While there are numerous fathers and sons across entertainment, few movies make it the center focus of their story. The relationship between fathers and sons is complicated but has real consequences for the men that these sons become. While society’s concept of masculinity roles is evolving, fathers often have the layered task of providing for their family while being around as an involved parent as well as enforcing punishments while trying to form strong bonds. These dueling factions of fatherhood have made movie dads interesting and often very three-dimensional characters.
The fathers on this list vary in their weaknesses as parents, while some are overprotective others are not involved or even indifferent. These films each show a unique father/son dynamic as they face the trials of life and learn about one another in the process. Most of the films below are fiction or loosely adapted by real-life events, but that doesn’t take away from the very real struggles portrayed or lessons learned between these unique father/son duos. Whether it’s a son trying to connect with his father in his dying days, or a Viking chief who struggles with parenting while protecting his village, these relationships shed light on the very real stories of fathers and sons everywhere.
Chef (2014)
Chef was written, produced, directed, and starred Jon Favreau who plays a successful chef who after falling from career heights, ends up operating a food truck with his son as they drive the truck from Miami to LA. Favreau wrote the film in two weeks, with much of his character, Carl Casper, inspired by his own life of being a father with a busy career and coming from a broken home. Throughout the first half, Carl is constantly letting his son down and doesn’t prioritize the time they spend together. But once Carl brings Percy into his life of cooking, the two share a special bond. For a whole summer, Percy helps his dad run his food truck and even helps it succeed with his social media know-how. By the end of the film, Carl repairs his relationship with his son and learns to share his success with his family instead of keeping them separate from one another.
Big Daddy (1999)
While Sonny (Adam Sandler) isn’t actually Julian’s (Dylan and Cole Sprouse) father, throughout the movie, they show that a parent has nothing to do with being blood-related but about caring and loving for someone as if they were. At first, Sonny pretends to be his roommate, Kevin, and takes custody of the kid in order to show his ex-girlfriend how mature he is. But over the course of the film, Sonny grows fond of Julian and culminates in a lengthy court hearing where Sonny does everything he can to get custody. While there are plenty of laughs in this Adam Sandler Comedy, this movie is one of the few that shows off Sandler’s acting chops and has made the film a cult classic amongst Sandler fans.
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
The Pursuit of Happyness followed the true story of Chris Gardner and his son who was portrayed by real-life father and son, Will Smith and Jaden Smith, who made his film debut at eight years old. Gardner's inspirational story tells of his struggle with homelessness while raising his son and his journey to becoming a successful stockbroker. Will Smith’s portrayal of Gardner earned him a nomination for both an Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Actor.
Chris’s unwavering love for his son made him the sole guardian when his wife couldn’t handle their financial situation any longer. Chris fought to keep his son fed and clothed while he bet on their future by taking an unpaid internship at the stock brokerage firm, Dean Witter. The emotional climax of the film is when the two are forced to spend the night in a public restroom. In the scene, Chris convinces his son that they are in a prehistoric cave and that this was only a game of imagination, all while tears stream down his face. Ultimately, his hard work and determination pay off when he is awarded the only full-time position in the firm, leaving an emotional Chris Gardner to celebrate with his son and start their new life.
A Goofy Movie (1995)
“It’s hard to be cool when your Dad is Goofy” was the tagline for the 1995 Disney animated movie. It was a follow-up to the tv series, Goof Troop and centered around Mickey’s friend Goofy and his son Max. In an attempt to bond, Goofy forces his teenage son on a cross-country fishing trip. Like many real teenagers, Max would rather spend the summer with his friends and in particular his high school crush, Roxanne. While Goofy is... goofy, like his name suggests, the movie allows the character to have depth and an emotional side that resonates with the audience. Max’s teenage angst is perfectly on display and Goofy struggling to connect with his son is just as real as any live-action depiction.
Big Fish (2003)
Big Fish is a fantasy drama film directed by Tim Burton that revolves around Will Bloom as he analyzes his dying father’s life and deciphers what is fact from fiction. The theme around reconciliation between a son and his dying father was significant for Burton whose father had died in 2000 and his mother 2 years later, right before he signed on to direct the movie. Ewan McGregor plays a young Edward Bloom who lives a life full of wonder at least in the ways he tells the story to his son. While Will starts off sour towards his father’s larger-than-life stories, he ends up with an appreciation for them as they allowed him to stay connected to his father even after he was gone.
Honey Boy (2019)
The script for Honey Boy was written by Shia LaBeouf as a form of therapy while he was in rehab and allowed him to explore his complicated relationship with his father. Shia’s portrayal of his father was intense but honest as he showed his father’s battle with alcoholism as well as his manic and aggressive parenting style.
Noah Jupe (Wonder, Ford v Ferrari) plays a young Shia (named Otis in the film). He shows the parallels of a childhood actor who is loved on-screen but comes home to a motel and an abusive father. Creating this film allowed Shia to better understand his dad and for the audience to better understand the life of the Even Stevens star and potentially shed light on all child-actors.
A Bronx Tale (1993)
While all of the sons on this list have one dad, Calogero a.k.a. ‘C’ has two; his biological dad, Lorenzo (Robert De Niro), and his father figure from the streets, Sonny (Chazz Palminteri). The movie, which is based on a semi-autobiographical play, by Chazz Palminteri, is a coming of age story of an Italian-American boy who is torn between the organized crime in his neighborhood and the hardworking values of his father. Calogero has an interesting relationship with both Lorenzo and Sonny and ultimately learns to pave his own way while navigating the streets of the Bronx in the 60s and 70s.
Finding Nemo (2003)
Finding Nemo is one of the few father and son movies that have the two characters separated for much of the story. But it’s in their separation that Marlin learns how to better trust his son, Nemo. In turn, Nemo learns to appreciate just how far his father is willing to go for him, even swimming the length of the ocean. The Pixar movie went on to become the highest-grossing animated film at the time of its release and even spawned a sequel. Finding Nemo portrayed the realities of what it feels like to be a father and watch their child go out into the world or in this case the ocean. Like all parents, Marlin must learn to trust his son and know that the lessons he instilled in Nemo were enough.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Peter Quill a.k.a. Starlord’s lineage was a significant undertone of the first Guardians of the Galaxy with Yondu mentioning Peter’s father throughout. Director, James Gunn, decided to dive deeper into that with his intergalactic sequel. It was revealed that Peter’s dad was none other than Ego, a living planet who generated a human extension of himself, played by Kurt Russell. Ego’s plan was to impregnate women across the galaxy in the hope of spawning a child with Celestial DNA to help him in his goal of remaking the universe in his image. While at first Peter is excited to meet his biological father, play a game of catch, and even learn that he possessed the godlike powers of a Celestial; he ultimately gave up his powers to stop his father’s evil plan and once again save the Galaxy from annihilation.
How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
How to Train Your Dragon centers around Hiccup, a young Viking boy who befriends a dragon he names Toothless. Over the course of the Dreamworks film trilogy, it becomes evident that Hiccup’s motivations are related to his relationship with his father, Stoick, who also happens to be the chief of their village. In the first film, Hiccup struggles with living up to his father’s legacy and becoming a great dragon-slayer, which becomes more complicated when Hiccup must become chief himself and lead his people. Stoick, as his name implies, is not great at showing emotion. This causes him and Hiccup to often fight due to their conflicting ideas of dragons and leads to Hiccup defying his father. Ultimately, it's Hiccup's friendship with Toothless that saves the village but not without great cost, the least of which is his left leg. All-in-all How to Train Your Dragon is a coming-of-age story, set in a world of Vikings and dragons.