16 Father-Child Movie Scenes That Pack An Emotional Gut Punch
This Sunday is Father's Day, and there's no better way to celebrate the holiday than by watching a dad-centric movie that is guaranteed to make you cry.
Fortunately, there is no shortage of movies featuring tear-inducing moments between fathers and their kids. So before the big day, watch any of these 16 movies, and you will be guaranteed to appreciate your old man and give him the love that he deserves on his big day.
Spoilers below.
1.Click (2006)
Click is secretly the saddest father-son film ever made thanks to one heartbreaking scene where Michael (Adam Sandler) uses his magical, reality-warping remote control to visit the final time he saw his father Ted (Henry Winkler) before he died. To his horror, Michael realizes that his last conversation with his dad included him blowing off having dinner with him and brutally telling his dad that he always knew the secret to his iconic coin trick. Workaholic Michael doesn't even respond when his dad tells him that he loves him! It's the exact type of tragic ending every son fears they will have with their dad, especially anyone whose relationship with their father has been built on repression.
Rent it on Prime Video.
2.Waves (2019)
After Tyler (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) is sentenced to life in prison for murdering his girlfriend, Alexis (Alexa Demie), his family struggles to reconcile with this reality. When Tyler's father, Ronald (Sterling K. Brown), and sister, Emily (Taylor Russell), finally have an honest conversation about their feelings, they reveal the anger, sadness, and guilt they have been experiencing. Emily breaks down, saying that she hates Tyler while also blaming herself for not stopping him. Ronald tells his daughter not to be consumed by the hate and also reminds her that the only person who is to blame for what Tyler did is Tyler.
Watch it on Prime Video with Showtime.
3.Big Fish (2003)
While Edward (Albert Finney) has a penchant for telling tall tales, his son Will (Billy Crudup) believes that they are nothing more than lies and chooses to distance himself from his father. But Will returns when he learns his dad is dying from cancer, and Edward tells his son his epic life journey, which includes a glass-eyed witch, a misunderstood giant, and a werewolf. Just before Edward dies, Will learns to truly appreciate his father. It's sweet to watch a father and son reconcile, but the real payoff is at Edward's funeral, where Will is shocked to discover that all of the characters and adventures his father told him about were true, albeit slightly exaggerated.
Watch it on Netflix.
4.Lady Bird (2017)
The complex relationship between Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan) and her mom gets most of the attention (and, honestly, it's hard to argue with anyone giving attention to the great Laurie Metcalf). But there is an underlying tenderness to the way Larry (Tracy Letts) quietly cares for his daughter even as she sometimes acts like a spoiled teenager. Lady Bird dreams of leaving Sacramento and going to college elsewhere, but her mom is against the idea. Larry ends up going behind his wife's back to help out his daughter by filling out her financial aid applications and allowing her to apply elsewhere. It's a small but profound gesture that shows just how much he loves his daughter.
Watch it on Prime Video with Showtime.
5.Eighth Grade (2018)
For much of Eighth Grade, the relationship between Kayla (Elsie Fisher) and her dad, Mark (Josh Hamilton), is pretty standard, as she sees her dad as little more than a walking embarrassment who couldn't possibly be more interesting than whatever is on her phone at any given moment. But after Kayla has a traumatizing experience with an older guy, she becomes depressed and asks her dad if having her as a daughter makes him sad. Mark does his dad duties perfectly in this moment of crisis, telling Kayla that "being your dad makes me so, so happy" and "it is so easy to be proud" of her. It's just beautiful and will almost certainly have your reaching for the tissues.
Watch it on Prime Video with Showtime.
6.Leave No Trace (2018)
Will (Ben Foster) is a veteran suffering from PTSD who lives out in the wilderness of Oregon with his 13-year-old daughter, Tom (Thomasin McKenzie). For Will, living in isolation is a necessity, but as Tom starts to interact with other people, she finds herself drawn to civilization. At first, this conflict of interest between the two causes a rift between the father and daughter, but at the end of the movie, Will accepts that his daughter deserves to live around other people if that's what she wants. In a nearly silent final exchange, Tom lets her dad know that she knows he would go with her if he could, showing how deeply these two understand each other.
Watch it on Hulu.
7.About Time (2013)
On his 21st birthday, Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) learns from his father James (Bill Nighy) that the men in their family have the ability to travel back in time (though only to moments they have lived before). Tim uses this gift to win over Mary (Rachel McAdams), the love of his life, but the real heart of the movie is the father-son bond between Tim and James. After James dies of cancer (which I am now realizing is an extremely common trope in these movies), Tim is able to travel back in time to spend time with his father. However, when he and Mary decide to have another child, Tim knows it means he will not be able to see his father again. In one final visit, the father and son get an emotional and loving experience together before Tim has to go and face the future without his dad.
Watch it on Tubi.
