Movies Like The Sun Comes Up

If you liked The Sun Comes Up (1949), a action and family movie directed by Richard Thorpe, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Lassie (1994)
★ 6.1/10Also family and adventure
On their way to start a new life at a sheep farm in rural Virginia, the Turner family are halted by a wreck on the highway that has claimed the life of a truck driver. Spotting the trucker's now-abandoned collie on the…
2
Lassie (2005)
★ 6.4/10Also adventure and drama
A family in financial crisis is forced to sell Lassie, their beloved dog. Hundreds of miles away from her true family, Lassie escapes and sets out on a journey home.
3
A Dog's Purpose (2017)
★ 7.6/10Also adventure and family
A dog goes on quest to discover his purpose in life over the course of several lifetimes with multiple owners.
4
Dog Gone (2023)
★ 6.2/10Also family and adventure
When his beloved dog goes missing, a young man embarks on an incredible search with his parents to find him and give him life-saving medication.
5
Max (2015)
★ 7.2/10Also adventure and drama
A dog that helped soldiers in Afghanistan returns to the U.S. and is adopted by his handler's family after suffering a traumatic experience.
6
Anne of Green Gables (2016)
★ 7.2/10Also drama and family
Anne Shirley, an orphan, is fostered by farmer Matthew Cuthbert and his sister Marilla, who were expecting a boy to be sent them to help with their farm work. They accept Anne, who quickly endears herself to them and…
7
Once Upon a Forest (1993)
★ 6.5/10Also family and adventure
A young mouse, mole and hedgehog risk their lives to find a cure for their badger friend, who's been poisoned by men.
8
The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
★ 7.5/10Also family and adventure
Set in South Carolina in 1964, this is the tale of Lily Owens a 14 year-old girl who is haunted by the memory of her late mother. To escape her lonely life and troubled relationship with her father, Lily flees with…
9
Far from Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog (1995)
★ 6.2/10Also action and adventure
Teenager Angus adopts a stray dog and names him Yellow. Several days later, while travelling along the coast of British Columbia with Angus's father, John, the boy and dog become stranded when turbulent waters capsize…
10
Benji (2018)
★ 6.9/10Also drama and family
Two school kids strike up a friendship with an orphaned puppy named Benji. When danger befalls them and they end up kidnapped by robbers who are in over their heads, Benji and his scruffy sidekick come to the rescue.
11
The Secret Garden (2020)
★ 6.3/10Also family and drama
Mary Lennox is born in India to wealthy British parents who never wanted her. When her parents suddenly die, she is sent back to England to live with her uncle. She meets her sickly cousin, and the two children find a…
12
The Pagemaster (1994)
★ 6.4/10Also family and adventure
Rich knows a lot about accidents. So much so, he is scared to do anything that might endanger him, like riding his bike, or climbing into his treehouse. While in an old library, he is mystically transported into the…
13
PAW Patrol: Mighty Pups (2018)
★ 7.5/10Also adventure and family
When their latest scheme goes awry, Mayor Humdinger and his nephew Harold accidentally divert a meteor towards Adventure Bay. The meteor's golden energy grants the PAW Patrol superpowers. The heroic Mighty Pups are on…
14
Iron Will (1994)
★ 6.7/10Also adventure and family
When Will Stoneman's father dies, he is left alone to take care of his mother and their land. Needing money to maintain it, he decides to join a cross country dogsled race. This race will require days of racing for…
15
Lassie Come Home (1943)
★ 6.7/10Also family and adventure
Hard times come for the Carraclough family and they are forced to sell their dog, Lassie, to the rich Duke of Rudling. Lassie, however, is unwilling to remain apart from young Carraclough son Joe and sets out on a long…
16
A Dog's Way Home (2019)
★ 7.4/10Also drama and adventure
The adventure of Bella, a dog who embarks on an epic 400-mile journey home after she is separated from her beloved human.
17
True Grit (1969)
★ 7.3/10Also drama and adventure
The murder of her father sends a teenage tomboy on a mission of 'justice', which involves avenging her father's death. She recruits a tough old marshal, 'Rooster' Cogburn because he has 'true grit', and a reputation of…
18
Little Lord Fauntleroy (1980)
★ 7.3/10Also family and drama
Young Cedric Errol and his widowed mother live in genteel poverty in 1880s Brooklyn after the death of his father. Cedric's grandfather, the Earl of Dorincourt, has long ago disowned his son for marrying an American…
19
Embattled (2020)
★ 6.7/10Also action and drama
The eldest son of a ruthlessly tough MMA champion must fight his way out of the abusive cycle his father has continued.
20
A Dog's Journey (2019)
★ 8.1/10Also family and adventure
A dog finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he meets.