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The Top 10 Movie Dads of All Time

With Father's Day upon us, we've gone and archived the Top 10 Film Fathers of All Time. There are dozens of TV sitcom dads to choose from (I don't know if I could even pick my favorite of the 4 Modern Family dads tbh) but this list is strictly MOVIE DADS ONLY. And no Darth Vader doesn't count, he went on a tyrannical galactic reign before he decided to keep the Emperor from murdering his own son.

#10. John Ritter as Ben

Problem Child

While Problem Child is definitely the most dated movie on our list (although it hardly deserves its' 0% rating from Rotten Tomatoes), as someone who grew up with this mean spirited family comedy, it's hard for me to mention big screen dads and not think of the late great John Ritter. His performance here is absolutely spectacular and his undying compassion for his newly adopted (somewhat demonic) son is really endearing. And once his own ego maniacal father and grumpy bitch of a wife are out of the way, you could see Junior and Ben making a pretty solid father-son team. That is until Problem Child 2 - come on Ben, lay down the fucking law, your kid's a nightmare.


#9. Robin Williams as Daniel Hillard / Mrs. Doubtfire

Mrs. Doubtfire

At face value, a newly separated dad impersonating a British nanny in drag to secretly spend time with his children sounds like the basis of a creepy made for Lifetime horror movie. But Robin Williams at the peak of his comedic powers makes Mrs. Doubtfire a pretty charming and heartfelt family comedy (despite a good chunk of the film trafficking in a lot of cringey cross-dressing jokes). But beyond the shock value, Robin Williams brings a lot of heart to the film with his dire need to be with his children, no matter what cost.


#8. Will Smith as Chris Gardner

The Pursuit of Happyness

Even though at the core of the film there's an unsettling obsession with wealth solving all of your problems, Chris Gardner's heart is in the right place. He gives everything of himself to provide for a better life for his son, even if it means spending the night together barricaded in a subway restroom. The chemistry between real life father-son tandem Will and Jaden Smith provides plenty of heartfelt moments due to their charismatic performances (maybe Will Smith's career best?) elevating a far from perfect movie into a memorable underdog story.


#7. Ethan Hawke as Mason Sr.

Boyhood

Okay, so Patricia Arquette obviously has the more dynamic parental role in Richard Linklater's coming of age epic filmed over the span of 12 years but Ethan Hawke provides some incredibly valuable fatherly insight as well. He's not the rigid and stoic authoritarian you're used to seeing portrayed in movies. Nor is he the reckless absentee parent you're lead to believe he might be in the onset of Boyhood. He's a much more real and grounded character. Flawed and vulnerable, learning how to become a father just as his son is learning to grow into a young man. While Mason Jr. may be the title character of Boyhood, the journeys both of his parents embark upon in the 12 year span are just as engaging (if not more so).


#6. Crispin Glover as George McFly

Back to the Future

Either geeking out on sitcom reruns as a domesticated suburbanite or peeping through his future wife's bedroom window as an awkward teen, Crispin Glover is the definition of a dorky dad as George McFly in Back to the Future. In a brilliantly nuanced performance, we get a glimpse at the insecure roots of where Marty's tepid father was formed and how things could have changed to alter his future. It's truly a shame Crispin didn't return for the sequel (and was subsequently killed off) because his chemistry with Michael J. Fox is sorely missed in Part II.


Fun fact - for the Enchantment Under the Sea dance scenes that were re-shot for Back to the Future Part II, an actor in a Crispin Glover latex mask was used due to Glover holding out of the sequel for more money. Crispin Glover later won a lawsuit against Universal for using his likeness for the mask without compensating him.


#5. Viggo Mortenson as The Man

The Road

Cormac McCarthy's grim vision of a post apocalyptic America is one of the 2000's most underrated films and Viggo Mortensen's vigilantly protective father at the crux of the story anchors it beautifully. With such a limited cast, his relationship with The Boy (played by Kodi McPhee) fills the bleak atmosphere with a desperate sense of hope and perseverance of the human spirit. He may be a bit harsh (like some fathers tend to be) but it's always in the interest of protecting his son at all costs. Especially when it comes to those creepy fucking cannibals.

#4. Roy Scheider as Chief Brody

Jaws

When you hide the monster of your monster movie for 80% of the running time, you're gonna need some compelling characters to keep the audience engaged until the final reveal. And the aqua-phobic police chief of Amity Island really deserves more credit for doing just that. Moving his family out of the mean streets of New York and chartering into the ocean to hunt a man eating great white shark are just a few of the reasons Chief Brody makes such a remarkable dad but what it all boils down to is - the Cheif puts his family's and his community's needs before his own. He overcomes his own fear of water to ensure his kids grow up somewhere wholesome and the beaches of Amity can safely re-open. Well at least until Jaws 2...fuck the sequels kinda drag this list through the mud. Except for....


#3. Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold

National Lampoon's Vacation, European Vacation, Christmas Vacation, & Vegas Vacation, I think he might've been in the remake for a minute too?

Aside from Chevy Chase's trademark blend of deadpan stupidity and patronizing sarcasm providing for countless hilarious moments, the head of the Griswold clan's endless pursuit for making memories with his family makes him one of the most endearing father figures in film history. Whether it be sharing a beer with his son on a cross country road trip to Wally World, helping his daughter cope with heartache while sightseeing in Europe, re-igniting the passion in his marriage while in Vegas, or providing the perfect old fashioned family Christmas for the entirety of his extended family; Clark is the last true family man. When he's not flirting with hot chicks that aren't his wife.


#2. Laurence Fishburne as Furious Styles

Boyz 'N The Hood

Laurence Fishburne is a geyser of fatherly wisdom for young Cuba Gooding Jr. in John Singleton's breakout feature Boyz 'N The Hood. Furious Styles' insight on gentrification, gun violence, turf wars and work ethic almost directly saves his son Tre's life as well as imposes upon Tre a grander perspective on the world beyond the day to day struggle of life in the ghetto of South Central Los Angeles. Most importantly though, Styles' inclusion in Boyz 'N The Hood gives a much needed portrayal of the strong male role model in black communities and bucks the narrative of the absentee father as root cause for troubled youth. His sermons on gang violence and class warfare place the blame where it rightfully belongs.

#1. James Earl Jones as Mufasa

The Lion King

While James Earl Jones may be more widely known for his portrayal of a more sinister fatherly figure (no, not King Joffer in Coming to America), Mufasa stands alone as the best Disney dad PERIOD. Which is kind of a crowded field (Belle's Dad and Nemo's Dad were close runner ups) but despite falling at the hand of his envious brother Scar, Mufasa bestows a great deal of wisdom on the future king of the jungle that makes his presence felt throughout the entire film. His booming voice my strike fear into the heart of the rebellion but in The Lion King, there's a warmth and strength that Jones infuses into the character of Mufasa that brings the perfect balance of nurturing authority that a father should embody.


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