Movies like Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers (2004)
The best movies like Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers (2004) are Foster (2011), Rock the House (2011) and Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas! (2011). If Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers hooked you with its comedy and family, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex (2013)7.9/10 from 1,096 votes
- NewestDandelion (2025)Released 2025
Foster (2011)
Looking to adopt a child and unable to conceive a child of their own, the Morrisons' lives are turned upside down when a seven-year-old boy unexpectedly shows up on their doorstep.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRock the House (2011)
Dave Peterson is a successful and handsome career-driven attorney who barely spends time with his teenage daughter, Karen. Their routine regularly consists of Dave choosing work over spending time with her, and Karen retreating into her journal or iPod. When Dave opens up his 25th high school reunion invitation to see photos of himself - a person he no longer resembles - he begins reconnecting with old friends, including members of his old high school band, The Groaners. Suddenly Dave begins to find ways to spend more time with Karen, and, for the first time, he puts his career on hold.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both family & comedy
Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas! (2011)
Teddy 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 try to hitch a ride to Las Vegas with a seemingly normal older couple in a station wagon from Roswell, New Mexico. It turns out that the couple believes they are the victims of alien abduction. The Duncan's must resort to purchasing a clunker Yugo to get to Utah, have their luggage stolen in Las Vegas, and survive a zany Christmas with Grandpa and Grandma Blankenhooper.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAlley Cats Strike (2000)
A group of hip retro teenage outsiders become involved in an interschool bowling rivalry.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGenius (1999)
Charlie Boyle finds that even his high IQ can't solve all of his problems when he takes on a double life in order to make friends his own age.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008)
The Great Depression hits home for nine year old Kit Kittredge when her dad loses his business and leaves to find work. Oscar nominee Abigail Breslin stars as Kit, leading a splendid cast in the first ever "American Girl" theatrical movie. In order to keep their home, Kit and her mother must take in boarders - paying house - guests who turn out to be full of fascinating stories. When mother's lockbox containing all their money is stolen, Kit's new hobo friend Will is the prime suspect. Kit refuses to believe that Will would steal, and her efforts to sniff out the real story get her and friends into big trouble. The police say the robbery was an inside job, committed by someone they know. So if it wasn't Will, then who did it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFree Rein: The Twelve Neighs of Christmas (2018)
As Bright Fields preps for its Mistletoe Ball, a broken ornament leads Zoe to a family secret, while Gaby finds herself at the mercy of new boss Mia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRoll Bounce (2005)
In the summer of 1978, a teenager and his group of friends face new challenges when their neighborhood roller-skating rink closes, forcing them to visit a different rink.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTo Grandmother's House We Go (1992)
When precocious twins Sarah and Julie feel like Mom is tired of them, they take off on an exciting adventure to their grandmother's house and encounter a pair of villains along the way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex (2013)
While trying to prove to her family she can be mature and responsible, teen wizard Alex Russo conjures up a spell to rid herself of her bad qualities, unintentionally creating a Good and Evil Alex. When Evil Alex gets involved in a plan to take over the world by a dark wizard, Good Alex must find a way to save her family, humankind, and ultimately herself in an epic Good vs. Evil battle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisCasper Meets Wendy (1998)
When a warlock threatens Wendy the Good Little Witch, she and her aunts hide out at a resort where Casper the Ghost is vacationing with his uncles. Although Casper and Wendy are told ghosts and witches don't get along, the two are kindred spirits! This spooky family-friendly adventure finds Casper and Wendy bridging the ghost-witch divide to battle the warlock who is intent on destroying Wendy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisDolly Parton's Christmas on the Square (2020)
A rich and nasty woman returns to her hometown to evict everyone but discovers the true meaning of Christmas thanks to the local townsfolk – and an actual angel. Features 14 original songs with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisJumping Ship (2001)
Michael has big plans to show his cousin Tommy a good time aboard a luxury yacht until he discovers that the yacht he's chartered is actually an old rusted fishing boat. But when modern-day pirates chase the fishing boat, the boys are forced to jump ship, leaving them stranded on a desert island with the boat's captain, Jake Hunter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMiracle in Lane 2 (2000)
Young tween Justin Yoder, who's known for his outgoing demeanor and wit despite being confined to a wheelchair, dreams to be like his athletic older brother and propels himself into the world of soapbox derby racing. It's a field he's sure he has a chance in. Unfortunately, he finds that because of his condition, not everyone is eager to see him compete.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Flintstones Christmas Carol (1994)
Fred is cast as Ebenezer Scrooge in a stage adaption of the classic Christmas story, but is acting a bit stingy in real life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Even Stevens Movie (2003)