8.Interstellar (2014)
It's sad enough when former NASA pilot Joseph Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is reluctant to join a mission to find a habitable planet for humans because he does not want to leave his kids behind. But things take an absolutely despairing turn when, through the relative nature of time in space, the crew ends up accidentally jumping ahead 23 years despite feeling like they haven't aged at all. While watching video updates of his kids aging several decades as they slowly lose faith in him, Cooper is (understandably) inconsolable about missing so much of the lives of his son and daughter.
Watch it on Paramount+.
9.Field of Dreams (1989)
Ray (Kevin Costner) regrets never reconciling his relationship with his father before his death, but, in one of the most iconic tear-inducing movie scenes ever made, he is given a second chance. After he builds a baseball field on his cornfield in Iowa, Ray's father, John (Dwier Brown), returns as a young man, and the two get to have a game of catch, allowing Ray to let go of his pain and once again feel connected to his late father. It's a simple moment that has managed to devastate fathers and sons for decades.
Watch it on Prime Video.
10.Boyz n the Hood (1991)
Furious Styles (Laurence Fishburne) spent years instilling wisdom in his son Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.), but that is put to the test when Tre's best friend Ricky (Morris Chestnut) is shot and killed by a local gang. Tre and his friends vow revenge, but when he finds his son with a gun, Furious is determined to convince Tre not to throw his life away in the hopes of getting revenge. The confrontation between the two is tense, as Furious is determined to have Tre hand the gun over to him. When Tre finally does, he breaks down and begins sobbing in his father's arms, while Furious lets his son know how much he means to him.
Watch it on Prime Video via Starz.
11.Beginners (2010)
Shortly after the death of his mother, Oliver (Ewan McGregor) is surprised when his 75-year-old father, Hal (Christopher Plummer), comes out to him and starts to live his last few years openly as a gay man. It takes Oliver some time to adjust to this major revelation, but it ultimately allows the father and son to really know and understand each other in a way they never could before. In one especially moving interaction, Hal asks his son if he knew that he was gay growing up and then talks about the unconventional but loving marriage he had with his late wife.
Rent it on Prime Video.
12.Call Me by Your Name (2017)
After spending the summer falling in love, Oliver (Armie Hammer) and Elio (Timothée Chalamet) part ways, with Oliver returning to America and leaving Elio heartbroken. In a stunning moment of empathy and wisdom, Elio's father (Michael Stuhlbarg) speaks candidly to his son about the importance of allowing yourself to fully experience that pain rather than repress it or ignore it. It is not the type of advice you would typically expect a father to share with his son, yet it shows just how deeply Elio's father really respects and cares for him that he shares a tough but important truth about life.
Watch it on Prime Video.
13.Return of the Jedi (1983)
When Luke (Mark Hamill) learns at the end of The Empire Strikes Back that Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) is actually his father, he is devastated. But rather than angrily swearing vengeance against his old man, Luke is determined to help his father return to the light side of the Force and renounce his evil ways. Luke's plan ends up working, as Vader kills the Emperor and reconciles with his son, getting himself fatally electrocuted in the process. As Vader prepares to die, he asks his son to take off his helmet so that they can really see each other one time. Is it surprising that one of the greatest villains of all-time ends up on this list? Perhaps, but that's the power of love.
Watch it on Disney+.
14.CODA (2021)
When Ruby (Emilia Jones) performs a song at her choir recital, her family, who are all deaf, attends, and while they cannot hear her sing, they can tell based on the reception that she has talent. Afterward, Ruby's father, Frank (Troy Kotsur), asks his daughter to sing while he places his hands on her vocal cords, and during her performance, Frank is overcome with pride and awe as he marvels at his daughter's talent. Up to this point, Frank and the rest of the family had wanted Ruby to skip college and help with the fishing business, but once he experienced her talent, Frank just wanted what is best for his daughter.
Watch it on Apple TV+.
15.The Father (2020)
The Father is a nonstop roller coaster of emotions, as Anne (Olivia Colman) tries her best to take care of her father, Anthony (Anthony Hopkins), during his struggles with dementia. But, for me, the most impactful moment of the relationship between the two is an understated interaction where Anne simply helps her dad put on his sweater. This is the type of thing that Anne has clearly done for Anthony a thousand times without a second thought, but this time, he sincerely thanks his daughter "for everything." Given all that the two have gone through, it is stirring to see Anthony acknowledge how much Anne has sacrificed for him.
Watch it on Prime Video with Starz.
16.The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) has a difficult relationship with his family, but his son Chas (Ben Stiller) is especially resistant to let his mostly absent father back into his life. As Royal tries to mend their relationship and get Chas to acknowledge how the death of his wife is affecting him mentally, his son refuses to engage. But when Royal saves Chas's two sons from getting hit by a car, Chas finally opens up to his dad. It's a simple yet profound moment where you see Royal give the love and support to his son that Chas so desperately needs. And it's clear this moment repaired their relationship, as Chas is revealed to be the person who is with him at the hospital when he dies.
Rent it on Prime Video.
