How to Stream the Best Movies and Shows About Dads for Father’s Day
Being a dad ain’t easy. Having a dad ain’t easy. So when Father’s Day rolls around, it can be hard to find just the right movie or show to mark the occasion. For every great fictional dad, there’s one who saddled his kid with crazy emotional baggage. But don’t worry – we’re here to steer you to all the best dad-related entertainment, no matter how you feel about your old man.
Heroic Dads
Let’s watch action heroes who rescue their kids or dads who take a principled stand. These are the dudes we all look up to.
Chris Gardner – The Pursuit of Happyness
Based on a true story, Will Smith plays Chris Gardner, a dad who winds up homeless as he desperately tries to provide for his family. There’s a heartbreaking scene where he barricades himself and his son in a public restroom as it’s the only place they can sleep for the night.
Don’t worry, friends. There is a happy ending. But poor Chris had to walk through hell to get there. Major dad points. All the dad points.
Where to stream: Rent on Prime Video
Lee Abbott – A Quiet Place
John Krasinski stars opposite his real-life wife Emily Blunt as two parents just trying to keep their kids from being eaten by giant monsters that devour anything that makes noise. Easy, right?
The performances are good across the board in this spooky sci-fi horror movie and Blunt steals the show as a hard-as-nails mom. But in the end, it’s Krasinski’s character who pulls the ultimate dad move to keep his kids safe.
Where to stream: Paramount+ (7 day free trial)
Atticus Finch – To Kill a Mockingbird
Atticus Finch doesn’t have an easy job. He’s a lawyer in a racist town trying to raise his two kids solo after his wife died. Oh, and he’s defending a Black man accused of raping a white girl.
This classic movie features an utterly decent man persevering against long odds. He may not always succeed, but being a dad means getting up every day and trying to make the world better for your kids.
In 2003, Atticus was voted the greatest hero in movie history by the American Film Institute.
Where to stream: Hoopla
Charles Ingalls – The Little House on the Prairie
You think being a dad in 2025 is hard? Imagine what Charles Ingalls had to go through. Three daughters on the prairie, building a house with your bare hands, nasty Nellie Oleson bullying your kid all the time…
For 200 episodes, Michael Landon’s character dished out tough love and strong values. If you need a dad to have your back, Charles Ingalls is your man.
Cautious optimism: Netflix is working on a reboot.
Where to stream: Prime Video and Peacock
Joel Miller – The Last of Us
There’s a zombie apocalypse and you’re a teenage girl. Who do you want protecting you? Joel Miller.
This beat-up dad (Pedro Pascal) is in a state of permanent mourning over his daughter, so the introduction of independent Ellie rekindles his paternal instincts. He needs to escort her across the country in the hopes of finding a cure to the zombie fungus that’s swallowing the world whole. In the first season finale, Joel pulls off a ferocious rescue mission that had my jaw on the floor, and the fallout from that reverberates for the rest of the series.
The second season was straight garbage, but Joel is an alpha dad in season one. Give it a spin.
Where to stream: Max
Sheriff Andy Taylor – The Andy Griffith Show
The town of Mayberry is full of weirdos and the one man holding everything together is Sheriff Andy Taylor. As a single dad, he helps Opie navigate fishin’ holes and childhood pitfalls. With his gentle charm and folksy wisdom, he steers all the local lunatics toward better life choices. Unlike nearly all the current you’ll see on TV today, “The Andy Griffith Show” offers an optimistic view of human nature.
Where to stream: Paramount+ (7 day free trial) and Pluto TV
Dan Evans – 3:10 to Yuma
The father-son relationship can be fragile and fraught. One of the best examples of this is the 2007 remake of “3:10 to Yuma.” Dan Evans (Christian Bale) is a one-legged Civil War veteran deep in debt. His only hope of saving his family farm is to take a job escorting a captured murderer (Russell Crowe) to a train. But Evans’ teenage son finds himself admiring the flashy criminal more than his upstanding dad.
Now, Evans has to keep an eye on a man who wants to kill him and who may corrupt his son along the journey. Sons may always be enticed by a life that seems too good to be true, but a real man stands up and shows strength of will. I love this movie.
