DADDYTON Fathers Day is upon us and it gets us thinking about our old man and why we love to celebrate this holiday with him.
Dads are far from perfect, but quite often they are the perfect dad for us. Sure, my pops had a temper, but in his defense he had a perfectly valid reason to have one considering the boneheaded things my brothers and I did.
I digress.
My point is that our dads may have their flaws, but theyre still our dads, and almost all of us have had at least a moment or two where our dad was pretty much perfect. Maybe it was some advice he gave us, maybe it was him refraining from giving advice and just listening. Dads can be a bit gruff sometimes, but theyre still dad and we love them.
In honor of Fathers Day and imperfect dads everywhere, here are some great dad moments from film.
"Meet Joe Black"
It's simple, but its true. Death takes a break and wants his next victim, Anthony Hopkins, to show him what it means to be alive.
In the film, Hopkins has a daughter, and a moment towards the end of the film Hopkins says goodbye to his daughter, and it is one of the most touching and sincere father-daughter movie moments Ive seen.
Ive never been that articulate in my life. I could really use some good screenwriters at pivotal moments in my life.
"Little Miss Sunshine"
If you have never seen Little Miss Sunshine, its a little hard to describe. If we strip it down to its most basic components, its really the story of a family that didnt realize they still loved and needed each other.
As we jump to the end of the film, little Olive Hopper is dancing on stage at the beauty pageant, and lets just say her routine isnt totally kosher.
The pageant director demands Olive be removed from the stage and tells her father, Richard, to stop her dancing. Richard struggles about what to do for a moment and then decides that his daughter is more important than his pride and busts a move right alongside Olive.
To really feel the heart and emotion of the scene, you need to take the entre road trip with the Hooper family, but it is a touching and funny moment that will resonate with dads and kids everywhere.
"October Sky"
On the surface, October Sky is a movie about an unlikely group of friends who make history through rocket science. If you dig a little deeper, however, its the story of a boy and his father.
Some people like to give October Sky a hard time, but I believe its one of the greatest father-son movies of all time. The relationship of Homer Hickam and his father John resonates with so many of us as we strive to make our dads proud. Sure, most of us dont have to fight as hard for the approval as Homer did, but we can all relate on some level.
In the final scene, Homers father doesnt say a word, but it was one of the most powerful father moments ever dedicated to film. To this day, I have a hard time watching just the clip without getting a lump in my throat. Something about a child making a father proud is powerful, and this scene captures that emotion beautifully.
"Field of Dreams"
Remember when I mentioned that I get a lump in my throat every time I watch that scene from October Sky? Well, same goes for the catch scene in one of the greatest baseball movies of all time, Field of Dreams.
Lets not get into the whole plot of Field of Dreams, just know that its a phenomenal film. Instead well just set up the scene.
Ray Kinsella builds a baseball field in his corn field and soon baseball players from an era far gone start showing up to play. At one point Rays father, John, shows up to play and the two bond over a simple game of catch.
The culmination of the film and the poignancy of the scene makes the moment Ray asks, Hey dad. You want a catch? one of the most powerful father-son moments in cinematic history.
"Father of the Bride"
I think we all knew this movie would be on the list.
Father of the Bride with Steve Martin has become a bit of a modern classic, and it seems to perfectly encapsulate the feelings of every father who has a daughter. As the dad of a little girl, Ive already decided that her future husband isnt good enough for her, and my daughter is only 4.
While Martins character struggles with letting his baby girl go, he has a moment in their driveway playing basketball with his daughter. Its a sweet moment that reminds us that no matter how old they get, our daughters will always be our little buddies, our tiny princesses.
Dads are far from perfect, but quite often they are the perfect dad for us. Sure, my pops had a temper, but in his defense he had a perfectly valid reason to have one considering the boneheaded things my brothers and I did.
I digress.
My point is that our dads may have their flaws, but theyre still our dads, and almost all of us have had at least a moment or two where our dad was pretty much perfect. Maybe it was some advice he gave us, maybe it was him refraining from giving advice and just listening. Dads can be a bit gruff sometimes, but theyre still dad and we love them.
In honor of Fathers Day and imperfect dads everywhere, here are some great dad moments from film.
"Meet Joe Black"
It's simple, but its true. Death takes a break and wants his next victim, Anthony Hopkins, to show him what it means to be alive.
In the film, Hopkins has a daughter, and a moment towards the end of the film Hopkins says goodbye to his daughter, and it is one of the most touching and sincere father-daughter movie moments Ive seen.
Ive never been that articulate in my life. I could really use some good screenwriters at pivotal moments in my life.
"Little Miss Sunshine"
If you have never seen Little Miss Sunshine, its a little hard to describe. If we strip it down to its most basic components, its really the story of a family that didnt realize they still loved and needed each other.
As we jump to the end of the film, little Olive Hopper is dancing on stage at the beauty pageant, and lets just say her routine isnt totally kosher.
The pageant director demands Olive be removed from the stage and tells her father, Richard, to stop her dancing. Richard struggles about what to do for a moment and then decides that his daughter is more important than his pride and busts a move right alongside Olive.
To really feel the heart and emotion of the scene, you need to take the entre road trip with the Hooper family, but it is a touching and funny moment that will resonate with dads and kids everywhere.
"October Sky"
On the surface, October Sky is a movie about an unlikely group of friends who make history through rocket science. If you dig a little deeper, however, its the story of a boy and his father.
Some people like to give October Sky a hard time, but I believe its one of the greatest father-son movies of all time. The relationship of Homer Hickam and his father John resonates with so many of us as we strive to make our dads proud. Sure, most of us dont have to fight as hard for the approval as Homer did, but we can all relate on some level.
In the final scene, Homers father doesnt say a word, but it was one of the most powerful father moments ever dedicated to film. To this day, I have a hard time watching just the clip without getting a lump in my throat. Something about a child making a father proud is powerful, and this scene captures that emotion beautifully.
"Field of Dreams"
Remember when I mentioned that I get a lump in my throat every time I watch that scene from October Sky? Well, same goes for the catch scene in one of the greatest baseball movies of all time, Field of Dreams.
Lets not get into the whole plot of Field of Dreams, just know that its a phenomenal film. Instead well just set up the scene.
Ray Kinsella builds a baseball field in his corn field and soon baseball players from an era far gone start showing up to play. At one point Rays father, John, shows up to play and the two bond over a simple game of catch.
The culmination of the film and the poignancy of the scene makes the moment Ray asks, Hey dad. You want a catch? one of the most powerful father-son moments in cinematic history.
"Father of the Bride"
I think we all knew this movie would be on the list.
Father of the Bride with Steve Martin has become a bit of a modern classic, and it seems to perfectly encapsulate the feelings of every father who has a daughter. As the dad of a little girl, Ive already decided that her future husband isnt good enough for her, and my daughter is only 4.
While Martins character struggles with letting his baby girl go, he has a moment in their driveway playing basketball with his daughter. Its a sweet moment that reminds us that no matter how old they get, our daughters will always be our little buddies, our tiny princesses.
