Movies Like Man's Search for Happiness
If you liked Man's Search for Happiness (1986), a family movie directed by Peter N. Johnson, 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
Dug's Special Mission (2009)
★ 7/10Also familyDug is sent on foolish missions by Alpha, Beta, and Gamma so they can hunt for the Bird of Paradise Falls by themselves. Dug may find that where he belongs is not where he's been looking.
- 2
Light of the World (2025)
★ 8.9/10Also familyIt's 30 AD and everyone is expectantly awaiting the coming Messiah. While Jesus isn't exactly what they imagined, there is something special about this man. Soon, John, James, Andrew, Peter, and others begin to follow…
- 3
Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas (2011)
★ 6.5/10Also familyWhen Sid accidentally destroys Manny's heirloom Christmas rock and ends up on Santa's naughty list, he leads a hilarious quest to the North Pole to make things right and ends up making things much worse. Now it's up to…
- 4
Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh (2008)
★ 7.3/10Also familyStep brothers Drake and Josh must give a foster family the best Christmas ever or face years in jail for a Christmas party gone wrong.
- 5
Little Lord Fauntleroy (1980)
★ 7.3/10Also familyYoung 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…
- 6
Inner Workings (2016)
★ 7.8/10Also familyThis is the story of the internal struggle between a man's Brain—a pragmatic protector who calculates his every move, and his Heart—a free-spirited adventurer who wants to let loose.
- 7
Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation (2024)
★ 7.6/10Also familyWhen thrill-seeker Cricket tricks his family into taking a "road trip" in space, chaos in the cosmos quickly ensues. Despite growing frustrations between Cricket and his dad, Bill, the two must learn to appreciate each…
- 8
Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special (2020)
★ 6.2/10Also familyFaced with a holiday cheer crisis, the North Pole knows there's only one person who can save the day: Santa's great friend Mariah Carey. The Queen of Christmas creates a fabulous and star-studded spectacular to make…
- 9
Magic Stocking (2015)
★ 6.5/10Also familyA young widow finds a tattered old Christmas stocking at a Holiday craft sale, but is skeptical of its magic when it seems to create small trinkets on its own.
- 10
The Forge (2024)
★ 8.2/10Also family19 year old Isaiah Wright lives for basketball and video games. A year out of high school, he has no job, no plans, and no idea how to be a man. At odds with his single mother Cynthia, Isaiah is given an ultimatum – to…
- 11
Happy New Year, Charlie Brown (1986)
★ 6.6/10Also familyIt's the night of Peppermint Patty’s New Year’s Eve bash, but Charlie Brown has to write a book report about War and Peace. Hoping to join the fun for a special dance with the Little Red-Haired Girl, he tries…
- 12
Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas! (2011)
★ 6.7/10Also familyTeddy Duncan's middle-class family embarks on a road trip from their home in Denver to visit Mrs. Duncans Parents, the Blankenhoopers, in Palm Springs. When they find themselves stranded between Denver and Utah, they…
- 13
12 Gifts of Christmas (2015)
★ 6.1/10Also familyWhen Anna Parisi, an unemployed fine arts painter, is unable to make ends meet, she is hired to become a personal Christmas shopper for Marc, an uptight corporate exec. As they begin working together, Marc learns that…
- 14
Lucy Shimmers and the Prince of Peace (2020)
★ 8.4/10Also familySecond chances start when a hardened criminal crosses paths with a precocious little girl who is helped by an angel to change hearts during the holiday season.
- 15
Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas (2021)
★ 7/10Also familyAfter a series of mishaps, Mickey, Minnie and the gang are separated all over the world and must try to get back to Hot Dog Hills by Christmas Eve. A mysterious and jolly stranger shows up to tell them about The…
- 16
A Christmas Miracle for Daisy (2021)
★ 5.9/10Also familyWhitney Alder owns interior design firm Marietta Designs, which she runs with her friend Andi in the small town of Marietta, Montana. Whitney is designing Santa’s float for the annual Marietta Christmas Parade when a…
- 17
PAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue (2020)
★ 7.1/10Also familyA royal relative steals a gem with the power to make things fly, the Paw Patrol takes to the skies to stop him and save Barkingburg.
- 18
A Very Brady Christmas (1988)
★ 6.2/10Also familyAlmost 20 years after the start of the original "Brady Bunch" the kids are grown up and have kids of their own. Everyone is having a wonderful time back at the family house for Christmas, until Mike learns of a…
- 19
Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas (2009)
★ 6.8/10Also familyGeorge and The Man In The Yellow Hat are having a merry time counting down to Christmas. But neither can decide what to give each other. Will they find the answers before Christmas morning?
- 20
Godspell (1973)
★ 6.7/10Also familyIn modern-day New York City, John the Baptist calls out to a group of young men and women to learn from the teachings of Jesus. Through song and dance, they relive Christ's crucifixion.