Movie characters can be great role models, especially when it comes to parents. Previous generations’ ideas of what a loving family looks like were probably shaped by movies like Mary Poppins. For a younger audience, Harry Potterthe Hogwarts foster family likely played a similar role.
With that in mind, Reddit users recently gathered on r/movies, the largest movie subreddit, to discuss which movie characters make the best fathers. From drama to comedy, animation to sci-fi, these are the most lovable movie dads.
10 “My Neighbor Totoro” (1988)
This Miyazaki Classic follows two young sisters, Satsuki and Mei, who move to the countryside with their father and discover a world of magic and wonder in the forest near their new home, including the large and friendly forest spirit Totoro.
“Dad from My Neighbor Totoro — the perfect dad, ”said user KalenTamil. “He is a great dad who loves his daughters and accepts what (probably to him) will seem like a child’s imagination. He cares about them, encourages their curiosity and does not judge. He also has a great relationship with their mother and is a dedicated husband who makes everything work even though she is fragile and sick,” said Reddit user iscore.
9 Dead Poets Society (1989)
“Seize the moment!” Robin Williams presents here one of his most memorable dramatic performances as John Keating, an unorthodox English teacher at a boys’ preparatory school in the 1950s. Keating inspires his students to embrace their individuality and achieve their dreams despite the strict expectations of parents and school administration.
Young Ethan Hawke also shines in one of his first starring roles. “[Keating]not a dad, but definitely a father figure to many students,” Silverfate2 user said.
8 ‘Frequency’ (2000)
Frequency sci-fi thriller featuring Jim Caviezel as John Sullivan, an NYPD detective who finds a way to communicate with his late father Frank (Dennis Quaid), through an old amateur radio station. Together they work to solve a decades-long murder case and prevent an impending disaster.
It’s a great combination of conceptual sci-fi, tense suspense, and touching family drama. “[Frequency is] one of the best father and son movies ever made,” greenpill98 told Redditor. “I watch it whenever I really miss my dad.”
7 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
Not all Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the movies are good, but this version of the director Steve Barron holds. In it, anthropomorphic reptiles fight their nemesis, the Shredder and his Foot Clan. Several Reddit users have mentioned their mentor and de facto adoptive father, Master Splinter, as a great father.
“[Splinter’s] talking to Rafael about his anger is probably my favorite scene in the movie. It’s so powerful,” user RoiVampire said. “Splinter affirms his son’s uniqueness and doesn’t tell him that he’s wrong for facing his demons in his own way. But he still warns him of what he’s facing and lets him know that he and his brothers are by his side. This is a good dad,” said Reddit user greenpill98.
6 “Fly Home” (1996)
13 year old AmyAnna Paquin) is forced to move to Canada to live with her estranged father (Jeff Daniels) after her mother died in a car accident. While there, she discovers a nest of abandoned goose eggs and decides to raise the goslings with the help of her father.
Together, they decide to teach the geese to fly south for the winter, and in the process, they mend their relationship. It’s a great movie and a real tear-jerker. “The perfect father-daughter movie,” said a Zenwaved user. “As a single father to a daughter, we watched it a bunch.”
5 “About Time” (2013)
Donal Gleason leads this romantic drama as a man who discovers he can travel through time and decides to change his past to improve his present. Bill Nighy plays his father, and the dynamic between the two is the highlight of the film. “Dad and son have a great relationship in About the time. It’s a great film filled with love and affection across the board,” user jenkirch said.
“Great movie,” agreed Reddit user Roseinspring. “The scene when Tim returns to have one last meeting with his father; they play table tennis, then he tells him that the baby is on his way… They hug and go back together again to when Tim was a little boy and they spend time by the sea… Oh, it’s a brilliant scene.”
4 ‘Road’ (2009)
Road post-apocalyptic drama based on Cormac McCarthyPulitz Prize-winning novel. Father (Viggo Mortensen) and son (Cody Smith-McPhee) travel through a desert landscape after a catastrophic event that wiped out most of society. To get to a safe haven, they have to contend with extreme weather and gangs of cannibals.
Mortensen’s performance as a rough, hardened quarterback in a dangerous world is considered one of the best of his career. “This movie broke me in a way I never thought I could be broken,” user Firm_Hair_8545 said.
3 ‘Chief’ (2014)
Carl Kasper (ur.John Favreau) is a once famous chef who lost his passion. After a public feud with a famous food critic goes viral, Carl quits his job and decides to rediscover his love of cooking by starting a food truck business with his son (MJ Anthony), and his friend (John Leguizamo).
“[Carl]“At first he is too focused on his career, but he understands that he is losing his son and changes everything,” said Reddit user iscore. divorced. They simply adjusted to the emotional changes and decided to remain friends. It’s a great portrayal, unlike most divorced couples who are portrayed as quarreling enemies.”
2 “Smell of a Woman” (1992)
Student Charlie SimmsChris O’Donnell) gets a job as caretaker for Frank Slade (Al Pacino), a retired blind lieutenant colonel in the army. During Thanksgiving weekend, Charlie accompanies Frank to New York where they embark on a journey of self-discovery and adventure.
“One of my favorite films. Al Pacino confuses him. His paternal chemistry with Chris O’Donnell is excellent; they contrast well with each other. He never backs down, but he still learns from Charlie,” user roseinspring said. Frank is slowly learning to actively play the role of a parent in Charlie’s life, putting aside his own pessimistic view of how his life has turned out. This reluctance makes the final act of the film much more impressive,” he added. Redditor EnochFalls.
1 ‘Rushmore’ (1998)
One of Wes Andersonbest movies, Rushmore tells the story of Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman), a precocious teenager attending the prestigious Rushmore Academy. Seymour Cassel beautiful, like Max’s father Bert, who runs a barbershop.
“I just reviewed Rushmore and was blown away by the character of the father played by the late Seymour Cassel,” user Clark_n_gable said. “Not only is he raising his son as a single father after his wife’s death, which is a sign of strength and dependability in itself, but an emotionally supportive dad, a dad with good advice, and a dad who shows up just when Max needs that kind of dad.”
Source: Collider
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