As a child, having a healthy bond with your parents is crucial; it promotes mental, emotional, and linguistic development and is ultimately one of the most powerful connections two people can share. Many remark that a daughter's first love is her father. While this isn't always the case, it actually happens a lot. It's always heartwarming to witness these strong relationships translated into film, especially when a movie highlights how safe and secure a child feels with her caregiver.
Throughout the years, many touching features have successfully depicted beautiful father-daughter relationships, showing how inspiring, unconditional, and encouraging a father's love can be. To celebrate this unique bond, we look back at some of the best movies about fathers and daughters, ranking them by how accurately they depict this strong connection as well as their entertainment value.
20 'Father of the Bride' (1991)
Directed by Charles Shyer
Steve Martin’s George Banks is devastated when his beloved daughter (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) decides to marry a wealthy man, as he can’t imagine what life is going to be like without her. When their wedding takes place at their home, George finds himself descending into a nightmare.
This romantic comedy by Charles Shyer may not be fit for everyone’s liking, but it is still a charming and well-executed movie; the average moviegoer who’s keen on the genre may actually enjoy it. On top of featuring one of the most iconic father-and-daughter duos in film, Father of the Bride is funny and even touching at times. Its depiction of a father realizing that his baby daughter is not a baby anymore is precise and makes the movie a relatable picture to some.
Father of the Bride
PGComedyRomance Where to Watch*Availability in US
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Release Date December 20, 1991 Director Charles Shyer Cast Steve Martin , Diane Keaton , Kimberly Williams-Paisley , Kieran Culkin , George Newbern , Martin Short Runtime 105 19 'Definitely, Maybe' (2008)
Directed by Adam Brooks
CloseStarring Ryan Reynolds in the lead role and set in New York City, Definitely, Maybe is an Adam Brooks romantic comedy that follows 30-something political consultant Will Hayes as he attempts to explain to his 11-year-old daughter, played by Little Miss Sunshine's talented child actor Abigail Breslin, his divorce, past relationships, and how he ended up marrying her mother.
While it doubles as a romantic comedy, Definitely, Maybe is an incredible father-daughter movie, featuring a believable bond between a dad and his kid at its center. What's so great about this all-around nice and enjoyable film is, too, its well-cast characters and the funny, emotional moments. Furthermore, Definitely, Maybe does not shy away from tackling serious themes such as divorce and politics.
Definitely, Maybe (2008)
PG-13ComedyDramaRomance Where to Watch*Availability in US
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Release Date February 8, 2008 Director Adam Brooks Cast Ryan Reynolds , Isla Fisher , Elizabeth Banks , Rachel Weisz , Abigail Breslin , Derek Luke Runtime 11018 'Hearts Beat Loud' (2018)
Directed by Brett Haley
In Hearts Beat Loud, a single dad and record store owner (Nick Offerman) and daughter (Kiersey Clemons) form an unlikely songwriting dynamic duo in the summer right before she leaves for college.
Out of all the father-daughter movies here listed, this is probably one of the lesser known. Brett Haley's often overlooked film (which deserves all the audiences' love) is still very much worth watching, as it delivers two great performances — especially from The Last of Us' Offerman — and provides audiences with a meaningful narrative that is both fulfilling and touching with an incredible duo at its center.
Hearts Beat Loud
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Release Date June 8, 2018 Director Brett Haley Cast Nick Offerman , Kiersey Clemons , Ted Danson , Toni Collette , Sasha Lane , Blythe Danner Runtime 97 Main Genre Drama17 'King Richard' (2021)
Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green
Will Smith steps into the shoes of Richard Williams, the father and coach of famed tennis players Venus and Serena Williams (played by Demi Singleton and Saniyya Sidney), in this critically acclaimed film that landed Smith his Best Actor Academy Award in 2021, after getting his first Oscar nomination in 15 years. The biopic follows Williams as he brings willpower and determination to another level, carving his daughters' names into history.
There is no doubt that the highly praised film features heartwarming daughter-father bonds. As it navigates through the Williams' lives, King Richard sheds an important light on the close relationship the family shares, especially the sisters' relationship with their father. It highlights how big of a role Williams played in the girls' lives, both on and off the court.
King Richard
PG-13 Where to Watch*Availability in US
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Release Date November 18, 2021 Director Reinaldo Marcus Green Cast Will Smith , Aunjanue Ellis , Saniyya Sidney , Demi Singleton Runtime 138 Main Genre Biography16 'Gifted' (2017)
Directed by Marc Webb
With a super smart kid at the film's center, 2017's Gifted is set in Florida and focuses on Frank Adler (Chris Evans), a single man who is responsible for raising his highly intelligent child niece Mary (Mckenna Grace, who has been cast in tons of exciting projects). When the mathematical abilities of prodigy 7-year-old Mary catch the attention of Frank's mother, Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan), a wild turn of events takes place.
