Father’s Day Picks
With Father’s Day just around the corner, I thought I’d make some excellent cinematic recommendations perfect for watching with your dad on his special day. While the majority of the films listed below are in keeping with my emphasis on classic film, a few of them are not from Hollywood’s Golden Era, and a couple of them aren’t even American movies — but read on to find out more!
10. Papa’s Delicate Condition (1963)
Starring Jackie Gleason, Glynis Johns, and Linda Bruhl, directed by George Marshall
In a nutshell: A jolly railroad superintendent starts to become alienated from his wife and eldest daughter, and must prove that his love for his family is greater than his love for the bottle. What’s the man to do when his adorable younger daughter wants a pony? Why, buy her an entire circus, of course!
This could have been a very silly, unremarkable film had it not been for Gleason’s larger-than-life performance. Undoubtedly, his presence elevates the film, and be sure to watch for his soulful (and slightly tipsy) rendition of “Call Me Irresponsible”, for which the movie won an award for Best Original Song.
9. Watch on the Rhine (1943)
Starring Paul Lukas, Bette Davis, and Donald Buka, Eric Roberts, and Janis Wilson as their children, directed by Herman Shumlin
In a nutshell: A daring member of the Underground has spent years fighting fascism throughout Europe. He does this at great risk to himself, his American wife Sara, and their three children.
This is a rather odd choice for my list but it fits because the children’s relationship with their brave father is unusual and touching. Kurt Muller understandably feels some guilt over the fact that his children, by necessity, had to grow up very quickly, and didn’t have much in the way of a childhood. Nonetheless, he raised them to be intelligent, know their duty, and have the courage to do their duty when the time comes. In return, they regard him as nothing less than a hero.
My live review of this film:
8. A Sunday in the Country (1984)
Starring Louis Ducreux and Sabine Azema, directed by Bertrand Tavernier
In a nutshell: Monsieur Ladmiral is an elderly painter living in the countryside in early 1900s France. Every Sunday he is visited by his son, daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren. But this Sunday brings something different: an unexpected visit from Ladmiral’s beloved but wayward daughter, Irene.
This is French director Tavernier’s best-known film, and it’s a lovely, candid look at an intimate family get-together. The aging Ladmiral wants only to see his daughter one more time, but when he gets his wish, what else will transpire? Beautifully filmed and lyrically told, this is a worthwhile piece of French cinema. To add to the fun, there’s even a poodle named Caviar!
7. Cheaper by the Dozen (1950)
Starring Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy, directed by Walter Lang
In a nutshell: A slice-of-life true story about the Gilbreth family: efficiency expert father, wise and caring mother, and their twelve children. Full of laughter, misadventures, and heartwarming moments, this gentle comedy takes an unexpected turn into drama by the end.
Webb and Loy are excellent as the goofy but world-wise parents, and on the whole this is an immensely enjoyable family film. The later scenes in which Webb insists on accompanying his oldest daughter (Jeanne Crain) to the high school prom is hilarious, and, I’m sure, relatable for many self-conscious teenage girls. Speaking for myself anyway, as I watched this earlier this year, shortly before going to prom myself. I was not entirely appreciative of my dad’s jokes that the film had given him “ideas.”
6. Paper Moon (1973)
Starring Ryan and Tatum O’Neal, directed by Peter Bogdanovich
In a nutshell: After her mother dies, young tomboy Addie is taken on a wild, cross-country road trip by slick, smooth-talking conman Moses Pray. When she’s not busy stealing whiskey or conning little old ladies into buying Bibles, she puzzles over whether or not Moses is her real father.
This isn’t classic Hollywood, and yet it feels like it is. It has some of those risque ‘70’s touches, but overall Bogdanovich captures the magical feel of Depression-Era America in his clever comedy that manages to be unsentimental and touching at the same time. Of course, the film’s success is largely due to the casting of real life father-daughter team Ryan and Tatum O’Neal, who play off each other incredibly well.
