There are about a million different kinds of dads. There's your Clark Griswold type, who are always forcing you to, like, get outside and enjoy nature. And then there are dads who are happiest just hanging out with you on the sectional sofa, enjoying the bowl of Chex Mix on their dad bellies and watching a DVD with their issue. Sure, brunches and botanical gardens are fun for moms, but personally, we think there's nothing better than treating your dad to a glorious day of Doin' Squat. In that spirit, we've assembled some of the best dad films we've ever seen -- from those that star dads who kick butt to those that will make you and pops mist up -- as well as a helpful list of a few to avoid on that most paternal of days.
Check out our picks below, and then leave your own in the comments. Feliz día de los padres, team!
THE BEST
"Three Men and a Baby"
An utterly re-watchable classic. What's better than having Ted Danson as your father? Having Tom Selleck and The Gutt as a Triforce of swinging bachelor co-dads. Win x3.
"The Professional"Sure, Jean Reno isn't really Natalie Portman's dad, but the father-daughter dynamic here is one of the best ever captured on film. There's a lot of shooting, so this one is best for Action Dads.
"Raising Arizona"Nicolas Cage will knock over a convenience store to get his (borrowed) baby diapers. That's love, there.
"Paper Moon"Just pretend you don't know what their relationship was like in real life. Ryan and Tatum O'Neal were pretty kick-ass onscreen.
"The Kid"Quite possibly the best dad film ever made. If you don't cry at this incredible Chaplin film, you are probably a Dalek.
"Contact"Kind of long, and not a really that killer of a movie, but definitely one of the most dust-in-your-eye movies about the bond between a father and daughter.
"To Kill a Mockingbird"Atticus Finch is quite possibly the best movie dad ever. He taught us so much about justice and being nice to the creepy albino neighbor.
"Regarding Henry"Despite his occasional tendency to misplace his family, Harrison Ford is the ULTIMATE film dad. This movie is awesome. If you don't catch it on Father's Day, don't worry, it's on TNT like every three hours.
THE WORST
"My Father the Hero"Putting aside the obvious "Holy NO" factor of fake incest, this movie just blows. Also, have you ever tried to pronounce "Gerard Depardieu" without sounding either stupid or pretentious? You can't, because it's impossible.
"Radio Flyer"The maaaaaaaaaaaaaaan... punted Baaaaaaaaaxter.
"Say Anything"Not only do you not want to watch teenagers having sweaty sex with your parents, but the "you turned out to be disappointing so I ran to the arms of my loser boyfriend" plot point is kind of the ultimate dad nightmare.
"Armageddon"Without giving away too many spoilers here, the worst thing a dad can do for you is to explode.
"American Beauty"In the running for the most overrated film of its decade. Not only that, but we don't care how much Kevin Spacey loved Thora Birch and her weird, misshapen boobs -- going after her high school girlfriend was enough to tickle our gag reflex for the full 122 minutes.
"My Girl"Yeah, so it would be awesome if Jamie Lee Curtis were our stepmother, but the kind of sweet dad-struggling-with-his-daughter-growing-up theme is overshadowed by painful, anaphylactic death. JUST GIVE THOMAS JOHN HIS GLASSES! HE CAN'T SEE WITHOUT HIS GLASSES!
"The Wrestler"Sorry, Dad can't hang out. He overslept because he was doing blow with a crazy lady. Also he dance-fights grown men and cuts his face for money.
"Kill Bill"Bill's pretty sweet with his daughter. You know, after he shot her mother in the face. Which is why she has to murder him. Family!
"Mrs. Doubtfire"There's loving your kids, and then there's criminal insanity. There's a line, dads.












Comments:
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Friday 18 June
By Miss Jae
I love My Girl 1 & 2 & Kill Bill 1 & 2!
Reply
Sunday 20 June
By BTDT
I thought the Wrestler was a good movie.
Sunday 20 June
By j
Mrs Doubtfire was a great movie .
Friday 18 June
By Jessica
The movie me and my Dad watch together is "Forrest Gump." Watched it 1000 times with him, and that's our thing, even though it's not exactly warm and fuzzy father/daughter duo. :)
Reply
Saturday 19 June
By Julie
American Beauty "overrated"? Boy, you have shittastic taste in movies.
