Since my dad isn't much of a festive fellow, I've decided to whip up a short list of films about fathers, both good and bad in honor of Father's Day. Just in case your dad isn't into celebrating and going out for dinner, you can have a list of films to stay in and watch.
Eraserhead (Dir: David Lynch)
From the mind of my filmmaker father David Lynch, his first feature length film is set in a industrial glum city in which our main character Henry Spencer learns he is a father, and undergoes deep hallucinations which play around Spencer's head while caring for a mostly deformed child. Now, majority of the time we don't know what David Lynch's films are about. It's said that this film was based around Lynch's thoughts on fatherhood. The fear of parenting, which brings great dread to me on just the thought alone. But, Lynch is also known to make his films open to interpretations depending on the viewer, so you can never really pin point what is really going on. All I can say is that some of us just might be Henry Spencer, even for a tad bit.
The Royal Tenenbaums (Dir: Wes Anderson)
Anything Wes Anderson does has always been praised by me. From his aesthetic, to his stories, everything in a Wes Anderson film is so well coerced. The Royal Tenenbaums is probably the most recognizable film in Wes Anderson's career. It has a great cast, amazing costume design (those red Adidas tracksuits!) and a fun story. I won't spill too much, but I must say that some fathers can really relate to Royal Tenenbaum. My dad is a fan of this one, and that is why it's on this list today.
The Godfather Part II (Dir: Francis Ford Coppola)
The reason I wanted to put Part 2 instead of 1 (aside from the fact that every film fanatic has had to watch The Godfather at least once in their life by now) is because we get to see the kind of father Vito Corleone was at an earlier stage. We also see a slight comparison between Vito and Michael throughout the film, in terms of how they handle their "business" and relationships with the family. Me and my dad actually binged the trilogy in one day. 5/5 would recommend you do that too!
The Birdcage (Dir: Mike Nichols)
Adapted from the original screenplay "La Cage Aux Folles" which was also originally the French film from 1978, The Birdcage is about a boy named Val who wants to marry his sweetheart Barbara, which comes from a very conservative family. Now why would that been an issue, only that Val's father Armand (played by our beloved and late actor Robin Williams) is actually a gay man that owns a gay club called "The Birdcage". Before Val and Barbara marry, Barbara's parents must meet Val's parents which turns into a big issue for Val since his father is in a relationship with a flamboyant man named Albert. This movie is great to watch because it shows you how much a father is willing to do for his son in order for him to be happy. In a era in which we keep pushing civil rights, an LGBT film should be no issue for a Father's Day watch list.
Big Fish (Dir: Tim Burton)
Big Fish is one of my favorite films from Tim Burton because it's not so dark and goth like all the others, but has very emotive topics and his weirdness is still present. I can watch this movie so many times and not get tired of it. It can teach you many life lessons, most importantly the relationship between father and son. This one is a real tearjerker, and a highly recommended one too. Your father's stories may not always seem true, but it's the moments you share together while these stories are told that should be always cherished.
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