So, “pop” the popcorn (get it?) and make yourselves comfy. We rounded up some of the best family-friendly films that are perfect to watch with your dad. In fact, each one of these movies is about a dad in some way or another, so be sure to check out our 50 best movies to watch with your dad for Father’s Day.
50 best Father’s Day movies about dads
Finding Nemo
Was there ever a father more determined to find his child? (Yes, and his name is Bryan Mills; scroll down to the very end.) Still, Marlin the clownfish is adorably anxious and relatable as he sets off on a journey well outside of his comfort zone in order to save his son, Nemo. And it’s a total Disney-Pixar classic—from the “I speak whale” scene to the “all drains lead to the ocean” scene. It might just make you want to give your dad some fin!
Mrs. Doubtfire
Speaking of determined dads, Mrs. Doubtfire—a.k.a. Daniel Hillard—definitely takes the cake. In the wake of a not-so-docile divorce, Daniel Hillard (played by none other than Robin Williams) disguises himself as a female housekeeper in order to spend time with his children—time that his ex (SallyField) and the court wouldn’t give him. Be sure to yell “Hello, dear!” along with Williams after he smashes his face in the pie.
The Lion King
You’ll be sure to remember who you are as you watch (and sob) alongside your dad while watching The Lion King. Side effects of watching this classic Disney animated movie include hugging your father a little tighter than before… and also, bursting into song.
The Descendants
Starring George Clooney and Shailene Woodley, The Descendants won an Oscar for its depiction of a unique father-daughter relationship. After his wife sustains a serious injury in a boating accident, Clooney’s hapless dad is forced to take the reigns at home—and finds that keeping a family running smoothly is harder than he thought.
Gifted
What makes a father? In this heartwarming (and also heartbreaking) film about a gifted child (Mckenna Grace), Chris Evans plays the adoptive uncle who, despite her mathematical genius, just wants her to live a normal life.
My Girl
You’ll bawl your eyes out at this coming-of-age flick starring Macaulay Culkin and a pre-VeepAnna Chlumsky, but you’ll also laugh, too. It’s the ending of My Girl that we all seem to remember, but there’s also a really great father-daughter relationship plot line between Chlumsky and DanAykroyd that’s worth watching with your dad, too.
Life Is Beautiful
One of the most iconic father-son movies of all time is 1997’s Life Is Beautiful, an Italian comedy-drama-romance with the original Italian title of La vita è bella. In this tear-jerker, a Jewish father (played by the movie’s director and co-writer, Roberto Benigni, who won an Oscar for his performance) goes to the ends of the earth—or really, his own imagination—to protect his son from the harsh realities of the concentration camp they’re forced to live in during the Holocaust.
To Kill a Mockingbird
One of the smartest and wisest literary dads of all time is Atticus Finch, from To Kill a Mockingbird. A widowed father of young, curious children, Atticus (played in the film by GregoryPeck, who won an Oscar for his work here) is also a lawyer. When he decides to represent a black man accused of rape (BrockPeters) in court, he defends both his client and his children against prejudice.
Dad
Over the course of this tender tearjerker, three generations of men—grandfather (Jack Lemmon), father (TedDanson), and son (EthanHawke)—come together to live under the same roof and finally establish a true connection, for both the first and last time.
On Golden Pond
In 1981’s On GoldenPond, Norman (HenryFonda) has—and has had—an estranged relationship with his daughter (played by Fonda’s real-life daughter, JaneFonda) for years. But when Chelsea brings a new man, a single father, into the picture, an unexpected relationship has the chance to blossom. Both Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn, playing his wife, won Oscars for their performances.
Onward
Even elves have fathers! In this adorable animated movie from Pixar, two elven brothers (voiced by ChrisPratt and TomHolland) use magic to bring their dad back from the dead to see him one last time. Except things get a little complicated when only half of their dad—the bottom half—comes back!
Big Daddy
Adam Sandler is wonderful as an unlikely stand-in dad who learns a thing or two about parenting after fostering a child for all the wrong reasons.
Cheaper By the Dozen
Imagine having 12 kids?! Impossible! This hilarious comedy starring Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt is just as much about dads as it is about families—and all the lovable chaos that occurs when you have a dozen children.
Cheaper By the Dozen 2
If the original film is a family favorite, Cheaper By the Dozen 2 will hit just the same. Only in this sequel, you’ve got double the dads as two fathers (Martin and an always-hilarious EugeneLevy) face off during summer vacation to find out who’s family is smarter, better, faster, stronger.
Jersey Girl
After his wife (JenniferLopez) unexpectedly passes away, a widower (Ben Affleck) rebuilds his life as a single father. Also starring Liv Tyler, this 2004 dad-centric movie written and directed by KevinSmith is a classic.