My tribute to this film:
5. The Yearling (1946)
Starring Gregory Peck, Jane Wyman, and Claude Jarman, Jr., directed by Clarence Brown
In a nutshell: A young boy living on a homestead in the Florida Everglades adopts an orphaned fawn. Together, the boy and his deer come of age, under the watchful gaze of his loving father and his bitter, resentful mother.
Well, this is the movie that caused my intense dislike for Jane Wyman, because you almost can’t help but hate her character here. Gregory Peck is his usual stoic, charming self, and plays a brave, kind man, wise in the ways of nature, that anyone would be proud to have for a father. Claude Jarman, Jr. won a special Oscar for his performance. The other star of the piece is the gorgeous cinematography, making the Florida Everglades look like a magical place indeed. The classic novel by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings is worth reading as well.
4. The Champ (1931)
Starring Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper, directed by King Vidor
In a nutshell: A once-great prizefighter has fallen on hard times as a result of his drinking and gambling. However, he still tries to care for his young son, though it’s often the other way around. Trouble comes in the form of the boy’s mother, who suddenly shows up and decides she wants to take him back and give him a more respectable life.
Child actor Jackie Cooper is excellent, both as streetwise punk and vulnerable young boy. Beery’s performance as the dissolute boxer is also memorable, and the two have great on-screen chemistry. A terrific old classic about a boy who loves and admires his father so much, he is willing to look past the flaws to see only the good.
3. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Starring Gregory Peck, and Mary Badham and Philip Alford as his kids, directed by Robert Mulligan
In a nutshell: Atticus Finch, a respected lawyer in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama, defends a black man falsely accused of rape. At the same time, he must try to shield his two young children from the spirit of violence and hatred growing in the town.
There isn’t much I can say about such an enduring classic as this. It’s simply a brilliant piece of cinema, one that will never get stale or lose its importance and relevance. It’s the pinnacle of Gregory Peck’s career, for which he won his well-deserved Oscar. The performances of Badham and Alford are spot-on as well. I first watched it when I was 11 years old, making it one of the first classic films I truly loved even before I was fully capable of appreciating film.
2. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)
Starring Dorothy McGuire, James Dunn, Peggy Ann Garner, and Ted Donaldson, directed by Elia Kazan
In a nutshell: From the gritty, heartfelt, classic novel by Betty Smith, this is the story of Francie Nolan, a young girl living in a Brooklyn tenement who dreams of becoming a writer. She is inspired to follow her dreams by her beloved father, Johnny, who is a singing waiter, whenever he isn’t too drunk to land a job.
This is truly one of the best classic family films out there. It must be said, however, that the book it’s based on is a raw, honest depiction of life in turn-of-the-century Brooklyn, and many memorable scenes from the book are toned down or left out entirely for the film.
A sweet but sad clip from this film, posted on my YouTube channel:
- Daddy Nostalgia (1990)
Starring Dirk Bogarde, Jane Birkin, and Odette Laure, directed by Bertrand Tavernier
In a nutshell: A half-French, half-English screenwriter heads to her parents’ home on the Riviera to help them out after her father’s heart surgery. Only now, when it is already too late, father and daughter forge a bond they never had before.
Believe it or not, this is currently my all-time favorite movie. Bogarde’s presence dominates the film, and his character is the epitome of the deeply flawed and yet utterly charming father figure. The performances are absolutely flawless, and for me, it’s the most relatable film I’ve ever seen. The parallels between the story and my own life really took me aback when I first watched it, and by the time the credits rolled, I was crying in the arms of my own father.
My live review of this film:
My tribute to this film:
Hope you enjoyed my top 10 Father’s Day picks, and maybe you’ll even seek one or two out this weekend! Trust me, they are all worth it in their own way. Either way, remember to spend some quality time with your dad, because you never know how much more time you’ll get, as many of these films remind us.
To all the wonderful fathers, everywhere: Thank you for what you do.
To my own father: “Thank you” doesn’t even begin to cover it. I love you more than I can say.
Happy Father’s Day!
