As we gear up for Father’s Day, grateful sons and daughters might be celebrating their #1 Dads on social media.
But that doesn’t mean that everyone has a peachy relationship with their fathers. Father’s Day isn’t the easiest holiday for those whose fathers may not have lived up to the standards of Bob Saget’s Danny Tanner in Full House. Luckily, there’s no shortage of complicated father-child relationships in television and films, just like in real life.
“Daddy issues” run rife in millennial culture, whether that refers to not having a father at all, living in a patriarchal household, or perhaps having a great human being as a father who happened to make a few mistakes along the way. Whatever complicated relationship you may have with your dad, however, there’s bound to be a show or movie that can make you feel less alone.
Sony
This Adam Sandler flick is much more emotional than its tagline suggests, which all comes down to his character’s relationship with his children, and most specifically, his daughter. Many women today might relate to feeling like their father prioritizes his job over his family because of the antiquated ideology that fathers are the breadwinners while mothers are the homemakers and caretakers.
When Adam’s Michael Newman gets a remote control to control his life, the auto-pilot function learns from what he tends to skip: time with family. As he fast forwards through life, his relationships with his kids, wife, and parents deteriorate to a point of no return. Click reminds us that even though our dads may love us, prioritizing can be a challenge when society expects men to put work above everything else. And it reminds everyone to cherish the moments we do have with our family members before it’s too late.
A24
In Bo Burnham’s directorial film debut, Kayla (Elsie Fisher) is a pre-teen vlogger whose obsession with social media and appearances compounds her anxiety and desire to fit in. It’s a feeling almost anyone can relate to, and despite Kayla’s unique relationship with her single father, we all likely had some awkward angsty teen moments with her dads (if they were around). In Eighth Grade, Kayla and her dad are very much a duo dealing with a tricky situation, leading to tough encounters as well as heart-melting ones.
Fox
A seemingly rogue choice, Arrested Development is an absurd sitcom that is all about familial relationships. The patriarchal George Bluth Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor), is arrested due to his corruption that led to the family’s wealth and Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman) is left to clean up the mess amidst raising his own son, George Michael (Michael Cera). No one’s dad is perfect, and some of the dads in the show are more manipulative than loving, but Arrested Development is a true testament to the kids who always yearned for a better relationship with their dad, but just couldn’t figure out how to make it happen.
Miramax
With one of the most dynamic father-daughter relationships in film, Proof is based on David Auburn’s stageplay of the same name. After Catherine’s (Gwyneth Paltrow) father dies, she is left to reckon with her complicated relationship with him. Her father, Robert (Anthony Hopkins) was a mathematical genius whose mental illness eventually got the best of him, and Catherine is worried that she’ll follow in his footsteps. The film is a perfect watch for anyone whose father battled his own demons while trying to be a loving father, even if failing to do so.
Apple TV+
The Apple TV Plus series was the talk of the town when it was first released in 2020. While it first seemed to be a light-hearted sitcom about an American coaching European football, it evolved into much more. In Season 2, Ted reckons with his more frequent panic attacks and eventually attends therapy, where he realizes that his father’s suicide had a greater affect on him than he realized. Meanwhile, Ted’s 10-year-old son, Henry, is still back in the States with Ted’s ex-wife, forcing Ted to deal with his own shortcomings as a father.
Throughout the serious, father-child relationships are a major plot point. Star footballer Jamie Tartt’s relationship with his abusive father led him to be the great footballer he is, but also caused more pain than joy. Sam Obisanya’s father visits in Season 3, when we learn that Sam’s restaurant was named as a tribute to his father, Ola. Everyone has a different relationship with their dad, and all of that is central to understanding the characters in Ted Lasso.
Buena Vista
Pixar’s Finding Nemo may seem like a silly choice, but the heart of the film is Marlin’s love for his son, Nemo. While we might all wish for a dad who would swim across the ocean to rescue us, interacting with predators like sharks and gulls, Nemo’s kidnapping (or fishnapping might be more accurate) is driven by an argument with Marlin. Marlin is overly protective of Nemo after losing his wife and all their other clownfish eggs, but Nemo is still like any growing boy, seeking agency and autonomy. Both love each other, but their relationship is far from perfect. Finding Nemo reminds us that no matter how much we might argue with our parents, many (not all) will still go to the ends of the Earth to keep us out of harm’s way.