Bedtime Stories
Father figures come in all shapes and sizes—even a wayward uncle in the shape of Sandler who tells crazy bedtime stories… that actually start coming true.
Grown Ups
Another father-friendly Sandler movie is Grown Ups. In this hilarious 2010 comedy, Sandler and his friends—Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schneider—play friends (and dads) who reunite for a holiday weekend after their childhood basketball coach passes away.
Grown Ups 2
The gang is back in Grown Ups 2—and not surprisingly, so are their crazy families.
Definitely, Maybe
Ryan Reynolds is as serious as you’ll ever see him in Definitely, Maybe—a romantic dramedy about a political consultant who attempts to explain his divorce and past relationships to his preteen daughter.
17 Again
Imagine your dad entering a magic time warp and coming back as your totally hot schoolmate… Weird, right? That’s what happens to Matthew Perry’s character in 17 Again as he wakes up one morning looking like his teenage self, played by Zac Efron. From his new teenage vantage point, he tries to connect with his kids in a way he couldn’t before.
The Game Plan
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is an adorably sweet father in his real life, but in Disney’s The Game Plan, the role of dad is a little bit trickier for him to adapt to. When this NFL quarterback—who lives the definition of a bachelor’s life—finds out he has an eight-year-old from a previous relationship, he has no other choice than to step up.
We Bought a Zoo
Inspired by the 2008 memoir by Benjamin Zee, Matt Damon stars in this dramedy as a single father who makes the surprising decision to buy and revamp a zoo.
Daddy’s Home
Starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, Daddy’s Home is a hilarious tale of two dads—one biological and one a step-dad—as they compete (to often ridiculous extents) for the children’s attention.
Daddy’s Home 2
It was so good, it needed a sequel—and a Christmas-themed sequel at that! Ferrell and Wahlberg reprise their roles in Daddy’s Home 2, as Brad and Dusty try to get along with their dads (played by Mel Gibson and John Lithgow) during the holidays. John Cena also joins in on the fun this time around as another divorced dad.
Jingle All the Way
OK, so this one also technically falls under the “holiday” category, but it’s a classic father-son story nonetheless. Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Howard Langston, a well-meaning, but often-late and emotionally disparate father whose son wants nothing more than a Turbo Man action figure for Christmas. Can Howard make it happen? How about with the help of Sinbad? This dad will do anything—and cross anyone—in order to get his son the perfect Christmas gift.
Thunder Road
While it’s certainly dad-oriented and worth a watch, Thunder Road is pretty heavy and not for the faint of heart. In this dramatic dark comedy, a police officer and single father (played by the movie’s writer and director, JimCummings) stares a meltdown in the face as he deals with the death of his mother and a divorce simultaneously.
That’s My Boy
If it’s comedy you’re looking for, check out That’s My Boy, the 2012 comedy starring Sandler and Andy Samberg, an interesting father-son duo that reunites just before the groom-to-be’s wedding.
It Takes Two
Most often toted as a sisterly film about long-lost twins (as is the case with most Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen movies), 1995’s It Takes Two is also about a father. Just maybe, his girls can save him from making a terrible mistake and marrying the wrong woman.
Mr. Mom
Just call him Mr. Mom! In this 1983 comedy, a husband (MichaelKeaton in an iconic comedic performance) switches roles with his wife (TeriGarr) after getting fired from his job.
Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me If You Can isn’t about a father-son relationship at first glance. But look a little deeper and you’ll realize that a fatherly bond is exactly what expert forger Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) forms with the FBI agent (Tom Hanks) who’s pursuing him—in large part because Frank could never quite make things click with his real pop Frank Sr. (Christopher Walken in an Oscar-nominated performance).
Remember Me
Once you get to the end of Remember Me, you’ll be too stunned to remember the plot. However, a complicated father-daughter relationship—and then separately, a complicated father-son relationship—make up the bones of this film starring RobertPattinson and Emilie de Ravin.
The Judge
The son of a holier-than-thou judge, Hank Palmer (Robert DowneyJr.) may now be a big-shot city lawyer, but that still hasn’t done much to impress his family, especially his father (RobertDuvall). Now, Hank returns home to defend the father he’s struggled to have a relationship all this time as the once-reputable judge becomes a suspect in a murder case. Hank sets out to defend his father, discover the truth and, along the way, repair the bonds with family he never could before fix.
A Goofy Movie
As with all Max and Goofy animations, A Goofy Movie is about the relationship between goof and son—uh, father and son.
Big Fish
What’s real? What’s not? The 2003 movie Big Fish (with a big cast that includes Billy Crudup, Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney,Robert Guillaume, Jessica Lange and more) examines all of these existential questions all alongside the plot of an estranged father and son reconciling.