Reply
Sunday 20 June
By cmg
FATHER OF THE BRIDE!!
Reply
Sunday 20 June
By John F.C. Taylor
If my dad were still alive, we'd probably be watching Armageddon. Nothing else on the list I could see my dad being interested in .
Reply
Sunday 20 June
By justme
Um Thora Birch's boobs are not misshapen they are NATURAL as opposed to pumped full of silicone! Get it right dumbass.
Reply
Sunday 20 June
By lauren
:o its Thomas JAY, not Thomas John!!! *scoff*. jeeeez
Reply
Tuesday 22 June
By sgtawol@aol.com
Everyone has his/her opinion of what is good or bad. Keep your opinions to yourself. I can promounce Gerard's name just fine thank you; and I thoroughly enjoy My Father the Hero. I watch for entertainment! If I am entertained, that's all I ask for. Obviously you are looking for something else. Who is being pretentious now?
Reply
Sunday 20 June
By Kevin
Watch The Majestic. A great father/daughter relationship and a loving father missing his son. A great Father's Day movie.
Reply
Sunday 20 June
By kdcantley
Watch The Majestic. A great father/daughter relationship and a
loving father missing his son. A great Father's Day movie.
Reply
Sunday 20 June
By beatledonny
another good movie to watch or give dad for a gift!! Deep Throt.staring the lovely Linda Lovelace
Reply
Sunday 20 June
By VBAGGIN S
THE LOSTV LANGUAGE OF CRANES A GREAT MOVIE AND BOOK FOR GAY SONS OF GAY DADS
Reply
Sunday 20 June
By Anonymous
Really?
I actually loved 'Say Anything', I really thought the plot was pretty decent, and the acting was really great. But, yeah, I wouldn't watch this with my father, not EVER. But still, the 'you were disappointing so I'm running into the arms of my loser boyfriend' summary given is pretty far off from how I remember the movie.
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Sunday 20 June
By Joe DeLillo
I agree w/most of the writer's choices except American Beauty. The film was brilliant and the father sub plot was minor. The father aquits himself quite nicely in the end w/the daughter's friend. When presented w/the opportunity to show us what he really is, he does the right thing. Thinking & doing are quite different.
What the writer unforgivably misses is Field of Dreams. Hands down THE BEST father movie ever made.
Reply
Sunday 20 June
By Linda May
One of the worst "Dad" movies ever was "Affliction" with Nick Nolte. Gives new meaning to "Father from Hell".
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Sunday 20 June
By KatieCouric'sNemesis
There were soooooo many movies that could have been added to this list.
What the author of this article missed in her pans of movies is that, what made Mrs. Doubtfire work was the total improbability of the plot line working, not to mention Robin Williams' brilliance at his craft.
Since the author was raised in a generation where parents walk away from successive marriages and blended families get reblended on a weekly basis (depending on the daddy- or mommy-of-the-weekend), she might not be aware that Mrs. Doubtfire was a message to a generation of children where divorce was just beginning to be a commonality, and whose fathers were not likely to receive joint custody orders or even a generous visitation order. The children were caught in the crossfire. The message: a parent's love for his child is what matters, not where s/he calls home.
As to Armageddon, the author totally missed the plot point that the father didn't blow himself up for grins, he did it to keep an asteroid from from obliterating earth--and only because all other efforts had failed. His death saved a planet. It's not like he blew himself up over religious zeal, or political sentiments, or any other half-baked notion that is commonplace today when jets are flown into skyscrapers. His was the ultimate self-sacrifice for all mankind.
That USED to be considered a noble thing. Ask any child of a military hero whose daddy threw himself on a mine to save the rest of his unit.
Of course, given the state of education in America today ("women's studies" a/k/a male-bashing 101, "[insert minority here] studies" a/k/a we hate the society which is giving us a cheap/free education at taxpayer expense, or I-only-went-to-class-when-I-wasn't-partying...I am not surprised the author totally missed the point.
Reply
Sunday 20 June
By Maria
i would NEVER make my dad sit through "To Kill a Mockingbird" never in a million years would i make anyone sit through that movie.
Reply
Sunday 20 June
By Dale Hopson
Sorry to hear you Dad is a racist...