiday is celebrated all over the world, and while everyone has their own traditions when it comes to celebrating movies, the one thing that brings everyone together is movies. Who doesn’t love to watch a good movie with their family on a holiday?
We have compiled a list of the seven best movies, which span over different decades, that we think you should be watching this Easter break, and each of them has something unique about them.
We would love to know if you have watched any of these movies, so make sure you stick around until the end of the list!
Peter Rabbit (2018)
While technically not an Easter movie, Peter Rabbit does feature a bunch of bunnies! Based on the original character created by Beatrix Potter, the film tells the tale of Peter Rabbit and his family, including his cousin Benjamin Bunny and his triplet sisters, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail.
They steal vegetables from Mr. McGregor’s garden because Mr. McGregor had killed (and eaten) their father. They befriend another human neighbor named Bea, portrayed by Rose Byrne, who takes care of them ever since their mother died. Bea paints pictures of the rabbits in addition to other scenes in nature.
When Mr. McGregor dies suddenly, his great-nephew Thomas, played by Domhnall Gleeson, decides to sell the manor he inherited, effectively evicting Peter, his friends, and his family from their newfound home in the empty manor and garden.
Peter and Thomas go head to head, with Thomas making every effort to sell the property and Peter making every effort to drive away potential buyers.
It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown! (1974)
If you’re looking for something short and sweet to watch with your kids, It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown! Is a great choice, clocking in at just over 25 minutes. It is the 12th animated TV special based on the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz.
The Peanuts gang is all preparing for Easter, but Linus insists that the Easter Beagle will coordinate everything. Meanwhile, Marcie and Peppermint Patty try to color Easter eggs for the first time, managing to cook the eggs every which way, with Peppermint Patty spending her whole allowance on eggs.
Lucy mistakenly believes that she is meant to receive gifts on Easter, and she devises her own Easter egg hunt. Snoopy secretly follows her and picks up every egg she hides. On Easter morning, the Easter Beagle – who is Snoopy – hands out eggs to everyone, but he has none left for Charlie Brown. Lucy realizes that the Easter Beagle gave her one of her eggs, but all is well in the end!
Hop (2011)
Another kid-friendly feature is Hop, an animated film about E.B., a young rabbit who is meant to succeed his father as the next Easter Bunny.
He runs away from his home on Easter Island to Hollywood, planning to follow his dream of becoming a famous drummer.
When a human named Fred O’Hare accidentally hits E.B. with his car, E.B. pretends to be hurt so that he can stay with Fred while he “recovers”. Fred eventually tries to release E.B. outside, but he convinces Fred that he is the Easter Bunny and Fred allows him to come back inside.
The Easter Bunny sends his royal guards to bring E.B. home, but he manages to hide from them. As the guards continue their search for E.B., the Easter Bunny’s second-in-command, a chick named Carlos, begins plotting to usurp the Easter Bunny and become the Easter Chick. Hop stars comedian Russell Brand as E.B., Hugh Laurie as the Easter Bunny, and James Marsden as Fred.
Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)
Jesus Christ Superstar is the film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s 1970 rock opera of the same name. The film recounts the story of Jesus’ last week, focusing on the conflict and tensions that arise between Jesus and Judas Iscariot.
As Jesus’ popularity increases, Judas becomes concerned that there will be consequences for their beliefs and teachings, specifically from the Romans and the temple priests.
The priests come to agree that Jesus must be executed, lest the Romans see his movement as an uprising.
Jesus rejects the orders of the high priests and criticizes their mismanagement of the temple. As Jesus continues to perform miracles, Judas expresses his concerns to the priests.
They offer Judas 30 pieces of silver in exchange for taking them to Jesus so that they can arrest him. The Passion story continues, ending with the Crucifixion of Jesus. The film features 25 songs and stars Ted Neeley as Jesus and Carl Anderson as Judas.
Easter Parade (1948)
Another musical classic is Easter Parade, starring Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Ann Miller, and Peter Lawford. The film is set in 1912 when Broadway star Don Hewes tries to persuade his dancing partner Nadine to stay with him.
Nadine has signed a contract for a solo show already and leaves. Don goes to the bar with friends and insists that he can make a dancer out of any girl.
He chooses Hannah Brown and learns of quite the obstacle – she has trouble differentiating right from left. Their first show together is a disaster as Don tries to turn Hannah into a copy of Nadine.
Don begins to tailor the routines better to Hannah’s abilities, and they become quite successful. They turn down an offer from Ziegfeld after discovering that Nadine is currently the star of the Ziegfeld Follies.
Of course, throughout the film, Don and Hannah inevitably fall in love, but is Don able to stop treating their romance like a rehearsal? Easter Parade features music by Irving Berlin, including some of Astaire and Garland’s best-known songs, such as “Steppin’ Out with My Baby” and the title song, “Easter Parade”.
Here Comes Peter Cottontail (1971)
Here Comes Peter Cottontail is another animated television special and has a running time of only 51 minutes – perfect for smaller children who have shorter attention spans! The special is based on the 1957 novel The Easter Bunny That Overslept by Priscilla and Otto Friedrich and was produced by Rankin/Bass, who also produced the stop-motion animation Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
All of the Easter bunnies live and work in April Valley, where they make candy and decorate eggs in preparation for the holiday.
Peter Cottontail is named the successor to the retiring Chief Easter Bunny, Colonel Wellington B. Bunny. Peter is quick to accept his new appointment, but he has some competition in January Q. Irontail, an evil bunny who desires to ruin Easter for children.
Irontail demands that a contest be held to see who can deliver the most eggs, with the winner to be named Chief Easter Bunny. Peter irresponsibly stays up all night the night before, and Irontail sabotages him by preventing his rooster from being able to crow.
Irontail wins the competition and becomes Chief Easter Bunny, so Peter must get his act together and save Easter for the children.
The Prince of Egypt (1998)
Although The Prince of Egypt is more about the Jewish holiday of Passover, it is still a popular choice to watch at Eastertide. Based on the Book of Exodus, the musical drama is a retelling of the story of Moses.
When Pharaoh Seti calls for the infanticide of all newborn Hebrew boys, Yocheved and her children Miriam and Aaron place her newborn son Moses in a basket and send him down the Nile in hopes that he will be rescued and not murdered.
The basket carrying the baby washes up at the Pharaoh’s palace, and his wife takes Moses in as her own. He is named a prince and is raised like a brother to the Prince Regent, Rameses. Moses eventually learns of Seti’s atrocities and his true heritage, and he flees.
He falls in love with a Midianite woman named Tzipporah, and while building their life together, he comes across a burning bush, through which the Hebrew God tells him to guide the Hebrew slaves in Egypt to their freedom. The movie features original music by Hans Zimmer and Stephen Schwartz, including the Academy Award-winning song “When You Believe,” sung by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.
Conclusion
If you have any Easter recommendations for us and would like to add something to the list, do let us know in the comments below, and have a happy and blessed Easter!