Sleepless in Seattle
Starring Hanks and Meg Ryan, Sleepless in Seattle is most often thought of as a classic rom-com, but you can’t ignore the father-son relationship here between Hanks’s widowed-dad character and his adorable kid. After all, it’s the son who uses a radio talk-show to find his father a date. If it weren’t for him, there’d be no romance!
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Many may find Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close difficult to watch for two reasons: It’s graphic, and it focuses on the tragic events of September 11, 2001. A nine-year-old child (ThomasHorn) searches New York City for the matching lock to a mysterious key his father (TomHanks) left behind after perishing in the Twin Towers.
Road to Perdition
Another Hanks classic! In the 2002 crime thriller Road to Perdition, a mob enforcer’s son bears witness to a murder, then flees the scene with the help of his father.
Fly Away Home
Family-friendy and perfect for the kids, Fly Away Home is all about a young girl (Anna Paquin) who, with the help of her single father (Jeff Daniels) raises and then leads a flock of orphaned Canadian Geese down south… by way of a plane that’s painted like a mother goose.
The Parent Trap
The Parent Trap may be as equally about a mom as it is a dad, but it’s still a cute, classic film to watch with your father. That moment when Lindsay Lohan (and Lindsay Lohan) puts the ripped picture together? Classic.
Field of Dreams
This family-friendly classic stars Kevin Costner as Ray Kinsella, a farmer living in Iowa who wants to turn an ordinary cornfield into the stuff of baseball dreams, thanks to the voices inside his head.
Daddy Day Care
Eddie Murphy and Jeff Garlin are hilarious as two recently laid-off men transitioning into the stay-at-home dad life. When they can’t find new jobs, they start their own: a daddy-owned daycare service.
Despicable Me
Gru (voiced by SteveCarell) may aspire to be the most evil villain of all-time, but when he unwittingly becomes a foster father to three adorable little girls, he—and his evil schemes—will forever be changed.
Armageddon
First and foremost, Armageddon is about the NASA-trained deep-core drillers who risk their lives to save Earth from a Texas-sized asteroid. But with the daddy-daughter relationship between Liv Tyler and Bruce Willis being a big driver of the plot, it’s definitely one to watch with your dad.
Parenthood
Meet the Buckmans! A typical Midwestern family with estranged relatives, young children, annoying jobs, and you know, all the usual stuff. At the center of it all are Steve Martin and Mary Steenburgen as two regular parents just trying to make it work… without letting anyone down.
Father of the Bride
Steve Martin sure is in a lot of dad-friendly movies! Father of the Bride literally has “father” in the title, so as you can imagine, it’s a great one to watch on Father’s Day. Also starring Diane Keaton (and Kimberly Williams-Paisley as the titular bride), Father of the Bride is the often-hilarious story of a somewhat-controlling father who has a hard time letting go of his daughter before her wedding.
Father of the Bride Part II
After giving away his daughter in the first film, Steve Martin’s character has to deal with a whole new set of unforeseeable issues in Part II. Namely, his daughter and his wife being pregnant at the same time!
Three Men and a Baby
What happens when three bachelors—Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson—are mysteriously left a baby at their doorstep? This hysterical movie from the 1980s.
The Santa Clause
Bear with us, because while The Santa Clause is technically a Christmas movie, we think that it really deserves to be watched on Father’s Day with your dad. Here’s why: It’s all about the estranged relationship between dad Scott Clavin (TimAllen) and his son, Charlie (EricLloyd), following Scott’s divorce from Charlie’s mother (WendyCrewson). Sure, Scott ends up becoming Santa Claus and there’s lots of Christmas-y magic and elves and stuff, but at its core, this is a film about fathers and sons.
The Pursuit of Happyness
It wouldn’t be a father-themed movie marathon without The Pursuit of Happynessstarring Will Smith and his real-life son, Jaden Smith. The dad-son duo starred in this film about a struggling salesman trying to make ends-meet all while gaining custody of his young son.
Taken (1, 2, and 3)
Of course, we couldn’t include Taken without also including Taken 2 and Taken 3. Liam Neeson smashes the role of Bryan Mills, an overprotective-dad-slash-former-CIA agent (with a very particular set of skills) in all three of the film’s installments. In the original Taken, his daughter (MaggieGrace) is kidnapped. In Taken 2, it’s Mills and his ex-wife (Famke Janssen) who are kidnapped. And in Taken 3, Mills sets out to avenge his ex-wife after she’s killed. Trust us, all three are binge-worthy—especially in the company of any action-loving dad. Not ready for Father’s Day yet? Check out these last-minute gift ideas for dad.
