Movies for Father's Day

Here are a few movie suggestions for Father's Day.

Big Fish (2003)
Dir. Tim Burton

One of the best films of director Tim Burton, a son investigates the fanciful tales of his father while the older man struggles with his health. This is a more complex and mature film than the usual Burton fare.


Father of the Bride (1950/1991)
Dir. Vincente Minnelli / Charles Shyer

The original version of Father of the Bride, starring Spencer Tracy, was released in 1950. A well received remake starring Steve Martin was issued in 1991. Both films tell the story of the emotional and financial woes of a father whose daughter is getting married.


Field of Dreams (1989)
Dir. Phil Alden Robinson

An example of a movie apparently about one thing and later revealing itself as about something else, Field of Dreams tells the story of an Iowa farmer (Kevin Costner) who hears voices telling him to build a baseball diamond in a corn field.


Finding Nemo (2003)
Dir. Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich

A Pixar film about Marlin, a widowed clown fish whose only son is captured by an aquarium hobbyist. Marlin sets out with a forgetful blue tang to find his son. A sequel, Finding Dory, was released in 2016.


The Godfather (1974) 
Dir. Francis Ford Coppola

The gangster movie classic is really the story of a family business--as well as the family identity--and its passage from one generation to the next.


He Named Me Malala (2015)
Dir. Davis Guggenheim

A documentary about Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai and her father Ziauddin. Malala was shot in the head by Taliban militants for attending school. She survived the attack and became an international voice in support of women's rights. 


Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Dir. Steven Spielberg

The third Indiana Jones film is the best sequel in the series. Key to the movie's success is the father-son relationship between Henry and Indiana, played by Sean Connery and Harrison Ford.


The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)
Dir. Derek Cianfrance

The Place Beyond the Pines is an ambitious and inter-generational story of two families intertwined by crime and moral compromise with an emphasis on the relationships between fathers and sons.


The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Dir. Gabriele Muccino

Real life father and son Will and Jaden Smith play Christopher Gardener and his son. Gardener was living on the streets with his son and they struggled to put their lives back together.


The Stepfather (1987)
Dir. Robert Mulligan

Terry O'Quinn stars in the title role as a psychopath who is determined to have the perfect family. When he is inevitably disappointed, O'Quinn's character murders his family, changes his identity, and starts over again. The Stepfather is one of the most subversive and underappreciated horror pictures of the Reagan era.