The Best Dad Movies You Should Watch At Least Once In Your Lifetime

Based on Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, "To Kill a Mockingbird" is an earnest drama told through the eyes of young Scout Finch (Mary Badham). Scout lives with her widowed father, Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck), and her older brother, Jem Finch (Phillip Alford), in a small Georgia town in 1932. The kids are still innocent and unburdened by the concerns of adults when we meet them. When their father — a principled lawyer who fights for what's right — takes a case defending a Black man against a white woman's accusation of rape, however, the kids witness the town's simmering racism for themselves.

Peck is riveting as Atticus — a role he scored a best actor Oscar for — and the courtroom scenes are among the film's most nail-biting. Yet, Atticus also comes across as the epitome of the wise, patient father, calmly listening to Scout and Jem's worries and easing their concerns. That is, until they're hurt, and the protective father in him comes out. It's a lovely, understated depiction of fatherhood that's rarely seen in movies anymore.

Many "Star Wars" fans consider "The Empire Strikes Back" to be the finest film in the franchise, at least partially because of the climactic battle between Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Darth Vader (David Prowse with the voice of James Earl Jones) that leads to the revelation that Vader is Luke's father. But it's "Return of the Jedi" in which Luke deals with the consequences of this knowledge. As a result, in addition to the Death Stars, Ewoks, and Droids that fill the movie, it also includes another showdown between Luke and his father, although this time, their familial ties take center stage.

While in the past, Luke would have fired up his lightsaber first and asked questions later if he'd come across Darth Vader, in "Return of the Jedi," he seeks him out in the hopes he can convince him to give up the Dark Side. Vader may not be willing to go that far, but when the Emperor tortures Luke, Vader ultimately steps up and saves his son, sacrificing himself in the process. Any fan can tell you there are many reasons to love "Star Wars," but it's the fall of Anakin Skywalker and his redemption through Luke that makes the story truly operatic.

Before "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," audiences had gotten to know and love Harrison Ford's iconic archeologist over two previous adventures, "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom." In neither of those films did the subject of Indy's parents come up. The character seemed fully formed just as he was, with no need to go back to his roots. Yet, when Indy's father, Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery), was introduced in "The Last Crusade," it turned out to be what made the movie stand out from its predecessors and a way to show us a very different side of the familiar character.

While Indy previously seemed to triumph in every situation through smarts and skill, he's no match for his father, who he deeply resents for being more interested in finding the Holy Grail than paying attention to him during his childhood. But, despite the obvious tension, there's also a deep love and commitment there. When Indy learns that his father has been kidnapped, he immediately springs into action to find him, and when Henry thinks Indy has died, his mournful reaction sums up the feelings he'd never admit he has for his son. Due to their fractious chemistry, it's remarkably entertaining to watch these two go on an adventure together. While they may not completely hash out their differences, they at least find some common ground in their connection as father and son.

"Father of the Bride" is a remake of the 1950 film of the same name, and the premise largely remains the same. After a young woman (Kimberly Williams) announces that she's getting married, her father must confront the pain of losing her while also dealing with the stress of organizing — and paying for — the wedding. However, this version of the story has something the earlier film didn't: Steve Martin as the title character, George.

Martin was known for being a reliable comedic lead long before "Father of the Bride," but in this film, he reins in some of his more outlandish and tart impulses to turn in a slightly melancholy yet still amusing performance. Besides, his character's difficulty letting go of his daughter doesn't completely prevent Martin from engaging in some zany antics, including a scene at a grocery store where he takes an angry, ridiculous stand over the packaging of hot dog buns. It's a funny, moving portrait of a parent's struggle to accept his daughter is no longer a child. Plus, for fans of the Hulu series "Only Murders in the Building," it's another example of a collaboration between Steve Martin and Martin Short, who turns up as a barely understandable French wedding planner.

One of the most difficult things for some adult children to do is to genuinely get to know their parents, not as authority figures but as people. In "Big Fish," Will Bloom (Billy Crudup) has just this problem, with an added layer of complexity: Throughout his life, his father, Edward (Albert Finney), has told him the same fantastical tales over and over, but while Ed insists all Will needs to know about him is embedded in his stories, Will believes they're nothing but lies. This has kept the two men at odds for most of Will's adult life. So when he learns his father is dying, Will returns to his childhood home determined to finally learn the true story of Ed's life.

While the backbone of the movie is the conversations between Will and Ed, the film is filled out by dramatizations of Ed's curious tales, which feature a younger version of himself (Ewan McGregor) as the protagonist. This makes "Big Fish" come across as something of a fairy tale, with director Tim Burton providing plenty of fantastical flourishes and enchanting visuals to maintain the mood. Ultimately, though, "Big Fish" is a moving story about coming to terms with your parents, whether they're who you want them to be or not.

The action flick "Taken" perfectly encapsulates what many parents want to do when someone hurts their child. Of course, in this case, Liam Neeson's Bryan Mills is a retired CIA agent with a "particular set of skills," so after his teenage daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) is abducted in Paris, Mills uses every one of them to get her back. "Taken" kicked off the action movie phase of Neeson's career, but this may be the best among his stunt-heavy projects.

The movie is full of rip-roaring fights and gritty stunt sequences, but it's Mills' unrelenting determination to find Kim that gives the film its emotional resonance. Although Mills drops a lot of bodies throughout "Taken," they're all terrible men doing horrible things to young girls. In a world where so many of us are powerless to stop bad things from happening to the people we love, there's a strangely cathartic thrill to seeing one father refuse to let his daughter become a statistic.

The animated "Despicable Me" takes place in a world where supervillains run rampant. An unconventional setting for a story about fatherhood if ever there was one, but by the time it ends, it evolves into a touching tale of finding family in the most unexpected places. After supervillain Gru (Steve Carell) has been shown up by Vector (Jason Segal), the new villain on the block, he decides to regain his former glory by stealing the moon. However, he has to steal his rival's shrink ray to do it, so when he notices three orphan girls being allowed into Vector's seemingly impenetrable fortress, he adopts them with the intention of using them to accomplish his goals and then returning them to the orphanage when he's done.

Gru isn't exactly prepared to be a dad, but even though he never expected it, he starts bonding with the trio of girls. And by the time he steals the moon, he cares more about ensuring their safety than he does about his villainous accomplishments. The movie's depiction of the way the three girls break down Gru's walls by just being themselves is sweet and often amusing, and with the wacky yellow minions around, it's also often laugh-out-loud funny, making "Despicable Me" a film that's likely to entertain almost anyone.

Will Smith gives a towering performance as Richard Williams in this inspiring biopic about the early years of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams. Other sports biopics might have made Venus and Serena the main characters, but in "King Richard," they're secondary to the Williams patriarch, who is depicted as exacting, overbearing, and demanding but also warm, supportive, and caring to the point where it's easy to understand why his daughters love him — even if others may not appreciate his posturing.

While the movie makes it clear that Richard has his flaws, it also does a good job explaining that Richard does what he feels he has to in order to ensure the success of his kids. Like many parents, he wants his children to have a better life than he did, and through tenacity and ingenuity, he figures out a way to make that happen, even though the odds initially seem insurmountable. Even if you know what happens in the tennis matches recounted in the film, "King Richard" still manages to draw viewers in by always coming back to the proud father waiting just off the court.