Celebrate this Father’s Day with 24 of the best papas (of the non-Hemingway variety) from movie history!
Rocky Balboa (2006, 76%)
Ol’ Balbs may have had an, ahem, rocky relationship with his son (played by adult Milo Ventimiglia), but he does deliver one of the most sterling monologues on growing up ever: “It ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” The speech is too great (and long) to quote entirely, so watch it here.
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962, 91%)
Regal, tender, and commanding: Gregory Peck’s Atticus Finch is probably the greatest father character ever committed to film.
Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade (1989, 88%)
Much ink has been spilled about Spielberg’s depiction of fathers early in his career, but he turned a reconciliatory leaf in the third Indy movie, brilliantly casting Sean Connery as Jones’ roguish, subtly wise pops.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004, 56%)
Your best friend gets eaten, you run out of money to shoot movies, and the son you never knew you had comes into your life. For Steve, all it takes is a few tokes and a killer soundtrack to get ready for anything life throws at him.
American Pie (1999, 60%)
Who else but Jim’s dad treated teenage pie-diddling with such understanding and empathy?
Road to Perdition (2002, 81%)
Tom Hanks’ Michael Sullivan has made a living off of being a mob strongman, a brutal fate he steers his son away from.
Bicycle Thieves (1949, 98%)
A bleak masterwork of Italian neorealism, saddling the viewer with a man who searches for work and dignity with his son in tow.
Boyhood (2014, 98%)
Fatherhood, just like boyhood, is a multi-year commitment, and it’s a mini-revelation seeing Ethan Hawke’s lackadaisical dad character emerge as a stand-up dude.
Midnight Special (2016, 83%)
Michael Shannon is on the run when the government learns his kid has mysterious kinetic powers. Shannon gets a cool line: “I’ll always worry about you. That’s the deal.”
Finding Nemo (2003, 99%)
Notice how a parent always dies in a Disney animated movie? Pixar upped their game by wiping out an entire unborn brood, sending a worrywart clown fish (Albert Brooks) on a cross-ocean trip for his last remaining son.
Kramer vs Kramer (1979, 88%)
Dustin Hoffman cracks eggs and jokes, and goes a little cracked himself as he struggles to keep up his custodial end after an acrimonious divorce.
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006, 67%)
Will Smith earned an Oscar nomination for his heartbreaking performance as a homeless man going from job interview to job interview while imparting life lessons upon his son.
Paper Moon (1973, 91%)
Grifting across the nation during the Great Depression: Daddy-daughter combos really do have the most fun.
The Road (2009, 75%)
It can’t be for nothing: Viggo Mortensen plays the unnamed hero who guards his kid from all manner of danger in the post-apocalypse.
My Life (1993, 44%)
You wanna get sappy? Come on, let’s get sappy: Michael Keaton plays a terminally ill man recording every bit of his life to share with his unborn child.
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993, 71%)
Robin Williams dons women’s clothing (and a suspect accent) to stay close to his kids after a separation from his wife.
The Lion King (1994, 92%)
Perhaps the most memorable father character in all of Disney animation, Mufasa greets his newborn cub and heir apparent to the animal kingdom.
Like Father, Like Son (2014, 87%)
A Japanese workaholic gets a true test of fatherhood when he learns his biological son was switched at birth, and gets a chance to ‘return’ the kid he raised to his original family and vice versa.
Life is Beautiful (1997, 80%)
Roberto Begnini shows his son the bright side of being a Holocaust denier, keeping things as jovial and innocent as possible during concentration camp imprisonment.
John Q (2002, 23%)
“Well I know my daddy loves me because he asked me what I wanted and I said I wanted to take a hospital hostage. And you know what he did…?”
Father of the Bride (1950, 93%)
Spencer Tracy in a screwball classic, but, honestly, you can’t go wrong either with the 1991 Steve Martin edition.
Despicable Me (2010, 81%)
Because not all fathers are blood, just like not all fathers have high-tech weaponry and gadgets of destruction tucked away in the tool shed.
Boyz n the Hood (1991, 96%)
Furious Styles: A character with a performance so good, Laurence Fishburne finally got Hollywood to stop calling him Larry in the credits.
Taken (2009, 58%)
Okay, if your daughter and wife get kidnapped that often, maaaaybe you’re a bad father.
