Top 10: Best Dads in Movies

Happy Father’s Day to the UK and USA readers!

In celebration of all the dads out there, here is a post about the best father characters on the big screen.

Keep an eye-out for a post about the best mums in movies too.

 

“Yeah sure you have – your old D-A-D! You know I’ll always be there to love you and support you no matter what kind of pickle you’re in… Obviously.” –Mac MacGuff
Mac is played by JK Simmons in Juno. He is the epitome of a calm and supportive dad, especially since his 16-year-old daughter just told him she’s pregnant. He goes with her to meet the adoptive parents and remains level-headed.

 

“I admire that honesty, Natalie, that’s a noble quality. Never lose that, because it often disappears with age, or entering politics.” –Daniel Hillard/Mrs. Doubtfire
Daniel Hillard/Mrs. Doubtfire is of course played by the brilliant Robin Williams in the comedy Mrs. Doubtfire. After Daniel and his wife begin the divorce proceedings, he finds that he isn’t seeing his three young children enough, so he disguises himself as an older woman named Mrs. Doubtfire who is hired to be the children’s nanny. Just goes to show how far this father will go to see his kids.
“Hey. Don’t ever let somebody tell you… You can’t do something. Not even me. All right?” –Chris Gardner
Based on a true story, Chris (Will Smith) in the movie The Pursuit of Happyness is down on his luck. He loses everything, but he works hard in order to get his life back on track for his young son. He makes sure that despite his downfall, he keeps his son happy and inspired.
“Probably just as well. He would have told it wrong anyway. All the facts and none of the flavour.” –Ed Bloom
Ed (Albert Finney) in Big Fish is the the storytelling father who is philosophical and entertaining with a fantastic sense of humour. He’s been everywhere and done everything, with everyone admiring him along the way. His son, however, doesn’t appreciate his anecdotes and goes on a journey to discover the truth behind the tales.

 

 

“I used to think a wedding was a simple affair. Boy and girl meet, they fall in love, he buys a ring, she buys a dress, they say I do. I was wrong.” –George Banks 
George (Steve Martin) is the Father of the Bride, and he shells out a lot of money to ensure his daughter has the perfect wedding. While I’ve written about the controversy of this film before (George was manipulated by his daughter in my opinion), it does show the love George has for his daughter; he’d do anything for her and doesn’t expect anything in return.

 

 

“Now Harry, you must know all about muggles. Tell me, what exactly is the function of a rubber duck?” –Arthur Weasley
Arthur Weasley is played by Mark Williams in the Harry Potter films. He and his on-screen wife Molly Weasley are often referred to as the perfect parents. They’re fierce, protective but inclusive, warm and family orientated too. Arthur is the more laid back one out of the pair, and is completely fascinated by everything muggle-related.

 

 

“I love you. I’ve always loved you.” –Lee Abbott
A recent ‘dad-goals’ father figure on the big screen is Lee (John Krasinski) in A Quiet Place. In a more basic ‘survival of the fittest’ kind of world, he sacrifices a lot to protect his children. He teaches his son to be brave by day, and works hard on a device to improve his deaf daughter’s hearing by night.

 

 

“If you let my daughter go now, that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don’t: I will look for you. I will find you. And I will kill you.” –Bryan Mills
While it is comedic that Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) has had the worst luck over the years with multiple Taken films, you can’t deny his bravery and perseverance to find his daughter.

 

 

“You’re not perfect, sport, and let me save you the suspense: this girl you’ve met, she’s not perfect either. But the question is whether or not you’re perfect for each other.” – Sean
While Robin Williams’s character Sean is Will Hunting’s psychologist rather than his dad in Good Will Hunting, you can’t deny that in the absence of Hunting’s father, Sean makes a darn father figure in his place. He listens, he’s patient and he’s loyal.

 

 

“Is everything all right? It sounds like you’re having sex in here, which I know can’t be true due to the fact that you have a homosexual boyfriend.” –Dill
Dill is the father to Emma Stone’s character who is played by the amazing Stanely Tucci in the film Easy A. It is one of my favourite films, and Tucci’s remarkably understanding and laid-back character is brilliant.

 

While my dad isn’t in the movies, he is the best dad in real life. Happy Father’s Day, Cage!