Father’s Day is upon us, which means it’s time to show love to and spend time with all the dads and father figures in our lives. And what better way to get in some quality time than by kicking back and watching some films centered on padres.
They’re not only our protectors, they’re our providers, and oftentimes our punishers, but no matter what, they’re always our pops. And we love them for it, and so does the film industry, as its done an excellent job portraying all their quirky behavior, dad joke-filled humor and the love they share for their families.
It’s not easy being a dad, but here’s some actors he did a damn good job portraying the role. Here’s our list of cinema’s 10 most iconic dads.
Idris Elba as Monty in “Daddy’s Little Girls” (2007)
Tyler Perry’s “Daddy’s Little Girls” centers in on a mechanic named Monty (Idris Elba) who has dreams to own his shop but is currently struggling to make ends meet while parenting his three daughters. When his drug-dealing ex-wife wins full custody of his girls, he brings on prestigious attorney Julia (Gabrielle Union) to get them back. While working on Monty’s case, the two unexpectedly find love in one another, but are challenged with finding common ground with their very different lives. The film was written, directed and produced by Perry and made its theatrical debut on Feb. 14, 2007.
Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills in “Taken” (2009)
“I will look for you, I will find and I will kill you,” are the words uttered by retired CIA agent Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) to his daughter’s kidnapper on the phone. In the film, which came out Jan. 30, 2009, Mills searches a brothel in Europe in search of his daughter, using his old skills and engaging in gunfights and high-speed chases along the way. The action-thriller hit theaters was directed by Pierre Morel, and was written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen.
Adam Sandler as Sonny Koufax in “Big Daddy” (1999)
Adam Sandler is Sonny Koufax in his 1999 film “Big Daddy.” The comedy is about a 32-year-old lazy lawyer who adopts a 5-year-old Julian (Cole and Dylan Sprouse) to prove to his girlfriend that he knows how to be responsible in hopes that she drops her new older boyfriend and returns to him. But when he sees she’s not impressed by his actions, he tries to place the child back into foster care only to be told he can’t. Over time, Sonny and Julian develop a bond. When a new home for becomes available for Julian, Sonny prepares to defend himself in court to why he should be Julian’s full-time guardian. The cast includes Sandler, the Sprouses, Leslie Mann, Rob Schneider, Allen Covert, Joey Lauren Adams, Steve Buscemi, Jon Stewart and more. “Big Daddy” was written by Sandler, Dennis Dugan, Steve Franks and Tim Herlihy, with Dugan also serving as director. The film was released on June 17, 1999.
Arnold Schwarzenegger as Harold Langston in “Jingle All the Way” (1996)
In the Christmas family classic “Jingle All the Way,” Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Howard Langston, a workaholic father who never seems to be able to find enough time to spend with his son and wife. But, to make it up, he ventures out to find the most popular toy of the season for his son. However, it’s the day before Christmas and the toy is pretty much sold out. So Howard embarks on an adventure to procure the season’s hottest toy. The film was written by Randy Kornfield, directed by Brian Levant and premiered on Nov. 16, 1996.
“Tortilla Soup” (2001)
“Tortilla Soup” follows the journey of three daughters who are trying to live and cater to their father Martin (Héctor Elizondo), who is a longtime chef, as he grapples with losing his sense of taste. When he invites his daughters over for a mandatory Sunday dinner, the women get into fallout with their dad’s new romantic interest Hortensia (Raquel Welch). The film premiered on Aug. 24, 2001, and was directed by Marial Ripoll, with the screenplay penned by Vera Blasi, Ramón Menédez, Tom Musca and Wang Hui-ling.
Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold in the “National Lampoon’s Vacation” franchise (1983)
Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) just wants to take his family to an amusement park in Los Angeles, but he can’t seem to avoid hilarious roadblocks along the way. From Clark getting googly-eyed over a woman driving a sports car to his own car troubles, the misadventures are non-stop. The film spawned two sequels, “National Lampoon’s European Vacation” and “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” John Hughes wrote the screenplay and Harold Ramis directed the film. The movie premiered on July 29, 1983.
David Prowse as the original Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” franchise (1977)
In the “Star Wars” saga set in a “galaxy far, far away,” farm boy Luke Skywalker becomes one of the greatest Jedis as the galaxy is engulfed in war. Luke discovers antagonist Darth Vader is his father in a plot twist that is revealed in “The Empire Strikes Back.” The “Star Wars” saga spanned 11 films, beginning with “Star Wars: A New Hope,” which premiered on May 25, 1977.
Robert De Niro as Jack Byrnes in “Meet the Parents” (2000)
One of the most anxiety-inducing moments in life can be meeting the parents of your significant other, and once you break their “circle of trust,” there may be no turning back. For Greg Focker (Ben Stiller), getting to know his girlfriend’s parents turned into a nightmare of hilarious mishaps and facing the wrath of his prospective father-in-law, Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro). Trying to win Jack over in hopes of obtaining his praises in order to propose to his daughter ends up being the biggest challenge. The film premiered on Oct. 6, 2000 and was directed by Jay Roach. Together, Roach, Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg wrote the film’s screenplay. The movie was such a box-office office ($330.4 million) that it was given the sequel “Meet the Fockers.”
Denzel Washington as John Quincy Archibald in “John Q” (2002)
John Quincy Archibald goes to extreme lengths to provide his 9-year-old son with a life-saving transplant after learning government financial assistance isn’t available and his medical insurance won’t cover the cost. He takes over a hospital emergency room out of desperation in this taut thriller. The film was written by Nick Cassavetes and James Kearns and directed by was directed by Cassavetes. The movie came out on Feb. 15, 2002.
John Cho as Max Park in “Don’t Make Me Go”
John Cho stars as Max Park, a terminally ill man named Max Park who goes on a roadtrip with his daughter from California to New Orleans for his 20-year college reunion. While there, he hopes to reconnect with his former partner who left their family years ago. “Don’t Make Me Go” came out on July 15, 2022. It was directed by Hannah Marks and was written by Vera Herbert.