Where to stream: Paramount+ with SHOWTIME (7 day free trial)
Uncle Phil – The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Philip Banks is a respected attorney with a Bel-Air mansion and a butler. All of a sudden, his goofball nephew Will shows up from Philadelphia. It’s a classic fish-out-of-water story. But while Will brings the comedy, his Uncle Phil brings the heart. He was stern and no-nonsense, but he loved his family ferociously. And when Will is rejected by his estranged biological father, Uncle Phil is there to absorb one of the most moving outpourings of grief ever seen on TV (see below).
Where to stream: Hulu (30-day free trial)
Seok-woo – Train to Busan
Gong Yoo from “Squid Game” stars as Seok-woo, a workaholic, divorced dad who grants his daughter’s birthday wish with a train ride.
But hold on! The train is overrun by hyped-up zombies! Now Seok-woo has to man up to protect his little girl on the giant zombie death train!
This movie is awesome. It’s action-packed and funny and not all that scary for a zombie movie.
Bonus fatherly shout-out to Ma Dong-seok as Yoon Sang-hwa, an expectant dad who battles zombies more ferociously than any other dad in zombie movie history. You were a real one, Sang-hwa.
Where to stream: Netflix, Hoopla, Kanopy
Frankie Dunn – Million Dollar Baby
Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) is a grizzled boxing trainer who’s made a mess of his own family. But a second chance arrives in the form of Maggie Fitzgerald, a young woman willing to go through hell to find glory in the ring. Frankie doesn’t make it easy on Maggie, but she’s up to the challenge.
The movie takes one of the wildest left-turns you’ll see in a Hollywood film, but Frankie proves he’s up to the toughest challenge a person can face. Turns out, love can melt a heart of stone.
Where to stream: Rent on Prime Video
Keith Mars – Veronica Mars
On paper, this show should not work – a dramedy about a teenage private detective? It sounds terrible.
But from the first episode, “Veronice Mars” proves it’s a million times better than the premise would suggest. One of the best parts of the show is the father-daughter relationship. Most parent-teen relationships are awful on TV. But Keith somehow straddles the line between being a guiding force and a soon-to-be-peer of this almost-adult.
This show is a gem. Jump in and you won’t be sorry you did.
Where to stream: Hulu (30-day free trial)
Problematic Dads
Not every dad is a winner. If you ever vowed to do better than your father, you may relate to the people in these movies.
Darth Vader – Return of the Jedi
Of all the movie dads, he might be the most famous. A once-heroic Jedi Knight, Anakin Skywalker fell to the Dark Side of the Force and became the villainous Darth Vader. After years of spreading terror throughout a galaxy far, far away, he reunites with his long-lost son Luke, chops off his hand, and tries to drag him to the side of evil.
So why choose “Return of the Jedi” over the other Star Wars films? When it comes to dad dynamics, this one hits hard. Luke has every reason to hate his father. He nearly succumbs to the temptation to kill him. But Luke managed to do what his father could not; by surrendering himself to torture, Luke unlocked the long-dormant hero inside that fearsome black suit. I still tear up when they share their final moment and when Luke sets a torch to the armor that terrified so many for so long.
Where to stream: Disney+
Daniel Plainview – There Will Be Blood
Daniel Day-Lewis gives one of the most breathtaking movie performances ever captured in this Paul Thomas Anderson masterpiece. Daniel Plainview is a monster whose only love is oil. When one of his workers is killed, Plainview adopts his infant son, primarily to use as a helpful prop when swindling land owners out of their oil rights.
Daniel does care for the boy, but things unravel quickly after an accident at an oil rig leaves the boy deaf. Daniel’s cold-blooded pursuit of money leaves a trail of destruction, cementing him as a remarkably awful dad. But hey, it’s fun to watch!
