The Best Movies With A Little Girl Protagonist

Updated July 27, 2020 1.6k votes 198 voters 15.2k views38 items

Young girls are creative, curious, and fearless when it comes to pursuing their dreams. The best movies with a little girl protagonist often feature fantastical adventures, along with more everyday struggles like family drama. This is a list of the greatest movies about little girls including everything from The Parent Trap to Bridge to Terabithia to Kit Kittredge: An American Girl.

What films will you find on this list of movies for girls? The Academy Award-winning classic To Kill A Mockingbird is told through the eyes of a young girl named Scout (Mary Badham). Although this 1962 movie features a young girl as the protagonist, it tackles complex, adult issues like racism and right and wrong. Pan's Labyrinth is another great movie with a young girl in the lead role. Abigail Breslin charmed audiences across America as the precocious Olive Hoover in Little Miss Sunshine. Other good films featured on this list include Matilda, The Secret Garden, and Fly Away home.

Which movie about a young girl is your favorite? Give the best films a thumbs up and please add any great features that are missing.

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Matilda
Danny DeVito, Mara Wilson
Released: 1996
Directed by: Danny DeVito
Matilda is a 1996 American fantasy comedy children's film directed and narrated by Danny... more on Wikipedia
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A Little Princess
Camilla Belle, Liam Cunningham
Released: 1995
Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón
A Little Princess is a 1995 drama film directed by Alfonso Cuarón, starring Liesel Matthews,... more on Wikipedia
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The Secret Garden
Maggie Smith, Irène Jacob
Released: 1993
Directed by: Agnieszka Holland
The Secret Garden is a 1993 British drama fantasy film directed by Agnieszka Holland and... more on Wikipedia
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Now and Then
Demi Moore, Christina Ricci
Released: 1995
Directed by: Lesli Linka Glatter
Now and Then is a 1995 American coming-of-age film directed by Lesli Linka Glatter and... more on Wikipedia
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Little Miss Sunshine
Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston
Released: 2006
Directed by: Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton
Little Miss Sunshine is a 2006 American comedy-drama road film and the directorial film debut... more on Wikipedia
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Bridge to Terabithia
Zooey Deschanel, Josh Hutchersonm
Released: 2007
Directed by: Gábor Csupó
Bridge to Terabithia is a 2007 American-New Zealand fantasy adventure family drama film... more on Wikipedia
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To Kill a Mockingbird
Robert Duvall, Gregory Peck
Released: 1962
Directed by: Robert Mulligan
To Kill a Mockingbird is a 1962 American drama film directed by Robert Mulligan. The... more on Wikipedia
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Pollyanna
Hayley Mills, Jane Wyman
Released: 1960
Directed by: David Swift
Pollyanna is a 1960 American drama film directed by David Swift, and based on the novel by... more on Wikipedia
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My Girl
Jamie Lee Curtis, Macaulay Culkin
Released: 1991
Directed by: Howard Zieff
My Girl is a 1991 American comedy-drama film directed by Howard Zieff and written by Laurice... more on Wikipedia
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Pan's Labyrinth
Sergi López, Maribel Verdú
Released: 2006
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
Pan's Labyrinth is a 2006 Spanish-Mexican dark fantasy film directed by Guillermo del Toro. It... more on Wikipedia
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Because of Winn-Dixie
Jeff Daniels, Cicely Tyson
Released: 2005
Directed by: Wayne Wang
Because of Winn-Dixie is a 2005 American family comedy-drama film adapted from the book of the... more on Wikipedia
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Dora and the Lost City of Gold
Isabela Moner, Eugenio Derbez
Released: 2019
Directed by: James Bobin
Dora and the Lost City of Gold is a 2019 American family film directed by James Bobin, based... more on Wikipedia
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The Secret World Of Arrietty
Mirai Shida, Tatsuya Fujiwara
Released: 2010
Directed by: Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Arrietty, titled The Borrower Arrietty in Japan and The Secret World of Arrietty in North... more on Wikipedia
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It Takes Two
Kirstie Alley, Ashley Olsen
Released: 1995
Directed by: Andy Tennant
It Takes Two is a 1995 film starring Kirstie Alley, Steve Guttenberg and Mary-Kate and Ashley... more on Wikipedia
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Fly Away Home
Anna Paquin, Dana Delany
Released: 1996
Directed by: Carroll Ballard
Fly Away Home is a 1996 family drama film directed by Carroll Ballard. The film stars Anna... more on Wikipedia
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National Velvet
Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney
Released: 1944
Directed by: Clarence Brown
National Velvet is a 1944 Technicolor sports film based on the novel by Enid Bagnold,... more on Wikipedia
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Ramona and Beezus
Selena Gomez, Ginnifer Goodwin
Released: 2010
Directed by: Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum
Ramona and Beezus is a 2010 Fox-Walden film adaptation of the Ramona series of novels by... more on Wikipedia
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The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking
Dick Van Patten, Frank Welker
Released: 1988
Directed by: Ken Annakin
The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking is a 1988 American fantasy–adventure–musical film... more on Wikipedia
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Beasts of the Southern Wild
Quvenzhané Wallis, Jay Oliver
Released: 2012
Directed by: Benh Zeitlin
Beasts of the Southern Wild is a 2012 American fantasy drama film directed by Benh Zeitlin and... more on Wikipedia
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The Bad Seed
Shelley Fabares, Patty McCormack
Released: 1956
Directed by: Mervyn LeRoy
The Bad Seed is a 1956 American horror-thriller film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring... more on Wikipedia
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Eighth Grade
Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton
Released: 2018
Directed by: Bo Burnham
Eighth Grade is a 2018 American comedy film directed by Bo Burnham. An eighth grader (Elsie... more on Wikipedia
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Ponyo
Nozomi Ōhashi, Kazuko Yoshiyuki
Released: 2008
Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki
Ponyo, initially titled in English as Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, is a 2008 Japanese... more on Wikipedia
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Curly Sue
Steve Carell, Jim Belushi
Released: 1991
Directed by: John Hughes
Curly Sue is a 1991 American romantic comedy-drama film and starred Jim Belushi, Kelly Lynch... more on Wikipedia
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Kiki's Delivery Service
Kikuko Inoue, Kappei Yamaguchi
Released: 1989
Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki
Kiki's Delivery Service is a 1989 Japanese animated fantasy film produced by Studio Ghibli. It... more on Wikipedia
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Charlotte's Web
Debbie Reynolds, Danny Bonaduce
Released: 1973
Directed by: Charles August Nichols, Iwao Takamoto
Charlotte's Web is a 1973 American animated musical film produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions... more on Wikipedia

It Takes Two