Movies like Emily and the Search for Happiness (1978)
The best movies like Emily and the Search for Happiness (1978) are PAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue (2020), Ploey: You Never Fly Alone (2018) and Snoopy Presents: There's No Place Like Home, Snoopy (2026). If Emily and the Search for Happiness hooked you with its animation and family, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedFar from the Tree (2021)8.1/10 from 395 votes
- NewestSnoopy Presents: There's No Place Like Home, Snoopy (2026)Released 2026
PAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue (2020)
A 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.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPloey: You Never Fly Alone (2018)
A plover chick has not learned to fly when his family migrates in the fall. He must survive the arctic winter, vicious enemies and himself in order to be reunited with his beloved one next spring.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSnoopy Presents: There's No Place Like Home, Snoopy (2026)
When Snoopy's beloved doghouse goes missing, he tries to track it down, and learns what makes a house feel like home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisKung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll (2016)
As Po looks for his lost action figures, the story of how the panda inadvertently helped create the Furious Five is told.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters (2011)
Po and the Furious Five uncover the legend of three of kung fu's greatest heroes: Master Thundering Rhino, Master Storming Ox, and Master Croc.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAngela's Christmas Wish (2020)
A determined Angela makes a wish to reunite her family in time for Christmas, then launches a plan to find her way from Ireland to Australia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFar from the Tree (2021)
On an idyllic beach in the Pacific Northwest, curiosity gets the better of a young raccoon whose frustrated parent attempts to keep them both safe.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisCat Pack: A PAW Patrol Exclusive Event (2022)
When Mayor Humdinger transforms his robot cat Meow-Meow into a tiger-sized metal-eating menace, the PAW Patrol calls in the Cat Pack for help in the stopping the creature.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPhineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe (2020)
Phineas and Ferb travel across the galaxy to rescue their older sister Candace, who has been abducted by aliens and taken to a utopia in a far-off planet, free of her pesky little brothers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisChickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022)
A brave young animal explorer teams up with two trusty friends to find a powerful artifact before his greedy uncle can get his paws on it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWinnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You (1999)
After Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Rabbit see Christopher Robin making a valentine for -- gasp! -- a girl, they find he's been bitten by a "Smitten" and is lovesick! Worried that he'll no longer have time for them, and hoping a second bite from the love bug will cure him, they set out on a wild adventure to capture the Smitten. This wonderful story, filled with magic and whimsy, and sweetened with three new songs, reminds us all that the heart is big and always has plenty of room for friends -- old and new.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRon's Gone Wrong (2021)
In a world where walking, talking, digitally connected bots have become children's best friends, an 11-year-old finds that his robot buddy doesn't quite work the same as the others do.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDay & Night (2010)
When Day, a sunny fellow, encounters Night, a stranger of distinctly darker moods, sparks fly! Day and Night are frightened and suspicious of each other at first, and quickly get off on the wrong foot. But as they discover each other's unique qualities--and come to realize that each of them offers a different window onto the same world-the friendship helps both to gain a new perspective.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBarbie: Skipper and the Big Babysitting Adventure (2023)
When her babysitting business takes a hit, Skipper takes a summer job at the water park. Here she can quickly put her skills as a nanny to good use.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Cat in the Hat (1971)
In a marvelously animated version of one of the most beloved of all Dr. Seuss tales, two youngsters find themselves at home with nothing to do on a rainy afternoon. But when the magical, mischievous Cat in the Hat arrives on the scene, they're all cat-apulted into a day of rousing, romping, outlandish antics they - and you - will never forget!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLOL Surprise: The Movie (2021)
Dazzling doll sisters Queen Bee and Royal Bee make their first movie with help from their fashionable friends in this one-of-a-kind magical adventure.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBarbie & Chelsea: The Lost Birthday (2021)
Barbie, Chelsea and their family go on a cruise ship for Chelsea's birthday. But when they cross the international date line skipping her birthday, Chelsea escapes to the jungle island to find a fabled wish and get her birthday back.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSnoopy Presents: It's the Small Things, Charlie Brown (2022)