Deeply moving and entertaining, this Marc Webb film touches on very sensitive topics, including suicide and parental abandonment, even if it mostly revolves around a second-grader. Nevertheless, Gifted showcases the importance of standing up for others all while translating a beautifully written and complex daughter-father relationship to the screen.
Gifted
PG-13Release Date April 12, 2017 Director Marc Webb Cast Chris Evans , Mckenna Grace , Lindsay Duncan , Octavia Spencer , Jenny Slate , Michael Kendall Kaplan Runtime 98 Main Genre Drama15 'On the Rocks' (2020)
Directed by Sofia Coppola
Sofia Coppola's father-daughter movie and comedy-drama On the Rocks stars Bill Murray and Rashida Jones as the ultimate father-daughter duo as they attempt to find out whether her husband (Marlon Wayans) has been unfaithful on an adventure through New York.
While beautifully executed like many other films in Coppola's filmography, On the Rocks is likely a different film from what audiences usually expect of the filmmaker. What is so interesting about On the Rocks is how it perfectly captures the dynamic between both characters. While it is not necessarily among Coppola's best movies, it shines a beautiful light on the relationship between a more mature daughter and her, of course, much older father.
On the Rocks
DramaComedyRelease Date 2020-00-00 Director Sofia Coppola Cast Bill Murray14 'Somewhere' (2010)
Directed by Sofia Coppola
Although it isn’t as popular as other Sofia Coppola pictures, Somewhere is an interesting entry by the treasured filmmaker. The movie stars a young ElleFanning as Cleo and explores her relationship with her father (Stephen Dorff), a passionless Hollywood star who reevaluates his life when she steps back into the picture.
Coppola enjoys examining girlhood and father-daughter bonds in her movies and has successfully done so in the past. The latter is evident not only through Somewhere but also On the Rocks; while both are great and even a tad underrated movies in this niche category, they are likely to appeal to different age groups, as the nostalgic Somewhere plays like a coming-of-age and features a teenage protagonist while On the Rocks, a more mature story, is led by a young woman.
Somewhere
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Release Date September 3, 2010 Director Sofia Coppola Cast Elle Fanning , Stephen Dorff , Chris Pontius Runtime 97 Main Genre Drama13 'Leave No Trace' (2018)
Directed by Debra Granik
In Leave No Trace, a military veteran father (BenFoster) with post-traumatic stress disorder lives in almost total isolation in a vast urban park in Portland, Oregon, with his teenage daughter (ThomasinMcKenzie). The lives of both characters take a wild turn when they are picked up by social services after living in total isolation for years.
Dealing with themes of individualism, mental health, and parental relationships, Debra Granik's heartfelt movie depicts a story of survival in the wild, escapism, and disconnection, while also showcasing a strong bond between a daughter and her father. In the meantime, the film also makes a statement on America's support systems for veterans and their families.
Leave No Trace (2018)
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Release Date June 29, 2018 Director Debra Granik Cast Thomasin McKenzie , Ben Foster , Jeffery Rifflard , Michael Draper , Derek John Drescher , Peter Simpson Runtime 109 minutes Main Genre Drama12 'Fly Away Home' (1996)
Directed by Carroll Ballard
CloseCarroll Ballard's Fly Away Home depicts the journey of a father (Jeff Daniels) and daughter (Anna Paquin) as they attempt to lead a flock of Canada Geese south by air. Amy is sent to live with her father in Canada following the death of her mother in a car accident.
Paquin steals the spotlight as Amy and delivers one of her best performances, but not without the help of the talented Daniels. The film is tender and engaging, with the two stars believably delivering a father-daughter relationship audiences can't help but root for. Its poignant narrative often meditates about hope, gratitude, and resilience. The story is a loose dramatization of the actual experiences of BillLishman, who started training Canada geese to follow his ultralight aircraft in 1986.
11 'Eighth Grade' (2018)
Directed by Bo Burnham
Bo Burnham's directorial debut Eighth Grade is a very Gen-Z type of coming-of-age film that depicts an anxious teen girl, Kayla (Elsie Fisher), as she faces the last week of a terrible year of middle school and resorts to YouTube to express herself, making advice blogs in which she pretends to be confident and unbothered.
Apart from shining a positive light on the kids who feel left out, EightGrade also depicts a strong father-daughter bond between Kayla and her father Mark (JoshHamilton). Although the two aren't very talkative around each other and rather quiet instead, viewers can tell that Mark actively makes an effort to be present and involved in his daughter's life. This heartwarming film pinpoints the unconventional ways some dads out there have of showing how much they care about their children.