But that doesn’t mean that everyone has a peachy relationship with their fathers. Father’s Day isn’t the easiest holiday for those whose fathers may not have lived up to the standards of Bob Saget’s Danny Tanner in Full House. Luckily, there’s no shortage of complicated father-child relationships in television and films, just like in real life.
“Daddy issues” run rife in millennial culture, whether that refers to not having a father at all, living in a patriarchal household, or perhaps having a great human being as a father who happened to make a few mistakes along the way. Whatever complicated relationship you may have with your dad, however, there’s bound to be a show or movie that can make you feel less alone.
Click (2006)
Sony
This Adam Sandler flick is much more emotional than its tagline suggests, which all comes down to his character’s relationship with his children, and most specifically, his daughter. Many women today might relate to feeling like their father prioritizes his job over his family because of the antiquated ideology that fathers are the breadwinners while mothers are the homemakers and caretakers.
When Adam’s Michael Newman gets a remote control to control his life, the auto-pilot function learns from what he tends to skip: time with family. As he fast forwards through life, his relationships with his kids, wife, and parents deteriorate to a point of no return. Click reminds us that even though our dads may love us, prioritizing can be a challenge when society expects men to put work above everything else. And it reminds everyone to cherish the moments we do have with our family members before it’s too late.
Eighth Grade (2018)
A24
In Bo Burnham’s directorial film debut, Kayla (Elsie Fisher) is a pre-teen vlogger whose obsession with social media and appearances compounds her anxiety and desire to fit in. It’s a feeling almost anyone can relate to, and despite Kayla’s unique relationship with her single father, we all likely had some awkward angsty teen moments with her dads (if they were around). In Eighth Grade, Kayla and her dad are very much a duo dealing with a tricky situation, leading to tough encounters as well as heart-melting ones.
Arrested Development (2003–2019)
Fox
A seemingly rogue choice, Arrested Development is an absurd sitcom that is all about familial relationships. The patriarchal George Bluth Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor), is arrested due to his corruption that led to the family’s wealth and Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman) is left to clean up the mess amidst raising his own son, George Michael (Michael Cera). No one’s dad is perfect, and some of the dads in the show are more manipulative than loving, but Arrested Development is a true testament to the kids who always yearned for a better relationship with their dad, but just couldn’t figure out how to make it happen.
Proof (2005)
Miramax
With one of the most dynamic father-daughter relationships in film, Proof is based on David Auburn’s stageplay of the same name. After Catherine’s (Gwyneth Paltrow) father dies, she is left to reckon with her complicated relationship with him. Her father, Robert (Anthony Hopkins) was a mathematical genius whose mental illness eventually got the best of him, and Catherine is worried that she’ll follow in his footsteps. The film is a perfect watch for anyone whose father battled his own demons while trying to be a loving father, even if failing to do so.
Ted Lasso (2020–Present)
Apple TV+
The Apple TV Plus series was the talk of the town when it was first released in 2020. While it first seemed to be a light-hearted sitcom about an American coaching European football, it evolved into much more. In Season 2, Ted reckons with his more frequent panic attacks and eventually attends therapy, where he realizes that his father’s suicide had a greater affect on him than he realized. Meanwhile, Ted’s 10-year-old son, Henry, is still back in the States with Ted’s ex-wife, forcing Ted to deal with his own shortcomings as a father.
Throughout the serious, father-child relationships are a major plot point. Star footballer Jamie Tartt’s relationship with his abusive father led him to be the great footballer he is, but also caused more pain than joy. Sam Obisanya’s father visits in Season 3, when we learn that Sam’s restaurant was named as a tribute to his father, Ola. Everyone has a different relationship with their dad, and all of that is central to understanding the characters in Ted Lasso.
Finding Nemo (2003)
Buena Vista
Pixar’s Finding Nemo may seem like a silly choice, but the heart of the film is Marlin’s love for his son, Nemo. While we might all wish for a dad who would swim across the ocean to rescue us, interacting with predators like sharks and gulls, Nemo’s kidnapping (or fishnapping might be more accurate) is driven by an argument with Marlin. Marlin is overly protective of Nemo after losing his wife and all their other clownfish eggs, but Nemo is still like any growing boy, seeking agency and autonomy. Both love each other, but their relationship is far from perfect. Finding Nemo reminds us that no matter how much we might argue with our parents, many (not all) will still go to the ends of the Earth to keep us out of harm’s way.