Charlie Brown is determined to win the big baseball game. But things turn into a fiasco right before the matchup, when Sally bonds with a little flower on the pitcher's mound and vows to protect it at all costs.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCurious George 2: Follow That Monkey! (2009)
The film chronicles George's adventures as he befriends Kayla, a baby elephant, at a magic circus show and helps her travel across the country to be reunited with her family.Accompanied by his friend, the Man with the Yellow Hat, George travels by foot, train, and truck to reach Kayla's brother and sister in California, only to be accused of elephant-napping and brought all the way back to New York.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMelody Time (1948)
In the grand tradition of Disney's great musical classics, Melody Time features seven timeless stories, each enhanced with high-spirited music and unforgettable characters. You'll be sure to tap your toes and clap your hands in this witty feast for the eyes and ears.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEmily and the Doll (1978)
Part six of the Emilia animation series. Once upon a time there was a boy whose fifth birthday was coming up. Most of all, Oskari wanted a doll, but he couldn't have it. When he grew up, he met a girl who looked exactly like the doll he had wanted.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & family
Emily and the Apple Tree Forest (1978)
The first part of the Emilia animation series. Emilia lives in an apple tree forest. There, together with the other residents, she cooks apple jam. Everything goes smoothly until factory owners arrive and start making apple jam in their factories.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & family
Emily and King Oscar (1978)
Part four in the Emilia animation series. King Oskar rules his little kingdom, which is an island in the sea. After the king falls ill, people at first wonder how they will get along without Oskar. But then they start to listen to themselves, obey themselves and come up with a lot of new things.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & family
Emily and the Twins (1978)
Part two of the Emilia animation series. The twins get a ship to play with in the bathtub. But it's no ordinary ship, because you can sail along a large lake with strange foam islands and dirty water.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & family
Emily and the Three Little Old Ladies (1978)
Part three of the Emialia animation series. Emma, Emilia and Elvira are three little aunts whose only job is to be old. But they want to do important things. "Children are important," they exclaim at the same time. And then they are just as busy as other people.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & family
Whistle for Willie (1965)
For Peter, learning to whistle means being able to call his dog, Willie, and being a bit closer to those two magic words: grown-up.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & animation
In The Night Kitchen (1987)
Mickey falls through the dark into the Night Kitchen where three fat bakers are making the morning cake and so begins an intoxicating dream fantasy in this animated short adaptation of Maurice Sendak's 1970 Caldecott Honor children's picture book.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & family
Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late (2011)
It's getting dark out, but one stubborn Pigeon is NOT going to bed! Children will love this interactive bedtime romp, which puts readers back in the driver's seat, deflecting Pigeon's sly trickery as he tries to escape his inevitable bedtime. Will you let him stay up late?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & family
The Dot (2004)
Art class is over, but Vashti is sitting glued to her chair in front of a blank piece of paper. The words of her teacher are a gentle invitation to express herself. But Vashti can’t draw - she’s no artist. To prove her point, Vashti jabs at a blank sheet of paper to make an unremarkable and angry mark. "There!" she says. That one little dot marks the beginning of Vashti’s journey of surprise and self-discovery. That special moment is the core of Peter H. Reynolds’s delicate fable about the creative spirit in all of us.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & animation
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (2009)
When a bus driver takes a break from his route, a very unlikely volunteer springs up to take his place -- a pigeon! But you've never met one like this before.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & family
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Emily and the Search for Happiness?
The closest matches to Emily and the Search for Happiness are PAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue (2020), Ploey: You Never Fly Alone (2018) and Snoopy Presents: There's No Place Like Home, Snoopy (2026). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Emily and the Search for Happiness?
Start with PAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue (2020), the closest match to Emily and the Search for Happiness.
What is the highest-rated movie like Emily and the Search for Happiness?
Far from the Tree (2021), rated 8.1/10 by 395 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Emily and the Search for Happiness?
Snoopy Presents: There's No Place Like Home, Snoopy (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to Emily and the Search for Happiness chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Emily and the Search for Happiness, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.