Eighth Grade
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Release Date August 3, 2018 Director bo burnham Cast Josh Hamilton , Elsie Fisher , Emily Robinson , Missy Yager , Greg Crowe , Deborah Unger Runtime 93 minutes Main Genre Drama10 'Captain Fantastic' (2016)
Directed by Matt Ross
With a showstopping soundtrack, the thought-provoking Captain Fantastic illustrates a father's (Viggo Mortensen) attempt to raise his six kids with both physical and intellectual education in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. However, when the family is forced to leave their homes and enter the real world, Ben is faced with the tricky question of what it really means to be a responsible parent.
There are several great things about Matt Ross' unforgettable film. Nonetheless, its most distinctive aspect is perhaps how it deals with its delicate themes, namely the difficulties of parenting, loss, and grief. Although Ben cares for all of his children equally, it is clear that he shares a very caring and special bond with his daughters.
Captain Fantastic
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Release Date July 2, 2016 Director Matt Ross Cast Viggo Mortensen , George MacKay , Sami Isler , Annalise Basso , Nicholas Hamilton , Shree Crooks Runtime 1 hr 54 min Main Genre Drama 9 'Little Miss Sunshine' (2006)
Directed by Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton
Considered one of the best family dramedies of all time, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris' Little Miss Sunshine is equal parts hilarious and moving. The movie features a dysfunctional family that attempts to get their young daughter, Olivia (Abigail Breslin), into the finals of a beauty pageant by taking a cross-country road trip on their bus.
Little Miss Sunshine is a timeless feature with impeccable performances to match. It is the perfect film to watch on a low-spirited day and has aged incredibly well, sending out messages on body positivity, mental health, and family. Furthermore, the Dayton and Faris movie is charming, sweet, and absolutely worth anyone's time, featuring a beautiful relationship between Richard and Olive at its heart.
Little Miss Sunshine
RComedyDramaIndie Where to Watch*Availability in US
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Release Date July 26, 2006 Director Jonathan Dayton , Valerie Faris Cast Abigail Breslin , Greg Kinnear , Paul Dano , Alan Arkin , Toni Collette , Steve Carell Runtime 1018 'Interstellar' (2014)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Set in a dystopian future where humanity is striving to survive, Christopher Nolan's remarkable space movie revolves around Cooper (Matthew McConaughey in one of his finest performances), an ex-NASA pilot, as he undergoes an intense journey through a wormhole near Saturn in search of a new habitable home for mankind before the human race to goes extinct.
While this epic science fiction film doesn't solely focus on Cooper and Murph's (played by three different generations of actors: MackenzieFoy, JessicaChastain, and EllenBurstyn) strong bond, it surely plays a huge part in the plot and its development (that will have audiences sobbing). With their family connection at the film's heart, Interstellar invites viewers on a deeply emotional ride.
Interstellar
PG-13 Sci-FiAdventureDrama Where to Watch*Availability in US
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Release Date November 7, 2014 Director Christopher Nolan Cast Matthew McConaughey , Anne Hathaway , Jessica Chastain , Michael Caine , Bill Irwin , Casey Affleck Runtime 169 minutes7 'To Kill a Mockingbird' (1968)
Directed by Robert Mulligan
Based on the Pulitzer Prize Winner classic novel of the same name by HarperLee, To Kill a Mockingbird is a powerful tale of justice and prejudice starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch and Mary Badham as his daughter Scout. Peck plays a widowed lawyer and father of two who is currently defending Tom Robinson (Brock Peters), a Black man wrongly accused of raping a white woman.
There is nothing but good things to say about Robert Mulligan's thought-provoking, incredible courtroom drama movie. A social classic, it deals with many relevant subjects in a graceful way all while exploring Finch's relationship with his children. Scout and Atticus share a very strong father-daughter connection — he is always there to help her understand the world better and values her opinion as if both were equals, just as he does with Jem (Phillip Alford).
To Kill A Mockingbird
NR Where to Watch*Availability in US
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Release Date December 20, 1962 Director Robert Mulligan Cast gregory peck , John Megna , Frank Overton , Rosemary Murphy , Ruth White , Brock Peters Runtime 129 minutes Main Genre Crime6 'Train to Busan' (2016)
Directed by Yeon Sang-ho
Train to Busan is perhaps one of the most well-known South Korean zombie movies, and it absolutely excels in the horror category. Among the best zombie films out there, it follows passengers who struggle to survive on the train from Seoul to Busan after a virus breaks out in South Korea. This Sang-hoYeon flick is a highly innovative and captivating film, so much so that an American remake is reportedly in the works.
Gong Yoo's Seok-woo is a divorced parent who fully transforms post his amazing character development. He goes from a self-absorbed dad who doesn't give his daughter Soo-an (Su-an Kim) half of the attention she deserves, to one of the most selfless and caring fictional fathers out there. He often puts his life at risk to guarantee his daughter's safety in Train to Busan's beautiful redemption arc.
