6 Movies for Father's Day
Dads have their special day all over the world and the celebrations are diverse. There are family gatherings, delicious meals, gifts, and more. So why not sit down all together to enjoy one or several movies for Father’s Day?
Get the popcorn ready and lights, camera, action!
“The best legacy of a father to his children is a little of his time every day.”
Leon Battista Alberti
Movies for Father’s Day
Below, we’ll leave you a list of titles for all tastes, whether they’re cartoons, adventures, comedies, and much more!
1. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
If dad likes movies in which music is the protagonist, invite him to watch this movie classic with the rest of the family.
The story has magic and many adventures that unfold on a trip aboard the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. This vehicle is a car invented by Caractacus Potts (Dick Van Dyke), in which he travels with his entire family: His father, his children, and his girlfriend, Truly Scrumptious (Sally Ann Howes).
2. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
This is a classic comedy that deals with the life of a divorced father named Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams). Desperate to be more present in his children’s lives, he disguises himself as a woman and gets a job as a housekeeper offered by his ex-wife, Miranda (Sally Field).
Getting this job allows this father of three to be at home all day and share fun situations with his children.
3. Life is beautiful (1997)
Guido (Roberto Begnini) and Dora (Nicoletta Braschi) meet, fall in love, and get married. And later, Giosué (Giorgio Cantarini) is born from the fruit of their love.
Happiness is full in their lives, but Italy is in the middle of World War II and is occupied by Nazis. They kidnap Jews and take them to their concentration camps.
As a result of this, the family is separated and the father and son end up together in the same compound in a concentration camp. There, Guido decides to invent a game so that his boy doesn’t become aware of the bad situation in which they find themselves.
This film is super funny due to the funny things this desperate dad comes up with, but also dramatic due to the traumatic context in which they live. It reflects the reality and harshness of war. This is an excellent choice for families with older children.
4. Finding Nemo (2003)
This animated film tells the story of Nemo, an outgoing and adventurous clownfish who leaves his home by accident: He’s caught by some divers and taken to the fish tank of a dentist’s office in the city.
His dad, Marlin, embarks on his quest on a path full of adventures, hilarious situations, escapes, and much more. Finally, with the help of his friend Dory, he finds his beloved son.
5. The Big Fish (2003)
The Big Fish is a film directed by the great Tim Burton, whose protagonist is Edward Bloom (Ewan McGregor/Albert Finney), a great storyteller who tells fantastic stories based on some real events.
His son Will (Billy Crudup) doesn’t like what his father is doing and leaves home when he’s too young. But he returns ten years later when his father falls ill.
Now an adult (and soon to be a father), Will listens to Edward’s stories again. But this time, he understands the depth of their stories and the meaning of each of them. Finally, he accepts his dad for who he is: A big fish with a huge imagination that needs to get out of his little glass fish tank.
6. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), on of the best movies for Father’s Day
With the peculiarity of being carried out by a real-life father and son, this film reflects the struggle of a father to get ahead, always taking his child with him.
When Chris Gardner’s (Will Smith) marriage falls apart, this man is left in charge of his child, Christopher Gardner Jr. (Jaden Smith). In addition, he’s evicted from his apartment, does poorly at his job, and goes through endless difficulties.
The only option for Chris is to get a stable job and prosper for the well-being of his son, who becomes the engine that drives him to achieve the job of his dreams.
When is Father’s Day celebrated?
As with Mother’s Day, the date of celebration of Father’s Day is different in different countries.
In the United States, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. This is also true in many countries in the European Union, such as France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic, as well as most of the countries on the American continent. This date comes from the official declaration of President Lyndon Johnson in 1966.
At the same time, in some places in Europe that follow the Catholic tradition, Father’s Day falls on March 19, which is the day of Saint Joseph, the father of Jesus. For this reason, since 1948 in the Iberian Peninsula, it’s been celebrated on this day, thanks to the initiative of the teacher and writer Manuela Vicente Ferrero.
A peculiar case is that of Korea, where Mother’s and Father’s Day are celebrated together on May 8. An interesting solution!
Whatever the date, sharing quality time with dad with one of these movies for Father’s Day is a great option to celebrate!
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Cuellar, A. (21 de febrero de 2020) Día del Padre: ¿cómo se celebra en los países donde trabajamos? Ayuda en Acción. Disponible en: https://ayudaenaccion.org/ong/blog/infancia/dia-del-padre-celebra-paises/
- Diario ABC (10 de marzo de 2021). ¿Dónde es festivo el día del padre? Diario ABC – Sociedad. Disponible en: https://www.abc.es/sociedad/abci-donde-es-festivo-dia-padre-nsv-202103101202_noticia.html
- Fogarty, K., Evans, G. (2017) Los otros beneficios de ser un papá comprometido. Universidad de la Florida. Departamento de la Familia, Juventud y Ciencias de la Comunidad, Servicio de Extensión Cooperativa de la Florida, Instituto de Alimentos y Ciencias Agrícolas. Disponible en: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FY1232
