GRISWOLDDAD
Parenting, Entertainment, and Travel Tips
What to Watch with Dad on Father's Day
On Father's Day, your dad will want to crash in front of the TV after mowing the yard, cooking on the grill, fishing...or any of the other stereotypical things for which dads are known. So, what better way to celebrate his day than by passing him HIS remote control to pick from some "DAD Movies"?
The dad movies below all involve fathers who are very active in their kids' lives. Many struggle with keeping up with their kids' many activities. Other dads in this list have to step WAY outside of their comfort zones to tackle a problem for their kids. Still others have grown kids and continue to dole out meaningful advice as needed. Some of these fathers are faced with impossible situations that they have to desperately figure out a way to fix. All, however, work to protect their kids and give them a good, happy life. Great dads, all.
While many movies for Mom's day tend to yank at the heartstrings...movies for Dad's day lean towards comedy and action. Speaking as a dad, and which I'd prefer, that's a win in the DAD column!
Mr. Mom
Michael Keaton plays a working dad that gets laid off from his job and so becomes a stay-at-home dad, with his wife going to work instead. The only problem, he has no idea HOW to be a stay-at-home dad.
*All Ages
Finding Nemo
Marlin is an overly cautious, helicopter dad who happens to be a fish. He smothers his son, Nemo, so much...that Nemo feels he isn't allowed to do much of anything on his own. When little Nemo gets captured by fishermen and taken away from his dad, Marlin risks life and fin, throwing all of his normally extreme caution to the waves, and sets out on an adventure through the seas to save his son.
*All Ages
Mrs. Doubtfire
Robin Williams stars as a man going through a divorce and losing pretty much all custody time with his children. Faced with no time seeing his kids, he gets desperate. What does Robin Williams do when desperate? Dress up like an old, female British nanny, of course!
*All Ages
Father of the Bride
Steve Martin's first appearance on this list won't be his last. In this great movie of Martin's, he's a father who does NOT want to acknowledge that his sweet little daughter is now full grown because he feels like he's losing her. The problems with that refusal...she IS grown, and she's getting married. Steve then becomes panic stricken and frazzled as the family begins working towards the wedding. What could get him more frazzled that his daughter getting married? Her and his OWN wife getting pregnant at the same time! (See part 2 to find out how well Martin's character handles THAT situation).
The scene to look for? When his daughter tells him she's engaged and getting married...instead of seeing her at her real age, he sees her eight-year-old self telling him.
*All ages
Lion King
In this Disney tale loosely based on Shakespeare's Hamlet, pretty much the whole plot (that we all know and love) revolves around what it means to be a father and what it means to be a son. Simba is born to be the eventual king of his lion pride...but that's before the evil machinations of his uncle Scar come into play. The evil plans? Aimed at the current king and father of Simba, Mufasa! Oooooh...
*All Ages
Courageous
Courageous is a Christian-based movie, but it will really speak to anyone who is a father. A group of police officers encounter something tragic at work that leads them to want to be better fathers than just "good enough". The group enters into a pact with one another to do just that.
*All ages
Pursuit of Happyness
Will Smith plays Chris Gardener in this true story about a business man who is down on his luck and facing homelessness. The biggest problem for Chris? He'll be going homeless with his young son. He fights the odds to become a stockbroker and give his son a safe and happy life. Try not to tear up at the subway bathroom scene.
*This movie is fine for most ages, it's rated PG-13 for some language...but either way, younger audiences would likely be bored.
About Time
The main guy on this movie can time travel...but can only affect his own life in the process. He uses this ability to find love...but as he uses it...he changes things he finds he can't live without. However, it's his interactions with his father that steal the show. Their conversations are so real yet charming, they make the movie.
*Older kids...because A) it's a rom-com with some suggestive scenes and B) it's time-travel complicated!
Daddy Day Care
Eddie Murphy is a try-hard dad in this great family comedy. The bathroom scene alone makes it worth watching...if you see it, you'll know the scene. After 2 guys get laid off from work (Eddie and Jeff Garlin - the dad from Goldbergs) and begin their new jobs as stay-at-home dads, they decide to open a daycare by dads. Newsflash...taking care of your own kid doesn't quite qualify you to take care of a LOT of kids. So, watch along as the guys try to get past their giant-size learning curve.
*All Ages
National Lampoon's Vacation
Ok, so Clark can be at the top of all my lists. But, that's only because some of the antics he pulls in this movie aren't good for all ages. Otherwise, this movie is extremely funny. Clark Griswold goes to great lengths to plan the ultimate family road trip...but unfortunately, plans don't always work the way they're supposed to.
*Older kids/Teens
Taken
What do you do if your daughter gets taken by criminals? Well, if you have a particular set of skills, you threaten to look for them, find them, and kill them. Clearly, based on that sentence, this is not for the wee little tykes. But, if they're older, they'll enjoy watching Liam Neeson do what he does best, all out action (Never mind that he's a great dramatic actor as well...).
*Older kids/teens, depending on their maturity.
Frequency
A murder-mystery across 30 years of time as a grown police detective (in 1999) gets to mysteriously communicate with his fireman father (from 1969) that has been dead for quite some time. The plot is edge of your seat, nail-biting excitement. But, the tearful, heartfelt interactions between father and son, played by Dennis Quaid and Jim Caviezel respectively, are the best parts to watch for.
*Older kids
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Be sure you're reading this right. This is a "Father's Day movie"...not JUST "Movies that Dad Loves". While any Indy movie would clearly fit the bill for either category, this particular Indy adventure includes his dad, played by Sean Connery. The fun back and forth between Ford and Connery is always fun and often hilarious amidst the typical awesome action that is in every movie about "Junior".
*All Ages
Cheaper by the Dozen
Steve Martin again. And AGAIN if you count the sequel to this movie...which you should. In this first movie, Steve Martin's character had always wanted a big family. Well...he got one. He has 12 kids in this movie! When his wife goes away on a business trip, he tries taking care of all 12 WHILE pursuing his new job as a college football coach. If you think he's taking on too much, you'd be right...and it's very fun to watch!
*All Ages
John Q
What would you do if your son needed a heart transplant and insurance wouldn't pay for it? Anything, right? That's the basic premise of this edge-of-your-seat movie, starring Denzel Washington. This dad takes a hospital emergency room hostage to get help for his son!
*Older Kids/Teens
Honorable Mentions:
Daddy’s Home 2
While part one is decently funny as well, it's part 2 that really knocks it out of the park with the addition of Mel Gibson and John Lithgow. Mel, specifically, is great fun because, due to his poor relationship with son Mark Wahlberg, he pits Mark and Will Ferrel against each other. Why? If he's not in a healthy, happy relationship with his son...NO one will be!
*Older kids
Good Dinosaur
Spoiler filled description: In the old days...Disney killed off moms...now it seems that Dads are the target. Arlo's dad has been trying to teach his son responsibility and to not be afraid, but it takes until AFTER that above spoiler for Arlo to really learn and grow into the man his dad wanted him to be.
*All ages
Field of Dreams
Great movie about baseball starring Kevin Costner...but if I explain WHY it's a good Father's Day movie...it'll give away part of the movie's greatness.
*All ages