Fathers don’t always announce their influence. But their involvement — or their absence — can shape a life in lasting ways. A good father can help form character, set limits, and teach by example. At his best, he offers something solid at the center of a child’s world: steadiness, guidance, and strength.
These films honor that calling. Each one places a man — imperfect, devoted, and deeply human — at the heart of the story. Some are bound by blood, others by love and commitment. A few may bring a smile. Others may break your heart.
What binds them together isn’t flawless parenting, but the decision to stay engaged. These men show up when it counts, even when they falter. That choice — to stay, to love, to keep trying — can change everything.
Each of these movies offers something worth reflecting on this Father’s Day.
The Kid (Charlie Chaplin, 1921) – In his first feature as writer and director, Charlie Chaplin created something close to poetry: a silent comedy that speaks with remarkable depth about fatherhood. His iconic Little Tramp stumbles into caring for an abandoned child, and the bond that forms between them is more affecting than most biological ties ever captured on screen. Funny, tender, and unexpectedly profound, The Kid reminds us that fatherhood isn’t always a matter of blood. More often, it’s about just being there.
Bicycle Thieves (Vittorio De Sica, 1948) – Widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, Bicycle Thieves is also among the few selected by the Vatican for its list of essential cinema — and with good reason. Set in postwar Rome, De Sica’s masterpiece follows a father whose livelihood depends on a bicycle that is stolen, prompting a daylong search with his young son (Enzo Staiola, who passed away this week). What unfolds is a morally rich meditation on provision, pressure, and the toll responsibility takes on the human spirit. Like many neorealist works, it is grounded in material hardship, but it turns our gaze toward the eternal. At its core is a man’s longing to be worthy in the eyes of his child.
Paper Moon (Peter Bogdanovich, 1973) – Set during the Great Depression, this black-and-white gem follows a con man and a sharp-tongued orphan who may — or may not — be his daughter. Ryan O’Neal and his real-life child Tatum O’Neal (who became the youngest Oscar winner in history) play the oddball duo with pitch-perfect chemistry, though their real-life relationship was famously strained. It’s a road movie, a hustle story, and a wry meditation on what family means when all you’ve got is each other.
Paris, Texas (Wim Wenders, 1984) – A man emerges from the desert, mute and broken. Slowly, he begins to piece his life back together and attempts to reconnect with the son he abandoned. It’s no coincidence that Wim Wenders set the 1984 Palme d’Or winner against the vastness of the American West. In many ways, this is a film about distance — between people, across memory, and within the soul. Harry Dean Stanton delivers the performance of a lifetime, joined by the lovely Nastassja Kinski as the estranged wife he must learn to face. Paris, Texas is a quiet prayer for every father who has wandered, and every family waiting for his return.
Boyz n the Hood (John Singleton, 1991) – One of the great works of 1990s cinema, Boyz n the Hood is a powerful reflection on manhood, violence, and personal responsibility. At its center is Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.), whose mother sends him to live with his father after she sees him drifting into trouble in South Central Los Angeles. Laurence Fishburne brings moral clarity and resolve as Furious Styles, Tre’s present, principled father who refuses to let him become another statistic. The story touches many of the country’s deepest fault lines, but at its core is a boy becoming a man under the steady hand of a father. Vice President J.D. Vance and I are about the same age, so I wasn’t surprised when he named it among his favorite films. It had a similar impact on me. Boyz n the Hood doesn’t preach about why fathers matter — it shows us they’re indispensable.
Of course, there are many other films worth seeking out. The Pursuit of Happyness, A Bronx Tale, Fences, and Field of Dreams come to mind. Some, like The Florida Project, show us what can unravel when fathers are absent. Others, like C’mon C’mon, offer moving tributes to the men who step in for children who are not their own. But the five films above offer a powerful place to begin. If you’re looking for more recommendations, feel free to reach out in the comments.
To all the fellow dads out there, and to the men who step in when fathers cannot, happy Father’s Day. Your devotion, your steadiness, and your example shape lives in ways you may never fully know.
If your own father is still with you, consider it a blessing. Give him a call. Tell him you love him. It won’t only make his day; it’ll stay with you for the rest of yours.