20 movies like When the Whales Came, ordered by similarity : Loveling(2018), Old Yeller(1957), The Yearling(1946), Begin Again(2013), Two Is a Family(2016), Inside Out(2015), Boyhood(2014), The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey(2007), Finding Neverland(2004), The Confirmation(2016), A Dog's Journey(2019), My Feral Heart(2016) ...
Kids & Family, Drama
UK
1989
100 Minutes
Paul Scofield Helen Mirren David Threlfall David Suchet Helen Pearce Max Rennie Jeremy Kemp
child eccentric old man mother father aunt brooding engaging charming heartwarming emotional moving cornwall whales island life isolation world war i dark secrets intergenerational friendship discovery
A pair of children befriend an eccentric old man, who lives isolated on the far shore of their island home. But it turns out that the old man knows a terrible secret about the island and ... See full summary »
Drama
2018
95 Minutes
Karine Teles Otávio Muller Adriana Esteves Konstantinos Sarris César Troncoso Mateus Solano Camilo Pellegrini Ariclenes Barroso Pablo Riera Lucas Gouvêa
mother father child brother sister teen boy touching emotional amusing charming cheeky moving rio de janeiro house school beach car auditorium leaving home mother/son relationship
On the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, Irene has only a few days to overcome her anxiety about sending her eldest son out into the world on his own.
Kids & Family, Drama
1957
83 Minutes
Dorothy McGuire Fess Parker Tommy Kirk Kevin Corcoran Jeff York Beverly Washburn Chuck Connors
boy mother father dog brother endearing heartwarming sad texas ranch household childhood friendship family pets farming bravery growing up discovery sacrifice
A teenage boy (Tommy Kirk) grows to love a stray yellow dog while running his Texas homestead with his father (Fess Parker) away.
Kids & Family, Drama
1946
128 Minutes
Gregory Peck Jane Wyman Claude Jarman Jr. Chill Wills Margaret Wycherly Henry Travers Jeff York Forrest Tucker June Lockhart
son father mother fawn emotional endearing sad florida farm household family friendship childhood grief animals growing up love discovery 1870s
A pet deer changes a boy (Claude Jarman Jr.) and his parents (Gregory Peck, Jane Wyman), pioneering farmers in Florida after the Civil War.
Drama
USA
2013
68 Minutes
Joshua Samson Lisa Spurrier Bill Gillane Dusti Jones Savanna Kylie Lewis Matt Mascaro Trevor Hawkes Michael Solarez Sarah Kent
teenager teen girl abusive mother abusive father foster mother friend engaging heartwarming melodramatic emotional charming foster home coming of age foster care child abuse dramatization childhood trauma happiness adventure quest
12-yr-old Jessica Jones world is torn apart when she is taken out of her abusive home & placed in to Foster care. Jessica will grapple with her past, present, & future. She will meet numerous struggles along the way.
Comedy, Drama
2016
118 Minutes
Omar Sy Clémence Poésy Gloria Colston Antoine Bertrand Ashley Walters Clémentine Célarié Anna Cottis Raphael Von Blumenthal
man love child love interest mother single father daughter emotional engaging endearing witty moving amusing paris france london england beach flat abandoned baby abandonment
A man's life is turned upside down when an old flame leaves a child on his doorstep, claiming it is his. He moves to London and raises the child by himself.
Animation, Comedy, Kids & Family, Fantasy
USA
2015
95 Minutes
young girl mother father imaginary friend teacher friend amusing charming emotional san francisco house imaginary world school dining room street emotion moving change adaptation hockey
After young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness - conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school.
Drama
USA
2014
165 Minutes
Ellar Coltrane Patricia Arquette Ethan Hawke Lorelei Linklater Tamara Jolaine Nick Krause Jordan Howard Evie Thompson
child mother father sister classmate friend charming cool creative classroom backyard bedroom dining room dark room bowling alley growing up life family travel birthdays
The life of Mason, from early childhood to his arrival at college.
Other, Drama
UK
2007
90 Minutes
Tom Berenger Joely Richardson Luke Ward-Wilkinson Lia Williams Jenny O'Hara Ronald Pickup Elliot Cowan Derek Riddell
woodworker mother son young boy dead person friend engaging emotional melodramatic heartwarming charming creative family home friendship relationships christmas emotion art adventure discovery
When a broken hearted boy loses the treasured wooden nativity set that links him to his dead father, his worried mother persuades a lonely ill-tempered woodcarver to create a replacement, ... See full summary »
Kids & Family, Biography, Drama
USA|UK
2004
106 Minutes
Johnny Depp Kate Winslet Julie Christie Radha Mitchell Dustin Hoffman Kelly Macdonald Ian Hart Paul Whitehouse Freddie Highmore Joe Prospero Nick Roud
author mother son wife arthur conan doyle orphan charming emotional endearing london theater england friendship childhood parenthood grief marriage discovery transformation growing up
The story of Sir J.M. Barrie's friendship with a family who inspired him to create Peter Pan.
Comedy, Drama
Canada
2016
101 Minutes
Clive Owen Jaeden Martell Maria Bello Robert Forster Tim Blake Nelson Patton Oswalt Matthew Modine Stephen Tobolowsky
carpenter thief son father family mother charming endearing heartwarming lighthearted moving playful canada small town home father/son relationship fatherhood bonding life lessons growing up
A divorced father and his eight-year-old son are about to spend a somewhat predictable weekend together, nevertheless, when a valuable toolbox gets stolen, the search for the thieves will soon turn into a true family bonding.
