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Movies that feel like Children of Heaven (1997)

If you loved Children of Heaven, the closest films we have are The White Balloon (1995), Wonder (2017) and Storm Boy (1977). All three share Children of Heaven's contemplative and warm feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 10 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on Criterion Channel, TCM and fuboTV and others, checked against today's data.

Zohre's shoes are gone; her older brother Ali lost them. They are poor, there are no shoes for Zohre until they come up with an idea: they will share one pair of shoes. School awaits.

πŸ… 83% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 8.2 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Majid Majidicontemplativewarmcozy

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When is Children of Heaven streaming? β†’

If Children of Heaven hit the spot, these will too

Looking for the series itself? Also in this series: Days of Heaven (1978) Β· Gates of Heaven (1978) Β· Kingdom of Heaven (2005) Β· Some Kind of Heaven (2021)

The White Balloon poster
The White Balloon
1995 Β· dir. Jafar Panahi
πŸ… 83%β˜… 7.6drama Β· family

Contemplative and warm in the same breath

Several people try to take advantage of a little girl's innocence to hustle money her mom gave to her to buy a goldfish with.

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Wonder poster
Wonder
2017 Β· dir. Stephen Chbosky
πŸ… 86%β˜… 7.9family Β· drama

Cozy drama, and it commits to that

The difference: A 2010s film, from a different era of filmmaking

The story of August Pullman – a boy with facial differences – who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time.

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Storm Boy poster
Storm Boy
1977 Β· dir. Henri Safran
β˜… 6.9drama Β· family

Both trade on stillness more than on being family

Mike is a lonely Australian boy living in a coastal wilderness with his reclusive father. In search of friendship he encounters an Aboriginal native loner and the two form a bond in the care of orphaned pelicans.

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Hachi: A Dog's Tale poster
Hachi: A Dog's Tale
2009 Β· dir. Lasse HallstrΓΆm
πŸ… 64%β˜… 8.1drama Β· family

Drama with a pulse of warmth, in both cases

Professor Wilson discovers a lost Akita puppy on his way home. Despite objections from his wife, Hachi endears himself to the family and grows to be Parker's loyal companion. As their bond grows deeper, a beautiful relationship unfolds.

Feels alike?
Still Walking poster
Still Walking
2008 Β· dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda
πŸ… 100%β˜… 7.9drama Β· family

Cozy family in both cases

A family gathers together for a commemorative ritual whose nature only gradually becomes clear.

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A Little Princess poster
A Little Princess
1995 Β· dir. Alfonso CuarΓ³n
πŸ… 97%β˜… 7.6drama Β· family Β· fantasy

Drama built on stillness, twice over

The difference: Plays it as fantasy more than Children of Heaven does

When her father enlists to fight for the British in WWI, young Sara Crewe goes to New York to attend the same boarding school her late mother attended. She soon clashes with the severe headmistress, Miss Minchin, who attempts to stifle Sara's creativity and sense of self-worth.

Feels alike?
Bridge to Terabithia poster
Bridge to Terabithia
2007 Β· dir. GΓ‘bor CsupΓ³
πŸ… 85%β˜… 7.2adventure Β· drama Β· family

Both keep circling back to brothers and sisters

The difference: Leans adventure where Children of Heaven does not

Jesse Aarons trained all summer to become the fastest runner in school. So he's very upset when newcomer Leslie Burke outruns him and everyone else. Despite this and other differences including that she's rich, he's poor, she's a city girl, and he's a country boy the two become fast friends. Together they create Terabithia, a land of monsters, trolls, ogres, and giants where they rule as king and queen.

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The Secret Garden poster
The Secret Garden
1993 Β· dir. Agnieszka Holland
πŸ… 89%β˜… 7.3drama Β· family Β· fantasy

Warm family, and it commits to that

A young British girl born and reared in India loses her neglectful parents in an earthquake. She is returned to England to live at her uncle's castle. Her uncle is very distant due to the loss of his wife ten years before. Neglected once again, she begins exploring the estate and discovers a garden that has been locked and forgotten. Aided by one of the servants' boys, she begins restoring the garden, and eventually discovers some other secrets of the manor.

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Hugo poster
Hugo
2011 Β· dir. Martin Scorsese
πŸ… 93%β˜… 7.5adventure Β· drama Β· family

Both run cozy where it counts

Orphaned and alone except for an uncle, Hugo Cabret lives in the walls of a train station in 1930s Paris. Hugo's job is to oil and maintain the station's clocks, but to him, his more important task is to protect a broken automaton and notebook left to him by his late father. Accompanied by the goddaughter of an embittered toy merchant, Hugo embarks on a quest to solve the mystery of the automaton and find a place he can call home.

Feels alike?
The Journey of Natty Gann poster
The Journey of Natty Gann
1985 Β· dir. Jeremy Kagan
πŸ… 91%β˜… 7adventure Β· family Β· drama

Cut from the same drama cloth

America is in the depths of the Great Depression. Families drift apart when faraway jobs beckon. A courageous young girl confronts overwhelming odds when she embarks on a cross-country search for her father. During her odyssey, she forms a close bond with two diverse traveling companions: a magnificent, protective wolf, and a hardened drifter.

Feels alike?
Good Will Hunting poster
Good Will Hunting
1997 Β· dir. Gus Van Sant
πŸ… 97%β˜… 8.4drama

The same drama instincts

The difference: Not nearly as cozy as Children of Heaven

Will Hunting is a headstrong, working-class genius who is failing the lessons of life. After one too many run-ins with the law, Will's last chance is a psychology professor, who might be the only man who can reach him.

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The Call of the Wild poster
The Call of the Wild
2020 Β· dir. Chris Sanders
πŸ… 62%β˜… 6.7adventure Β· family Β· drama

Family approached the same way

Buck is a big-hearted dog whose blissful domestic life is turned upside down when he is suddenly uprooted from his California home and transplanted to the exotic wilds of the Yukon during the Gold Rush of the 1890s. As the newest rookie on a mail delivery dog sled teamβ€”and later its leaderβ€”Buck experiences the adventure of a lifetime, ultimately finding his true place in the world and becoming his own master.

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In the mood for more contemplative?

all contemplative movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share Children of Heaven's defining feeling.