While fancy new grills and leather wallets are nice, what most dads really want is to spend quality time with their kiddos. So why not make this Father's Day a family movie night? From comedies and tear-jerkers to action-packed adventures, we've rounded up the best father-focused films to watch with your pops.
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1. Father of the Bride (1991)
Touchstone/Getty Images
Let's be real: Steve Martin was everyone's dad in the '90s. This classic comedy follows George Banks (Martin) as he tries to adjust to the news of his daughter's engagement and keep up with the (literal) costs of a wedding.
Where to watch: Tubi, Hulu
2. Cheaper by the Dozen (2003)
2003 Twentieth Century Fox
When you have 12 kids, you'd better be ready for some chaos. And that's exactly what Tom Baker (Martin) faces when his wife, Kate Baker (Bonnie Hunt), has to go on a book tour — leaving him in charge of the household.
Where to watch: Disney+
3. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Zade Rosenthal/Columbia Pictures Industries
Based on the real-life story of Chris Gardner, Will Smith stars as a struggling salesman and single father determined to provide for his son, Christopher (Jaden Smith). When Gardner lands a coveted spot in an unpaid internship at a stockbroker training program, he and his son must survive homelessness and poverty as he tries to secure a life-changing career.
Where to watch: Netflix
4. Onward (2020)
2019 Disney/Pixar
Get your tissues ready! This animated Disney film follows two elf brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot (voiced by Tom Holland and Chris Pratt), as they go on a quest to bring their late father back to life — but only for one day.
Where to watch: Disney+
5. The Father (2020)
IMDB/Film 4
It looks as if 2020 was the year for incredible but terribly sad films about fathers. The Father stars Anthony Hopkins as a man living with dementia who slowly loses pieces of his life and memories. His daughter (Olivia Colman) tries her best to take care of him, but his refusal to accept her help doesn't make it easy.
Where to watch: Rent on Prime Video, AppleTV, Redbox or Vudu
6. World's Greatest Dad (2009)
IMDB/Magnolia Pictures
Another one of film's greatest fictional father figures, Robin Williams stars in this underrated dark comedy about a single father trying to protect his son's reputation after he dies in an embarrassing accident. But when his son's posthumous writings become a hit, Lance (Williams) is forced to confront the consequences of his lies.
Where to watch: Roku, Tubi, SlingTV, Peacock
7. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
20th Century-Fox/Getty Images
Another classic '90s comedy starring Robin Williams. In this film, an out-of-work father disguises himself as an older nanny to be close to his children and reunite with his estranged wife. But keeping his identity a secret — and his costume intact — is no easy task.
Where to watch: Starz, Spectrum, SlingTV
8. Father's Day (1997)
1997-Warner Bros
Billy Crystal and Robin Williams team up in this comedy about two men searching for their mutual ex-girlfriend's runaway son after learning that one of them might be his father. The journey to find the boy — and learn the truth about who fathered him — is full of laughs and a lot of self-discovery.
Where to watch: Rent on Prime Video
9. I Love My Dad (2022)
IMDB/Atlas Industries
This new comedy stars Patton Oswalt as an estranged father who, out of desperation to connect with his son (James Morosini), catfishes him. It goes about as well as you could expect.
Where to watch: Hulu
10. Beautiful Boy (2018)
Amazon Studios
You may know him for his hilarious portrayal of Michael Scott in The Office, but Steve Carell proves he's just as good at drama in this heartbreaking film. Based on the true story of a father's (Carell) relationship with his son (Timothée Chalamet), who is struggling with drug addiction, Beautiful Boy will leave you in tears over how far a parent's love will go.
Where to watch: Prime Video
11. We Bought a Zoo (2011)
20th Century Fox
This heartwarming tale stars Matt Damon as a father who, after being widowed, decides to make radical changes to his family's life by buying a home that just so happens to come with a struggling zoo. Their adventures in getting it ready for reopening will make you laugh, cry and smile.
Where to watch: Disney+
12. National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Who hasn't seen this classic? It follows the Griswolds — Clark (Chevy Chase) and Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo) and their two kids — on a cross-country journey to the much-anticipated Wally World theme park. What's supposed to be a fun family trip turns out to be anything but.
Where to watch: Max
13. What a Girl Wants (2003)
2003 Warner Bros
When an American teen (Amanda Bynes) learns that her mysterious biological is a wealthy British politician (Colin Firth), she travels to London to meet him. But when she arrives, she finds out that he's in the midst of running for office, and her mere existence could ruin his chances of winning.
Where to watch: Rent on Prime Video
14. Mr. Mom (1983)
20th Century Fox
This classic comedy stars Michael Keaton as a Detroit engineer who is laid off from work and unexpectedly finds himself in the role of stay-at-home dad. His attempts to master the household duties and take care of the kids while his wife (Teri Garr) goes back to work show just how tough the job really is.
Where to watch: Max, Spectrum
15. Daddy Day Care (2003)
Bruce McBroom/2003 Columbia Pictures
Keeping on that unemployed-dad trope, this family comedy follows two fathers (Eddie Murphy and Jeff Garlin) who lose their jobs on the same day. Unable to find work, they decide to take the next natural step: opening a daycare center.
Where to watch: Spectrum, rent on Prime Video
16. Big Fish (2003)
2003 Columbia Pictures
This fantasy-drama stars Albert Finney and Ewan McGregor as a father and son who finally get the chance to connect when the elder Ed Bloom (Finney) is on his deathbed. Young Ed (McGregor) tries to sort fact from fiction from his dad's tall tales and, through them, discovers the truth about his father and himself.
Where to watch: Rent on Prime Video, Apple TV
17. Mamma Mia! (2008)
2008 - Universal Pictures
Nothing says Father's Day quite like a musical dedicated to uncovering the identity of your father. That's what happens when a young bride-to-be (Amanda Seyfried) invites her three possible dads to her wedding — without her mother's (Meryl Streep) knowledge.
Where to watch: Prime Video
18. Finding Nemo (2003)
Disney/Pixar
This Pixar classic follows Marlin (Albert Brooks), a single father clownfish trying to find his son Nemo (Alexander Gould), who was taken by a diver. With the help of an adventurous but forgetful fish, Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), Marlin embarks on a treacherous journey across the ocean to find his lost son.
Where to watch: Disney+
19. Taken (2008)
IMDB/M6 Films
Everyone's favorite action movie dad, Liam Neeson stars as a retired CIA agent who goes on a rampage to save his daughter (Maggie Grace) from a group of human traffickers. He has to rely on his old skills to track down her kidnappers and rescue his daughter before it's too late.
Where to watch: Starz, Spectrum, SlingTV
20. The Game Plan (2007)
Disney
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson stars as Joe, a superstar quarterback living the bachelor life until he learns that he has an 8-year-old daughter (Madison Pettis) he didn't know about. Joe's attempts to learn the ropes of parenting while juggling football stardom make for a hilarious and heartwarming story.
Where to watch: Disney+
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Whether it's a heart-tugging drama or a laugh-out-loud comedy, there is no shortage of great Father's Day films out there. So grab your pops and some popcorn, and celebrate the day with one of these classic movies.
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