With Father’s Day coming up, you’re probably looking for fun ways to spend time with Dad. But why not curl up on the couch and just watch some good movies?
With so many amazing titles centered on the father figure, anyone could host a fun and heartwarming marathon!
In this article, we’ve compiled a list of must-see Father’s Day movies that are sure to delight the honoree and the rest of the family. Here are our recommendations:
Three Men and a Baby (1987)
Genre: Comedy, family movie
Three Men and a Baby is a classic comedy film directed by Leonard Nimoy and starring Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg and Ted Danson. It is a remake of the French feature film Trois hommes et un couffin (Three Men and a Cradle).
The film revolves around architect Peter Mitchell, cartoonist Michael Kellam, and actor Jack Holden, a group of inveterate bachelors who go from party to party. One day, a little girl named Mary appears at the door of her apartment. The little girl has a note in which a delicate truth is revealed: Jack and Sylvia are the parents.
As you might expect, the lives of Peter, Michael and Jack are profoundly altered.
The premise is simple: three clueless bachelors must care for a baby. Reluctantly, these men try to adjust their lives to de facto parenthood.
Although they are very bad babysitters, they learn how to take care of Mary, including diaper changes, baths and meals, and learn bigger lessons besides.
Dad (1989)
Genre: Comedy, drama
Dad is a comedy-drama written and directed by Gary David Goldberg, based on the novel of the same name by William Wharton.
In this story, John Tremont (Ted Danson), a successful businessman, has to take care of his elderly father after his mother suffers a heart attack. From this incident, John temporarily postpones his pressing job to become his parents’ carer.
As John begins to care for his ailing father, he becomes aware of his failures with his own son Billy. Thus, three generations (Grandfather, father and son) will do their best to re-establish the bonds that had been on the verge of disappearing.
The film touches on very real and powerful themes such as illness, family wounds and resentments, and reconciliation.
Father of the Bride (1991)
Genre: Comedy, family movie
Father of the Bride is a remake of Vincente Minnelli’s 1950 classic. This version starring Steve Martin was released 31 years after the first film and does not stray far from the plot of the original.
George Banks (Steve Martin) is a family man and devoted father. He is married to the wonderful Niña (Diane Keaton) and has two children, college student Annie (Kimberly Williams), and the witty Matty (Kieran Culkin).
However, his life takes an unexpected turn when Annie returns from Paris and informs her parents that she has met the man of her dreams and wants to get married.
What seems like good news soon becomes Father’s worst nightmare. The thing is, George is not ready for his daughter to leave the family nest and start one of her own. Overwhelmed, he will go to great lengths to prevent the wedding to keep his little girl by his side.
Father of the Bride is a touching story that reflects family life in the 1990s. Many fathers will identify with George’s feverish desire to inspect the son-in-law -“Mr. Right”- to ensure his daughter’s well-being.
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Genre: Comedy, family movie
Mrs. Doubtfire is a comedy based on the novel Alias Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine. This film tells the story of a divorced man who misses his children so much that he disguises himself as a British nanny in order to be near them.
In this hilarious and touching film, independent voice actor Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams) doesn’t want to divorce Miranda (Sally Field), the mother of his three children, Lydia, Chris and Natalie. But Miranda can no longer stand Daniel’s messy life and the marriage ends bitterly.
Immediately, the issue of custody becomes a truly delicate matter. Joint custody will be possible as long as Daniel finds a stable job and a suitable home.
This puts the father of the family in big trouble as he has never been too responsible.
When Daniel discovers that Miranda is looking for a nanny, he sees this as the perfect opportunity to spend quality time with his children. The actor decides to disguise himself as an older woman and work as a nanny at his ex-wife’s house.
The role as Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire not only allows him to spend more time with his children, but will also make him a better father.
Father of the Bride Part II (1995)
Genre: Comedy, family movie
This film is a sequel to Father of the Bride and a partial remake of the 1951 feature Father’s Little Dividend.
The story begins four years after the events of the first installment. This time, Annie informs the family that she is pregnant. This news shocks George and makes him rethink his life, deep down, the father of the family thinks he is too young to be a grandfather.