The Stevens think that they've won an all-expenses-paid trip to an island halfway around the world. When their house is destroyed, their food stolen, and their bacon eaten, the Stevens family crumbles, unaware that their family vacation is in fact a hidden camera reality show!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Wind in the Willows (1995)
Jailed for his reckless driving, rambunctious Mr. Toad has to escape from prison when his beloved Toad Hall comes under threat from the wily weasels, who plan to build a dog food factory on the very meadow sold to them by Toad himself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMadea Goes to Jail - The Play (2006)
Madea returns in another hilarious story in which she gets sent to the big house. But regardless of the circumstances, she gives her trademark advice and wisdom to her friends and family as they learn the importance of letting go, moving on, and forgiveness.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSee Spot Run (2001)
A drug sniffing agent canine is a target for an assassin boss so the FBI calls Witness Protection to send him somewhere else. Meanwhile a single Mom puts her 6 year old boy James in the care of her irresponsible, mailman, neighbor, Gordon, when the babysitter bails on her. Meanwhile, an assassin mob boss hires 2 goons to kill Agent 11. But when 11 escapes from the van when they tried to kill him, he hides in Gordon's Mailtruck that James is in too. And guess what they name him. Spot.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLittle Big League (1994)
When the owner of the Minnesota Twins passes away, he bequeaths the team to his preteen grandson. The newly minted head honcho quickly appoints himself manager, causing unrest in an organization that struggles to take orders from a 12-year-old.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAfterlife of the Party (2021)
A social butterfly who dies during her birthday week is given a second chance to right her wrongs on Earth.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRaspberry Magic (2010)
An eleven-year-old science enthusiast turns her raspberry-growing project into an emotional mission to reunite her family after her father leaves and her mother falls into depression.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Ravenous (1999)
After arriving at his new, remote Army outpost, Capt. John Boyd and his regiment aid a wounded frontiersman who recounts a horrifying tale of a wagon train murdered by its supposed guide – a vicious U.S. Army colonel gone rogue. Fearing the worst, the regiment heads out into the wilderness to verify the gruesome claims.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008)
Four young women continue the journey toward adulthood that began with "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." Now three years later, these lifelong friends embark on separate paths for their first year of college and the summer beyond, but remain in touch by sharing their experiences with each other.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDandelion (2025)
In 1970s Los Angeles, rebellious queer teen Margaret gets thrown out of yet another foster placement and finds herself in the company of a mysterious social worker who's tasked with finding her a new home before the break of dawn. At odds and forced to travel the city together, Margaret realizes that running may not be her only option.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Detention 101 (2023)
Four adults are detained in their apartments with only each other and a computer for online company. They each come from a different class with differing views but they all have one defining purpose to understand why they are really being held hostage in their own homes. The AI refuses to reveal the reason.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Private Parts (1997)
The life and career of shock-jock superstar Howard Stern is recounted from his humble beginnings to his view from the top. Possessing a desire to be an on-air personality since childhood, Stern meanders through the radio world, always with his supportive wife, Alison, by his side. Landing a gig in Washington, D.C., Stern meets Robin Quivers, who will become his long-time partner in crime. When the two move to New York, they face the wrath of NBC executives.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSticky Notes (2017)
The story of an emotionally detached backup dancer named Athena, who must return home to Florida to help care for her estranged father, Jack, after he gets diagnosed with cancer. There, she must contend with Jack’s irresponsible lifestyle, while looking after six year old Honey Bunny, who is only beginning to grasp the err in Jack’s ways.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Buddha Wild: Monk in a Hut (2008)
Buddhist monks open up about the joys and challenges of living out the precepts of the Buddha as a full-time vocation. Controversies swirling within modern monastic Buddhism are examined, from celibacy and the role of women to racism and concerns about the environment.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & family
Baby Snatcher (1992)
A woman is delighted to have given birth to a baby girl but her life is turned into a nightmare when she goes missing. The police mount a frantic search but to the woman's horror she finds out that it's herself who is the main suspect.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers?
The closest matches to Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers are Foster (2011), Rock the House (2011) and Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas! (2011). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers?
People who watched Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers most often go on to Foster (2011) and Rock the House (2011).
What is the highest-rated movie like Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers?
The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex (2013), rated 7.9/10 by 1,096 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers?
Dandelion (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers?
Yes: Foster (2011), Rock the House (2011) and Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas! (2011).
How are movies similar to Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.