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20 Best Movies About Sisters to Watch with Your Sister

Pop up the corn and binge watch these heartwarming movies with your sibling.

frozen olaf
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Frozen

This Disney animation giant was beloved by fans for many reasons, but its enduring strength is the depiction of the relationship between the sisters, for the romance between Anna and Hans is not the only love story in Frozen. The relationship between Anna and Elsa lies at the heart of everything, and it’s impossible to resist being moved by the deep commitment between the two princesses. It taps into every little girl’s need to bond with a bestie. Before watching this gem with your sis (or best friend), get together and take this Disney movie trivia quiz.

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sisters movie
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Sisters

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler team up in this hilarious depiction of what Peter Pan syndrome looks like when it happens to women. Yes, they’re forty-ish siblings who still have some growing up to do. They just want to have one final party in the house where they grew up before their parents sell it off. And sure enough, the house gets trashed. But in fixing the house, the sisters repair their relationship too and learn some hard lessons in the process. And did we mention it’s funny? Hilarious.

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little women sister movie
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Little Women

This may be Winona Ryder’s best role as Jo March, the fiercely independent writer in this adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel. Susan Sarandon is lovely as the wise matriarch of the five March sisters; Claire Danes will break your heart as vulnerable, sickly Beth; and Kirsten Dunst plays the jealous youngest sister, Amy, with just the right mix of sass and sentiment. Set during the Civil War, the movie manages to blend the sisters’ playwriting and snowball hijinks with frozen pond disasters and letters from Father in the front lines with a perfect balance that warms the heart.

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27 dresses
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27 Dresses

Katherine Heigl and Malin Ackerman play rivalrous sisters who fall for the same guy, played by Edward Burns. He just happens to be Heigl’s boss, and after he proposes to her sister, Heigl gets roped into planning the wedding. What could be worse for a jilted sibling who has already been a bridesmaid 27 times? This satisfying chick flick is as much about learning to trust, forgive, and accept your sister as it is about landing a guy. Add these 10 most romantic movies to your list.

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10 Things I Hate About You
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10 Things I Hate About You

Based on William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, this movie presents the (preposterous to modern sensibilities) predicament of two sisters whose dad won’t let the younger sister date until the older one does first. So would-be suitor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, wanting to date younger sister Larisa Oleynik, enlists bad boy Heath Ledger to “tame” older sister Julia Stiles. He takes on the challenge and ends up falling in love, but when Stiles finds out it was all a ruse, and Ledger was paid to date her, she hates him. The story enfolds from there.

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Crimes of the Heart movies
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Crimes of the Heart

Based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning play, this movie stars Hollywood legends Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange, and Sissy Spacek as southern sisters coming to terms with their dysfunctional family. All three turn in powerhouse performances in this melodrama about dealing with a tragic family history that includes alcoholism, abandonment, and suicide. When the youngest sister (Spacek) shoots her abusive husband, Lange, an actress, returns from her failed Hollywood career and the sisters help each other deal with the pain of their shared past. Get your sis something special and pick up one of these perfect gifts for sisters.

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Pride and Prejudice movie
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Pride and Prejudice

Well hello there, Mr. Darcy! We are so in love with you. Wait—what? Ok, this is a movie about sisters. There are five Bennett girls, though the movie focuses mainly on Elizabeth (Keira Knightly), the smartest, and Jane (Rosamund Pike), the nicest, and their search for worthy husbands. Based on Jane Austen’s masterpiece novel, the movie is a love letter to sisterhood in this oh-so-romantic adaptation. It’s not the first time Pride and Prejudice has been made into a movie, but it is one of the best. Check out these other movie remakes that weren’t as good as the original.

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What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
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What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

An antidote to sweet sibling bonding movies, this classic film about how one sister slowly torments the other who is confined to a wheelchair proves it’s never worth it to mow down your sister in a car. Joan Crawford and Bette Davis play siblings—two aging actresses, former stars, and rivals (just as the two were in real life). The performances of both are campy, desperate, and distinctive, elevating the ham-fisted script. Davis was nominated for an Oscar for this film; Crawford wasn’t, and that just enhanced their ongoing real-life feud.

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Hannah and Her Sisters movie
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Hannah and Her Sisters

Dianne Wiest, Mia Farrow, and Barbara Hershey shine as sisters in one of Woody Allen’s best drama-dies. Farrow plays the “perfect” sister, the one who seems to have it all. In a tangled plot, Farrow’s current husband (Michael Caine) lusts for one of her sisters, while her ex-husband (played by Allen himself) ends up romantically involved with the other. The heart of the film reveals the jealousy, but also the love and support that connects the sisters. Here are the hidden messages you probably missed in your favorite movies.