The situation becomes even more complicated for George when his wife reveals that she is also pregnant. Now he is not only going to be a grandfather, but also a father for the third time.
Liar Liar (1997)
Genre: Legal comedy, family movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3BAd2o7wFc
Liar Liar is easily one of Jim Carrey’s best films. It is a legal comedy written by Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur.
Fletcher Reede (Jim Carrey) is an up-and-coming lawyer who is used to lying to win his court cases. At first glance, it would seem that his main talent is to deceive and manipulate people, and even his family.
Then one day, his son Max (Justin Cooper), fed up with the broken promises and the shams, makes a peculiar birthday wish: “I wish, for just one day, Dad couldn’t tell a lie”, says the little boy and the wish comes true, exceeding all expectations.
Fletcher wakes up and suddenly he can’t be untruthful. Since it is impossible for him to take refuge in deception, Fletcher gets into trouble left and right. Everyone around him thinks he is losing his mind.
Throughout the film, Max’s wish will force him to rethink his profession and his role as a father.
Big Daddy (1999)
Genre: Comedy, family movie
Big Daddy is a film directed by Dennis Dugan, starring Adam Sandler and Brothers Dylan and Cole Sprouse.
In this comedy, Adam Sandler plays Sonny Koufax, an “eternal immature.” Sonny is a thirty-something lawyer who refuses to become an adult. He wants nothing to do with marriage and is content to work one day a week as a toll booth operator.
His world is turned upside down when his girlfriend Vanessa (Kristy Swanson) leaves him for an older man with a better position than him.
Then Sonny hatches an unusual plan: to win back his girlfriend, the lawyer decides to adopt Julian, a 5-year-old boy. The idea is to prove to Vanessa that he can be a responsible man.
Obviously, such a reckless ‘move’ doesn’t work out well for him, Sonny ends up driving his girlfriend away for good and fatherhood is a challenge for which he is not prepared.
As expected, taking care of Julian turns his life upside down. This film has valuable lessons about responsibility and parental love.
Daddy’s Home (2015)
Genre: Buddy comedy film
Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg star in a comedy about two very different father figures competing for their children’s attention. Daddy’s Home is directed by Sean Anders and written by Anders, Brian Burns and John Morris.
Will Ferrell is Brad Taggart, the unconditional and loving stepfather who goes out of his way to care for his stepchildren. For Brad, it’s been far from easy to win the children’s hearts, but over time he’s managed to get them to accept him as part of their lives. Then, in an ironic twist of fate, Dusty Mayron (Mark Wahlberg), the biological father appears out of nowhere with the intention of winning his children back.
Dusty happens to be the opposite of Brad, alpha male, anarchic, muscular, reckless, and funny. Naturally, the kids love him. Suddenly, noble Brad is forced to compete with the ultra-cool daddy, and beforehand he seems to be at a disadvantage. As you can probably guess, the struggle between Brad and Dusty for dominance of the family unleashes chaos.
Captain Fantastic (2016)
Genre: Comedy, drama / Rating: R
Captain Fantastic is a comedy-drama written and directed by Matt Ross and starring Viggo Mortensen. The story focuses on a father who, after the suicide of his wife, tries to maintain the values and traditions instilled in his children.
Ben Cash (Viggo Mortensen) and his wife Leslie used to be social-anarchist activists and at the time decided to raise their descendants rejecting any contact with capitalism. This is how the Cash family has grown up in remote forests, far from civilization and the system.
Ben’s children do not go to traditional school, but follow strict regimens of exercise, education and food gathering. The eccentric father does his best to provide them with a critical view of all things.
However, after Leslie’s death, the family is forced to leave their refuge and adapt to a modern society that is completely unfamiliar to them. Captain Fantastic is a unique and beautiful film that reminds us that parents can come in all shapes and ideologies and that, at the end of the day, unconditional love is the most important thing.
We are sure that this selection of films can help anyone to organize an enjoyable marathon that will encourage all members of the family and especially the honoree, whether it is a biological father, stepfather, adoptive father, grandfather, or great-grandfather.