Train to Busan
Action HorrorMysteryThriller Where to Watch*Availability in US
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Release Date July 20, 2016 Director Sang-ho Yeon Cast Yoo Gong , Yu-mi Jeong , Dong-seok Ma , Su-an Kim , Eui-sung Kim , Woo-sik Choi Runtime 118 5 'Miracle in Cell No. 7' (2013)
Directed by Lee Hwan-kyung
CloseServing as an inspiration to the Turkish film of the same name released in 2019, Miracle in Cell No. 7 (South-Korean: 7-beon-bang-ui seon-mul) is a K-drama that follows a father living with intellectual disability, Yong-Goo (Seung-ryong Ryu), and his sweet daughter Ye-Seung (Kal So-won). Yong-Goo is wrongly accused of murder and locked up. He then slowly builds everlasting friendships with the criminals in the meantime, and in return, they smuggle his daughter into prison and help him see her again.
Frankly, there are very few on-screen relationships as touching as the one these two characters share. Radiating comfort amidst troubling and dark times, Yong-Goo and Ye-Seung's bond is incredibly touching and guaranteed to make any viewer's heart melt.
4 'Logan' (2017)
Directed by James Mangold
In one of the best Marvel movies to date, the mutant community has shrunk thanks to genetically modified plants designed with the intent to reduce mutant powers. Logan follows the significantly older titular character (HughJackman in one of his best performances) who does his best to lead a quiet life away from trouble as he takes care of Professor X (Patrick Stewart), who has also aged significantly and is struggling with Alzheimer's disease. When a mutant child named Laura (Dafne Keen) comes to Logan for help, his once-peaceful life takes a big turn.
Logan makes it hard for the viewer to stay indifferent to the themes it tackles, as its protagonist goes from unbothered and distrusting to a caring caretaker in this engaging modern Western. His relationship with Laura grows all throughout, and a beautiful father-daughter, highly protective relationship flourishes.
Logan
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Release Date March 3, 2017 Director James Mangold Cast Hugh Jackman , Patrick Stewart , Richard E. Grant Runtime 137 minutes3 'The Father' (2020)
Directed by Florian Zeller
Featuring two Academy Award-worthy performances at its center (OliviaColman and AnthonyHopkins are both astounding in their respective roles), The Father is an essential family drama that fans of the genre will enjoy. It tells the story of an aging man who refuses his daughter’s assistance and tries to make sense of his own challenging situations, beginning to doubt himself and his loved ones in the meantime.
What’s so special about The Father is how accurate it is — it is fairly common for older people, especially men, to abstain from getting the help they need, and Florian Zeller’s debut picture, which expertly plays with time, highlights that. Heartbreaking and emotional are two words to describe this powerful psychological thriller elevated by powerful performances by talented actors. The Father's solid portrayal of a daughter-father relationship is the cherry on top.
The Father
PG-13DramaPsychological Where to Watch*Availability in US
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Release Date February 26, 2021 Director Florian Zeller Cast Anthony Hopkins , Olivia Colman , Olivia Williams , Rufus Sewell , Evie Wray , Mark Gatiss Runtime 97 minutes2 'Paper Moon' (1973)
Directed by Peter Bogdanovich
Featuring Ryan O'Neal and the youngest person ever to win an Academy Award (his real-life child Tatum, who earned the Oscar at age 10 for her performance in this film), Paper Moon is a Peter Bogdanovich 1973 American road comedy-drama set during the Great Depression that focuses on an unlikely father-daughter relationship between a con-man and a child whose mother has just passed.
There are so many great things about Moses and Addie's relationship in the 1973 film, and part of what plays into the magic and makes it so genuine and authentic is the fact that the incredible duo are actually father and daughter in real life. The most acclaimed father-daughter film out there, Paper Moon is an amazing watch and features one of the most ambiguous movie endings ever.
Paper Moon
PGComedyCrimeDramaRelease Date April 9, 1973 Director Peter Bogdanovich Cast Ryan O'Neal , Tatum O'Neal , Madeline Kahn , John Hillerman Runtime 102 minutes1 'Aftersun' (2022)
Directed by Charlotte Wells
A wonderfully crafted film, the bittersweet Aftersun explores Sophie's (mostly played by Frankie Corio, although Celia Rowlson-Hall also plays her adult version for a bit) relationship with her father, Calum, who was wonderfully played by Paul Mescal. Throughout the film, Sophie looks back fondly on a beautiful Turkish holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier, reflecting on whether she really knew her father, including what he was going through at the time.
With beautiful visuals and stunning cinematography to match (as well as an incredible score), Wells' indie film beams with meaning as it reflects on melancholic moments that can never be replayed — only in camera footage or in the back of our heads as nostalgic memories. A wonderful story about a dad's bond with his pre-teen, the achingly beautiful Aftersun explores Calum's relationship with Sophie as he tries really hard to be there for his daughter and make the most of his time with her.
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