Where to stream: Paramount+ (7 day free trial), Hoopla, Kanopy
Ned Stark – Game of Thrones
HBO’s “Game of Thrones” is packed with dysfunctional dads, and Ned Stark sets the trend. An honorable man with crippling honesty, Ned doesn’t fare well when forced to contend with backstabbing politicians. And that’s just the start. The whole lousy kingdom is riddled with awful, sadistic, stupid, greedy, and murderous dads. Ned may be the best dad in the whole show because he actually loves his kids. But his decisions make life awfully tough for them.
This show is great until it falls apart at the end. But you’ll enjoy the first few seasons!
Where to stream: Max
Earl Partridge – Magnolia
Paul Thomas Anderson loves writing about awful dads and the sprawling “Magnolia” has several. The key figure is Earl Partridge (Jason Robards), whose bad parenting resulted in his son becoming the hideous womanizer Frank “TJ” Mackey (Tom Cruise). Let’s not forget quiz show host Jimmy Gator (Philip Baker Hall), whose awful decisions fell like a ton of bricks on his daughter Claudia. And then there’s Rick Spector, a real jerk of a dad riding his young son Stanley to quiz show glory.
Lots of people hate “Magnolia.” I love it. It’s about how trauma ripples and reflects throughout generations and how freak coincidences (dare we say “miracles”?) have a way of putting everything in their perfect place. We may be through with the past, but the past ain’t through with us. Amen.
Where to stream: Rent on Prime Video
Royal Tenenbaum – The Royal Tenenbaums
The late, great Gene Hackman gives a stellar performance as the selfish patriarch of a family of geniuses. It’s hard to think of one good thing he does the entire movie, but that makes him entertaining as hell to watch.
Wes Anderson’s all-star cast includes Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bill Murray, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, and Danny Glover. All of their characters have unresolved issues with Royal, but sometimes dads are just boys who never grew up.
Where to stream: Hulu (30-day free trial)
Marlin – Finding Nemo
Yes. I’m saying it. Marlin is a problematic dad. Sure, he’s traumatized by the loss of his wife, but you gotta deal with that baggage, sir!
When little Nemo goes missing, Marlin has to scour the ocean to find him, and all the neuroses come spilling out.
But you know what? Even damaged dad-fish are willing to go to amazing lengths for their kids. In the end, Marlin picks up a few lessons that may help Nemo from following in his, er, fishsteps.
Where to stream: Disney+
Tony Soprano – The Sopranos
Tony Soprano is not a good dad. He loves his kids, but they’re not really a priority for him. Whenever he interacts with them, it usually ends with screaming. Of course, we know Tony’s mom, so we understand the parent-child experience has never been modeled well for him.
This show is remarkably smart and fun. James Gandolfini is marvelous to watch. The characters leap off the screen. When you start digging into this genius show, you’ll be able to pat yourself on the back. You may not be a perfect parent, but I can guarantee you’re doing a better job than Tony.
Where to stream: Max
Estranged Dads
Maybe your dad is a workaholic. Maybe he’s emotionally stunted. Maybe he’s just… gone. Sometimes the absence of a father is more impactful than having him around. So what are the best dad stories about a strained relationshp?
Henry Jones Sr. – Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones is a globetrotting adventuring archeologist. But when he goes on a quest to find his missing father, we discover more about him than we could have ever imagined.
When the characters reunite, we see old wounds surface and old joys renewed. With fantastic action sequences, cracking dialogue, and even an encounter with Hitler(!), the Jones boys grow closer than they ever have been before. And in the end, Indy’s quest leads him to a treasure even greater than the literal Holy Grail at his fingertips.
When I watched this movie as a kid, I related to Indiana Jones. As a dad, I relate to his dad. What a great film.
Where to stream: Paramount+ (7 day free trial) or Disney+
John Kinsella – Field of Dreams
When Ray Kinsella was 14, he stopped playing catch with his dad – a man whose hero was Shoeless Joe Jackson, a player responsible for the infamous 1919 Black Sox scandal. Ray never buried the hatchet, even after burying his dad. But a mysterious voice in an Iowa cornfield convinces Ray to build a baseball diamond on his farm. And a bit of magic means Ray has a chance to “have a catch” with his dad one more time.
Fun fact: you can actually visit the movie location in Iowa and have a catch for free. Bring your dad or your son (or both) if you don’t mind weeping like a baby.
