Thinking of Father’s Day ideas? The movies are full of memorable father figures, including perhaps a few characters who are a lot like your own dad. Maybe he could have been a stand-in for the stern but sentimental pop who clashes with the daughter’s boyfriend in a romantic comedy. Or was he more like the silly dad in wacky adventure, or the rugged patriarch in a western?
SO, to celebrate Father’s Day, how about you and dad watching a good movie together? Something with a fatherhood theme would be fitting, a story that pulls you both in and sparks memories that help you connect in a special way. Choose one of his old favorites, share a top pick of yours that you think he’d like, or select a classic for both of you to view for the first time.
If you need a few suggestions, here’s a list of four popular and critically acclaimed films, available on DVD or streaming, that depict heartwarming, funny or poignant relationships between fathers and their sons and daughters.
Father of the Bride (1950)
Spencer Tracy is the middle-class lawyer whose daughter, Elizabeth Taylor, is about to marry into an upper-crust family. As he reluctantly prepares to let go of his little girl, accept his own aging and pay for her extravagant wedding, this father finds himself in one comic predicament after another. In the 1991 remake, Steve Martin and Kimberly Williams reprise the roles of father and bride.On Golden Pond (1981)
Stubborn father and daughter (Henry Fonda and Jane Fonda) lock horns when she shows up at the family’s summer lake cottage with her fiancé and his son. The kid bonds with the old man and melts his heart, but will father and daughter mend the rift in their relationship? This film stands out for its spectacular outdoor cinematography. Also starring Katharine Hepburn as wife and mother to the Fondas’ characters.The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Will Smith and his real-life son Jaden head the cast of this inspiring true story of Chris Gardner, a single dad who went from being homeless to owning his own brokerage firm. Off course, their path out of poverty is laden with all sorts of struggles and setbacks, but Gardner’s love for his son carries him through.Bonus tip: Choosing a film for someone with Alzheimer’s
If your dad has Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, Alzheimers.net recommends picking movies with upbeat themes—no violence, serious illness or death—and keeping it simple when it comes to the plot and the number of characters. And an Alzheimer’s patient is more likely to follow the story to the end if the movie lasts less than two hours, the site suggests.Looking for more Father’s Day ideas? Check out our post on the best tech gifts for Dads, or learn why you should take your Dad on a date.
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