Father’s Day is here, and if you’re looking for an inexpensive way to sit down and spend some time with dear-old-dad, why not pop in one of these heart-warming films to remind you just how precious the father/child relationship is? Or find it on Netflix, Hulu or On Demand. These will all be in one of those places!
Life is Beautiful: Said to be controversial for mixing comedy with a story line about the Holocaust, Life is Beautiful is an amazing Academy Award winning film. The beauty in this film can be found in how far one father will go to save his son from facing the harsh realities of what’s going on around him. The bulk of a film follows a man named Guido and his son as they tragically becomes victims of Holocaust. He uses his bold personality to make his son believe their playing a game while at one of the death camps. His amazingly brave and innovative idea saves his son from the horrors going on around him. Get ready for a tear-jerker ending for the ages!
The Pursuit of Happyness: In a role that I still believe should have garnered Will Smith an Oscar, a man goes through hell and back to try and provide for his son while facing a life-changing internship. When the man’s wife walks away from the marriage (and her son) the man takes custody of his son, goes through homelessness and tries to make it past one of the toughest internships ever! The best part of the story is that it’s true! What this father does for his child is amazing. He never stops believing that he can make a better life for him and his son. In one scene (similar to the movie Life is Beautiful), the father makes a game out of having to sleep in a train station bathroom because they’re homeless. It’s a movie that makes you cry happy tears over the limitless love of a father.
To Kill a Mockingbird: A classic book and an even more of a classic film, this is the perfect movie to watch with your father if he likes watching old features. Even if it sounds corny, it’s the shining example of how a father’s influence directly shapes the views of their children. In the beloved story, successful attorney Atticus Finch defends a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. Keep in mind, this is during the depression-era in the South. Finch also shows his children the negativity of prejudice in hopes they will be different from those in the town. Besides it being a “great white hope” story, it really does drive home the importance of how a father can positively influence his children. With the book’s sequel soon to come out, it will be interesting to see how Finch’s teachings affected his children for the rest of their life.
Jack Frost: If you need to watch a Father’s Day movie with a younger sibling and your dad, than this movie is perfect! Jack Frost was one of my favorite films as a child. The story starts off tragic: a father who can’t keep his promises dies in a car accident right before Christmas. The following Christmas season, the man returns to life as a snow man in order to do everything he promised with his son. The movie symbolizes a Father’s never-ending love. I think it’s important to point out that the film also shows that sometimes fathers really are doing the best they can.
The Family Man: This movie is a unique take on keeping the positive in perspective about stressful family life. Nicolas Cage plays an ultra-rich investment broker who wakes up one morning to find that instead of having a sports car and a girlfriend, he has a mini-van and wife. Though completely shocked at how ordinary the other half lives, he realizes that the family life provides more happiness than his money could ever provide. A great comedy for a grown father and child.
Boyz N The Hood: A great film that puts into perspective all some father’s have to go through to turn boys in to men. It’s gritty and should only be watched with adult children, but it does feature an amazingly positive black man as he fights to raise his son right in a rough neighborhood. It’s a nice break on a tired stereotype.
Frequency: A great movie to watch with a sci-fi loving dad, this film follows a son as he accidentally crosses time through a radio link and connects with his father from 30 years ago. The son then tries to save his father’s life, but ends up stirring up some serious trouble. It’s a great drama that makes for an exciting and intriguing watch on Father’s Day afternoon.
Taken: Taken, and not the repetitive sequels, is a prime action movie for action loving dads. A retired CIA agent kills just about everyone in a quest to get his daughter back after she is kidnapped during a trip to Paris. It’s Liam Neeson for goodness sake, every father’s hero so, you can’t go wrong when watching one of his films on Father’s Day.
Father of The Bride: This might be a bitter sweet film for dad and his daughter to watch, but it’s still hilarious! The plot is simple: a father finds it hard to let his baby girl walk down the isle. I know my dad is dreading this day so he might find it sweet and sad at the same time. Father of The Bride II where the father is expecting his granddaughter and daughter at the same time is equally hilarious.
The GodFather: The Godfather is a classic in every sense of the word and it’s obvious why this is an ideal Father’s Day choice. The story follows the patriarch of a crime dynasty as he struggles to find who will take over his empire. This movie needs no further introduction. You might want to make this one a movie/Father’s day marathon and sneak in part I and II.