Family Night Negotiator
Everyone wants something different.
Different ages, different tolerances, one screen. Rather than naming a film nobody agrees on, this works out the constraint you are actually solving for and points at the part of the library that fits it.
The youngest viewer is the constraint
Family film choice is a constraint-satisfaction problem with one binding constraint and several soft preferences. Naming the binding one makes the decision much faster.
Pitch to the youngest, not the average
Averaging ages produces a film that suits nobody. The youngest viewer sets the ceiling on content; everything above that is a preference, not a requirement.
Boredom is the real failure
The common mistake is optimising only for safety. A film that upsets nobody but engages nobody is a worse evening than a slightly ambitious choice watched together.
See also Age Ratings & Parents Guides.
Got a specific film in mind?
Check what its rating actually covers before you commit.
Check the rating