Adventure, Drama, Comedy, Kids & Family, Fantasy
China|India|Hong Kong|USA
2019
108 Minutes
Kathryn Prescott Betty Gilpin Dennis Quaid Marg Helgenberger Abby Ryder Fortson Henry Lau Ian Chen Conrad Coates Jake Manley Daniela Barbosa Kevin Claydon
dog pet owner family member young girl grandfather grandmother endearing emotional touching heartwarming moving charming farm michigan house stable park bedroom dog pets
A dog finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he meets.
Drama
UK
2016
83 Minutes
Suzanna Hamilton Darren Kent Pixie Le Knot Will Rastall Eileen Pollock Jason Wright Steven Brandon Shana Swash Edward Wilkinson Rachael Cox
down syndrome sufferer friend young girl outsider young boy mother charming emotional engaging heartwarming inspiring moving english countryside nursing home home town field barn loss love
Luke, an independent young man with Down's syndrome stumbles upon a wild and life changing friendship.
Comedy, Drama
USA
2012
95 Minutes
Lou Taylor Pucci Seth Green Cary Elwes Kristin Bauer Kenneth Welsh Tyler Stentiford Mackenzie Munro Al Sapienza Lisa Ryder Dewshane Williams Jayne Eastwood
grandfather grandmother grandson autism man young man charming emotional endearing engaging lighthearted quirky united states town autism love true love quest grandparent/child relationship job
Sheltered by his grandparents, Luke, a young man with autism, is thrust into a world that doesn't expect anything from him. But Luke is on a quest for a job and true love. And he isn't taking no for an answer.
Kids & Family, Drama
USA
1995
97 Minutes
Eleanor Bron Liam Cunningham Liesel Matthews Rusty Schwimmer Arthur Malet Vanessa Lee Chester Errol Sitahal Heather DeLoach Taylor Fry
daughter father headmistress endearing fascinating emotional new york city boarding school friendship world war i school family growing up rescue 1910s
A young girl is relegated to servitude at a boarding school when her father goes missing and is presumed dead.
Kids & Family, Drama
Canada
1990
103 Minutes
Gerard Parkes Joshua Murray David Ferry Wanda Cannon Nathaniel Moreau Katharine Isabelle Marsha Moreau
boy cousin grandfather horse mother father moving touching heartwarming manitoba, canada farm imagination rural life moving coming of age family childhood adventure transformation sacrifice
Tells the story of a young man's struggle to keep his world from changing. Placed in the rural setting of the mid 1950s, it revolves around William Jamison and his colorful old Grampa Jack.... See full summary »
Adventure, Crime, Drama
Japan
2018
121 Minutes
Lily Franky Sakura Andô Mayu Matsuoka Kirin Kiki Jyo Kairi Miyu Sasaki Sôsuke Ikematsu
shoplifter man outsider child orphan abusive father engaging playful charming amusing emotional melodramatic japan house prison family happiness shoplifting child abuse crime
A family of small-time crooks take in a child they find outside in the cold.
Kids & Family, Adventure, Drama
France|Germany|South Africa|Switzerland|Monaco|USA
2018
98 Minutes
Mélanie Laurent Daniah De Villiers Langley Kirkwood Ryan Mac Lennan Brandon Auret Lillian Dube Lionel Newton Tessa Jubber
girl lion lion tamer father mother inspiring passionate charming positive emotional tense south africa farm wilderness wildlife preserve plains human-animal friendship secret dangerous information journey
A young girl from London moves to Africa with her parents where she befriends a lion cub.
Drama
Russia
2003
110 Minutes
Ivan Dobronravov Vladimir Garin Konstantin Lavronenko Natalya Vdovina Galina Petrova Aleksey Suknovalov Lazar Dubovik Elizaveta Aleksandrova Lyubov Kazakova
father son teenager mother emotional dark somber uneasy russia small town car boat island abandonment absence reunion father/son relationship discovery growing up mystery
In the Russian wilderness, two brothers face a range of new, conflicting emotions when their father - a man they know only through a single photograph - resurfaces.
Drama
2015
126 Minutes
Haruka Ayase Masami Nagasawa Kaho Suzu Hirose Kirin Kiki Shinobu Ohtake Ryô Kase Jun Fubuki
sister mother figure estranged father sibling half sister friend caregiver grandmother love interest romantic interest mother lighthearted emotional engaging endearing positive japan home family home family
After the death of their estranged father, three siblings (Haruka Ayase, Masami Nagasawa, Kaho) invite their half sister (Suzu Hirose) to live with them.
Drama
USA
2018
104 Minutes
Carey Mulligan Jake Gyllenhaal Ed Oxenbould Bill Camp Zoe Colletti Travis W. Bruyer Darryl Cox Mollie Milligan
teen boy golfer housewife firefighter mother friend bleak emotional tense intricate raw montana forest school house car small town mother/child relationship father/child relationship marriage
A teenage boy must deal with his mother's complicated response after his father temporarily abandons them to take a menial and dangerous job.