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The Virgin Suicides
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The Virgin Suicides

Written and directed by Sophia Coppola (daughter to Frances Ford Coppola, the famous director) this surreal drama, based on the book by Jeffery Eugenides, examines how hard it is to be a teenage girl. Kirsten Dunst plays one of five sisters whose behavior grows stranger and stranger after the youngest attempts suicide—and then ultimately succeeds. Neighborhood boys are fascinated with the girls, but after Josh Hartnett breaks Kirsten’s heart, the film turns even darker. It’s an acclaimed look at the mysteries of girlhood.

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Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
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Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

More about a sisterhood of women (known as the Ya-Yas) than the actual sibling relationships of the protagonist, this drama depicts the grief caused by deep-seated family secrets. Sandra Bullock plays a city girl haunted by her past. Ellen Burstyn is her misunderstood mom whose group of besties work to heal the rift between mother and daughter. When Sandra finally figures out her mom’s secret, she forgives her—and is welcomed in as the youngest member of the Ya-Ya’s.

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Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
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Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Best friends can also be sisters is the message of this movie that centers on a pair of magical jeans that somehow look perfect on all of them. When the besties separate for the summer, they mail the pants around the world, and the jeans serve as the link for each girl’s coming-of-age adventures. The movie stars America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, Blake Lively, and Amber Tamblyn as teenagers who make sense of the world through their supportive bond. Take a look at these 18 other hit movies that were actually books first.

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The Parent Trap movie sisters
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The Parent Trap

In this second adaption of the novel by Erich Kästner, Lindsay Lohan plays the dual role of twins who were separated at birth and unexpectedly reunited at summer camp years later. The twins ultimately decide to switch places in order to get their parents back together. This charming, witty, and timeless classic will not fail to put a smile on your face. Check out these other feel-good movies to get you through the hard times.

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Sense and Sensibility movie
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Sense and Sensibility

Another Jane Austen adaptation that takes place in the English countryside. The Dashwood sisters played by Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet fall into an unexpected financial catastrophe showcasing the problems faced by women who weren’t able to work or inherit money.

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A League of Their Own movie
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A League of Their Own

In this feminist classic, two sisters join the first female professional baseball league after many young male athletes are drafted to fight in World War II. The sisters, played by Geena Davis and Lori Petty, have an increasingly intense rivalry alongside their teammates played by Rosie O’Donnell and Madonna and their coach played by Tom Hanks. See these iconic movies that are set in every state.

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Ramona and Beezus movie
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Ramona and Beezus

A movie based on the book series by Beverly Cleary, Ramona Quimby is a quirky and mischief child that always has her older sister Beezus ready to handle the trouble. The two sisters work to save their home on Klickitat Street using Ramona’s boundless energy and vivid imagination.

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material girls
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Material Girls

Loosely based on Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, this movie features two sibling cosmetic heiresses played by Hilary and Hailee Duff when a scandal leaves them both with empty wallets. With financial advisors telling the girls to sell out to their largest competitor the sisters decide to do whatever they can to save the company their father built from scratch.   

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My Sister's Keeper movie
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My Sister’s Keeper

This one is a tearjerker but truly emphasizes the lengths sisters will go to save each other. Kate Fitzgerald has leukemia and learns that neither her parents nor her brother is a genetic match to save her. Her parents conceive Anna for the sole purpose of being a match for Kate. She spends her whole life beside her sister in the hospital undergoing procedures as the savior until she is 15 years old and learns that she will need to give one of her kidneys to Kate. Anna files for medical emancipation from her parents so she can make her own decisions about her body. Don’t miss these other movies that will be sure to make you cry.

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Hilary and Jackie movie
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Hilary and Jackie

Following the musical journeys of sisters Hilary and Jackie du Pré, Jackie becomes one of the world’s most talented musicians while Hilary stays behind with their parents until Jackie loses her ability to play the cello due to multiple sclerosis. This biography goes behind the scenes of a very public life of these two sisters.

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Lilo & Stitch movie
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Lilo & Stitch

This beloved Disney film follows the relationship between Nani and her little sister Lilo who are working to piece their lives back together after the tragic death of their parents. The relationship between Lilo and her new pet Stitch is full of adventure and humor, but the story is really about these two young women making ends meet. It’s an earnest tale of grief, love, and sisterhood with the constant reminder, “Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind.” Next, check out these funny family movies that everyone will love.

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Reader's Digest
Originally Published in Reader's Digest

Molly Pennington, PhD
Molly is a writer and collage artist with a PhD in film and cultural studies from the University of Pittsburgh. Her professional astrology services and artwork are available at Baroque Moon Astrology. She covers the zodiac, books, movies, TV and culture for Reader’s Digest, and loves to talk about all the ways we make meaning.