Where to stream: Netflix
Ray Ferrier – War of the Worlds
The aliens are here to take over the world! Who’s gonna save us? Tom Cruise, of course.
Cruise plays a divorced dad who has isn’t a great parent. But when hell breaks loose with an alien invasion, Ray Ferrier steps up to defend his kids. He manages to do it all while Dakota Fanning screams in his ear the whole movie. Also, his teenage son has a death wish while he tries to single-handedly fight the alien army. I will say Cruise generally has awful chemistry with kids, but he gets points for fighting an unstoppable alien army on their behalf.
Where to stream: Paramount+ (7 day free trial) and Hoopla
Ed Bloom – Big Fish
This may be the most un-Tim-Burton-y movie in Tim Burton’s career. Billy Crudup plays Will Bloom, a man visiting his very ill father, Ed (Albert Finney). Will resents his dad for telling so many tall tales over the course of his life, seemingly refusing to address reality. We see some of Ed’s outrageous stories through flashbacks (Ewan McGregor plays the young Ed).
And in Ed’s final moments, Will finds a moment of beautiful connection. Of all the tearjerker movies that caught me blindsided, this one is near the top.
Where to stream: Hulu (30-day free trial)
Silly Dads
Some dads love a good dad joke. Some dads are the joke. But these lovable lugs usually have their hearts in the right place. Here are some all-time great goofy dads.
Clark Griswold – Christmas Vacation
All the “Vacation” movies give you a big dose of Griswold family laughs, but “Christmas Vacation” lands the dad vibe better than the others. Clark is trying to keep his cool as his insane extended family comes over for a disastrous dinner, his darn Christmas lights won’t turn on, and boss refuses to hand over his Christmas bonus.
You may identify with Clark, but other people in your family might think you’re more of a Cousin Eddie. All hail family trees with twisted branches.
Where to stream: Rent on Prime Video
Homer Simpson – The Simpsons
For 790(!) episodes, poor Homer Simpson has endured nearly everything a family man can. This show is a national treasure (at least in seasons 2-9) and has contributed to our vocabularies and cultural references for more than 35 years.
Good Homer “dad” episodes include “And Maggie Makes Three” (S6 E13), “Lisa the Beauty Queen” (S4 E4), and “Last Exit to Springfield” (S4 E17).
Where to stream: Disney+ or Hulu (30-day free trial)
Bandit Heeler – Bluey
“Bluey” is one of those rare shows loved by kids and grown-ups alike. It’s sweet and funny and wickedly shrewd in its observations about family life. When you’re watching Bandit playing with and communicating with his kids, it feels like a masterclass in parenting. Sure, you can watch it with children, but no one will look down on it if you binge “Bluey” as an adult.
Where to stream: Disney+
Tim Taylor – Home Improvement
Tim Taylor (Tim Allen) is a buffoon. In his infinite quest for “more power,” he ends up overdoing every home improvement project he attempts. But despite his shortcomings, Tim is always trying to be a good dad. There’s usually a moral at the end of every episode. Sure, it’s corny, but it’s a solid representation of every dad who finds machines easier to deal with than kids.
Where to stream: Netflix, Disney+, or Hulu (30-day free trial)
Dan Conner – Roseanne
Dan Conner (John Goodman) is a teddy bear who doesn’t mind breaking out his claws when necessary. He’s a blue collar guy struggling to make ends meet. And his wife, well, she’s a handful by herself. Unlike some more sanitized sitcoms, “Roseanne” tackles some tough subjects. And Dan is always there with plenty of heart.
Where to stream: Peacock
Mitch Robbins – City Slickers
Is there a better midlife crisis movie than “City Slickers”? Mitch Robbins has two kids, but he’s fallen into a rut. Determined to find his purpose in life, Mitch and his pals go on a trip to a dude ranch. Over the course of the film, Mitch discovers that what really matters is “one thing.” When he returns home, he’s found his mojo and he’s ready to be a better dad.
This movie is funny and relatable for anyone who feels like they’re running in place.
Where to stream: Buy on Prime Video
