Some of the best movies ever are about Dads… as in 89% of Martin Scorsese‘s flicks. Here at PITNB we’re celebrating Father’s Day weekend with a look at a few of our favorite Dads (and Dad figures!) from the movies we lurve. They’re not all perfect, but they’re definitely unforgettable. Checkie out after the break.
PITNB‘s Guide To Unforgettable Fathers and Father Figures in Film. Share your pics in the comments and wish your father, or father figure, or friend’s father who was always kinda like a father to you, or husband, or baby’s father a very, Happy Father’s Day!
1. Will & Jaden Smith as Chris and Christopher Gardner kinda killed in the film based on the true story, The Pursuit of Happyness. Even in the midst of his own drama, he gave his son some of the best fatherly advice, ever.
2. In Kramer vs. Kramer Dustin Hoffman showed us how to handle a Mommy-went-away crisis with courage… and french toast.
3. Hugh Grant starred as Father Figure type Will in About A Boy. Once he realized his “units of time” and “all-men-are-islands” mentality were worth giving up for a strange, little boy, Will became the most adorable Father Figure ever.
Youtube would not allow me to embed the Killing Me Softly performance. Tragic.
4. The Royal Tenenbaums. Um, I have no words for Gene Hackman in this. He just… killed! Shout-out to my SLC friend who put me on. Stacy McNeil where are you?
5. In Synechdoche, NY Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Caleb, an artist tortured (often, hilariously so) by many things. But it was both beautiful and tragic to see how he fell apart when he lost his daughter, Olive.
6. In Gangs of New York, Leonardo DiCaprio plays a young man haunted by the legacy of his father (Priest Vallon, played by Liam Neeson) and determined to exact revenge on Bill ‘The Butcher’ Cutting (played by Daniel Day-Lewis) who becomes another father of sorts in the process. Martin Scorsese can do no wrong; this one’s in my top 10 fave films ever.
let me tell you, i will never, ever forgive Will & Jaden Smith for making me ball my eyes out during the amazing movie The Pursuit of Happyness. i dont really cry during movies, but my god did i cry during that. i wont even watch it anymore. that one time was enough.
John Q was a great movie. and really, who didnt love Up?
nicole, I think I’m so G’d up but I have cried during, before, and after probably all of these films. LOL. Thanks for the comment.
Shannon, I only wanted to tell you that you’re doing a very good job on PITNB!!! Welcome ;-)
Lila, many, many thanks!
I think the best dad in a movie is Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch in to Kill a Mockingbird.
Trisha– NICE!
You forgot about Roberto Benigni as Guido Orefice in Life is Beautiful.
Emma– great addition. THANK YOU!
Liam Neeson in Taken is just magic. I enjoyed every person he beat up and killed as he got closer to his daughter. That clip was perfect! Also Shannon LOVE your addition to PITNB…welcome! :)
Steve Martin in FOTB :)
!yes!
@Trisha: totally agree! Best book and film dad ever. Guido Orefice is a really good call too. Play acting in front of his son to make him laugh/distract him when he KNEW he was going to be killed? Please…
how could you forget Dodge & Garett Blake in Message In A Bottle or Bud & Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia though Bud had more emotional baggage to deal with than Dodge did with Andy who was his youngest son dying of Aids though Robert Castle who plays Bud Beckett is a lower stature actor than Paul Newman who plays dodge Blake though Buds wife of 40 years in the film is played by Newman’s wife Joanne Woodward who the director and producers had to beg and grovel to have in the movie
LMAO thank you Courtney. It’ not so much that I “forgot” people. I specifically wanted you guys to contribute your top special movie Dads so THANK YOU for yours!
I love these dads! My favorite is the adopted father/uncle character in Monsoon Wedding who raised his orphaned niece, Ria. When he found out she’d been sexually abused by his brother-in-law (who basically financially backs the family), the way he stood up for her (especially in Indian society!) and finally made her feel loved and comforted still warms my heart. He asks the brother in law to leave the family and says about his orphaned niece “these are my children, I would protect them from myself if I had to.” I am so thankful I have a dad just like him, who would never let anyone hurt me. *Sob* okay I’m going to go now…