As Father’s Day approaches, I have decided to embark on the quest on honing in on 10 of the most iconic dad movies of all time. Dad movies are everywhere, but it is important to lay out some ground rules. A dad movie usually has one or some of the following characteristics:
Underdog Story
Historical Leanings
Sports
Mindless Action
Military Conflict
Napability Rating
Russell Crowe
These aspects will shape the essential dad movies moving forward, but first, we must recognize some honorable mentions. There are usually some recurring actors in these types of movies, the aforementioned Russell Crowe, along with Mel Gibson and Kurt Russell.
Honorable Mentions
A Few Good Men (1992)
A movie of towering performances from Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, as a marine has been murdered on a naval base but conspiracy lies beneath. Aaron Sorkin’s patented dialogue propels this movie forward as Tom Cruise seeks to uncover the truth.
The Saint (1997)
A goofy spy flick, based on a television series with the same name, that does not get the credit it deserves. Val Kilmer is coming off of his epic run of Tombstone, Heat, and Batman, but has just enough juice to make this movie watchable. His shape-shifting persona catches him at just the right time.
The Patriot (2000)
History. Mel Gibson, an OG Dad Movie Hall of Famer. It is hard for me to leave this one out, but it just misses the cut. The Patriot also provides an opportunity for us to see Heath Ledger just before the launching point in his career.
Hoosiers (1986)
Middle-America. Basketball. A personal favorite of mine.
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
Paul Newman, in my opinion, is the best and coolest actor of all time. This is the story of a rebel. It’s one of my favorite movies. It has a historical edge and at some points offers a high amount of napping time. However, it just misses the cut as an essential.
Ford vs Ferrari (2019)
A new entry that has room to grow in the future. It has history. It is a little too long, increasing its napability. It has sports. It even has an underdog story, but it is too early to tell just how powerful Ford vs Ferrari will be in the Dad Movie Cannon.
The 10 Essential Dad Movies
Gladiator (2000)
History. Russell Crowe. Military Conflict. Mindless Action. A pseudo-underdog story. This is one of the greatest movies ever made.
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!!!
Field of Dreams (1989)
Grown Man Tears.
Kevin Costner is phenomenal in this Oscar nominated picture that should be so much hokier than it ends up being.
Miracle (2004)
One of the greatest underdog stories of all time. It offers plenty of napping options throughout the movie in some of the dips. Kurt Russell is a sneaky good Dad Movie Hall of Famer. It also scratches the sports and history itch quite well.
Tombstone (1993)
I think every man wishes they could pull off a mustache half as well as Kurt Russell and Sam Elliot do in Tombstone. Tombstone provides a retelling of the Shootout at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. It has mindless action. It has some beloved actors, including an all time Val Kilmer performance. It’s also a Western which means there is bound to be a nap involved. I love this movie.
The Rock (1996)
Michael Bay is the king of mindless action. He had to be on the list. Also, Sean Connery, Nic Cage, and Ed Harris are strong contenders for the Dad Movie Hall of Fame.
The Hunt for Red October (1990)
Based on the popular novel from Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan series, this film tracks Jack Ryan’s (Alec Baldwin") attempt to thwart Soviet Captain Marko Ramius’s, for some reason played by the very Scottish Sean Connery, rogue intentions. Focuses on the leftover tensions of the cold war. This movie offers some historical flair, mindless action, military conflict, and a fish out of water underdog performance from Alec Baldwin as Jack Ryan.
Cinderella Man (2005)
In my opinion, Cinderella Man has the highest napability on this list. Russell Crowe is once again the lead as we travel through the life of boxer James J. Braddock.
Remember the Titans (2000)
Sports. A solid Denzel Washington performance. A mashup of history and fiction and a real heartwarming underdog story. Ryan Gosling will always be a liability at cornerback in my mind. Wood Harris desreved more roles beyond this and The Wire.
Rocky (1976)
The pinnacle of underdog stories. I don’t know if there is much left to be said on Rocky.
Master and Commander (2003)
History. An underdog ship. Strong Napability. Russell Crowe. Mindless Action. Military Conflict. You can even make a case that the boating in this movie is a sport. This movie checks all of the boxes and even offers a gruesome self-surgery scene. Arguably, it is the ultimate dad movie.