Full Article Text
Pop stars from the past
ovie moms may have an edge on screen time, but
movie dads - whether playing catch with their son in
"Field of Dreams" or searching for their missing child
in "Finding Nemo" - have also played memorable roles.
And not always helpful ones. So on Father's Day, let's focus
on the movie dads - good and bad- we'll never forget
TO KILLA MOCKINGBIRD (1962)
ffirer Figure: Hero-worshiping your dad is
natural for young kids, and ifs given full play in
this Deep South tale of prejudice and fear about
lawyer Atticus Finch (cregory peck), who must
defend a black man wrongly accused of raping
a white woman.
cood or Bad Dad: cood, if not saintly. Finch ls
as noble and decent and true as they come. The
widowed Finch never lets his work interfere withproviding comfort and a timely word of Draise to
his children.
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACKO9SO)
ffiarrr;;
lmagine your dad is the embodiment of all evil.
Good or Bad Dad: Sure, Darth Vader gets
refoimed just in the nick of time in ..Return of
the Jedi.' But let's go with .bad.. He may be all
smiles at the end, but his kids are still gonna
need a lot of therapy.
KRAMER VS. KRAMER CI979)
Fdrer Flgurc: Meryl Streep has walked out
on Dustin Hoffman, who suddenly finds himself
playing Mr. Mom with his young son.
cood or Bad Dad: Good, even when HoffmanE
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f,ais yelling at his son to not eat
that bowl of ice cream. The
film helped teach us that even the .
phrase'M|: Mom" is insulting because
dads can be just as good parents as moms.
giventhe chance.
IIE**PIAIH-ER (!e87)
Fafter Ftgure: Long before the TV show
"Lost," actor Terry O'euinn (aka John Locke)
created a stir with this stylish horror flick about
a conservative man with a yen for marrying
single mothers.
Gmd or Bad Dad: Bad, since the moment his
new family doesn't live up to O'euinn's exacting
expectations, he slaughters them and moves
on. Makes your own dad sound pretty good,
doesn't it?
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS(2006)
Failnr Flgure When sinste dad Will Smith
finds himself unable to provide his adorable
son Christopher (played by Smithb son, Jaden)
even the barest necessities - at one point they
spend the night in a public bathroom - it's everyparenf s worst ni ghtmare..TO KILI A
MOCKIT{GBIRD'
Good or Bad Dad: Very good. tn this quiefly
moving true story, Smith scratches and claws
his way back to a lucrative career, regaining his
dignity along with the knowledge that he never
lost the respect and love of his son, even at their
darkest moments.
THEGREATSANTINI CI979'
Fafter Figure: Robert Duvall is a military
nightmare of a dad - abusive, demanding and
always in the position of authority. His four kids
are almost crippled by DuVall's unceasingly
demanding ways, and eldest son Michael
O'Keefe has had enough.
Good or H hd: Bad, of course, though
you know Duvall is almost incapable of
being any other way. The scene where he
bounces a basketball off O'Keefe's head is
heartbreakingly cruel, yet, the movie is truly
great because it's able to see Duvall as more
than just a monster.
Michael cilA
ovie moms may have an edge on screen time, but
movie dads - whether playing catch with their son in
"Field of Dreams" or searching for their missing child
in "Finding Nemo" - have also played memorable roles.
And not always helpful ones. So on Father's Day, let's focus
on the movie dads - good and bad- we'll never forget
TO KILLA MOCKINGBIRD (1962)
ffirer Figure: Hero-worshiping your dad is
natural for young kids, and ifs given full play in
this Deep South tale of prejudice and fear about
lawyer Atticus Finch (cregory peck), who must
defend a black man wrongly accused of raping
a white woman.
cood or Bad Dad: cood, if not saintly. Finch ls
as noble and decent and true as they come. The
widowed Finch never lets his work interfere withproviding comfort and a timely word of Draise to
his children.
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACKO9SO)
ffiarrr;;
lmagine your dad is the embodiment of all evil.
Good or Bad Dad: Sure, Darth Vader gets
refoimed just in the nick of time in ..Return of
the Jedi.' But let's go with .bad.. He may be all
smiles at the end, but his kids are still gonna
need a lot of therapy.
KRAMER VS. KRAMER CI979)
Fdrer Flgurc: Meryl Streep has walked out
on Dustin Hoffman, who suddenly finds himself
playing Mr. Mom with his young son.
cood or Bad Dad: Good, even when HoffmanE
o
o
6
=
an=utz,
=
ct
@o
c{
Lr)
c{
oq
*6
c
f,ais yelling at his son to not eat
that bowl of ice cream. The
film helped teach us that even the .
phrase'M|: Mom" is insulting because
dads can be just as good parents as moms.
giventhe chance.
IIE**PIAIH-ER (!e87)
Fafter Ftgure: Long before the TV show
"Lost," actor Terry O'euinn (aka John Locke)
created a stir with this stylish horror flick about
a conservative man with a yen for marrying
single mothers.
Gmd or Bad Dad: Bad, since the moment his
new family doesn't live up to O'euinn's exacting
expectations, he slaughters them and moves
on. Makes your own dad sound pretty good,
doesn't it?
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS(2006)
Failnr Flgure When sinste dad Will Smith
finds himself unable to provide his adorable
son Christopher (played by Smithb son, Jaden)
even the barest necessities - at one point they
spend the night in a public bathroom - it's everyparenf s worst ni ghtmare..TO KILI A
MOCKIT{GBIRD'
Good or Bad Dad: Very good. tn this quiefly
moving true story, Smith scratches and claws
his way back to a lucrative career, regaining his
dignity along with the knowledge that he never
lost the respect and love of his son, even at their
darkest moments.
THEGREATSANTINI CI979'
Fafter Figure: Robert Duvall is a military
nightmare of a dad - abusive, demanding and
always in the position of authority. His four kids
are almost crippled by DuVall's unceasingly
demanding ways, and eldest son Michael
O'Keefe has had enough.
Good or H hd: Bad, of course, though
you know Duvall is almost incapable of
being any other way. The scene where he
bounces a basketball off O'Keefe's head is
heartbreakingly cruel, yet, the movie is truly
great because it's able to see Duvall as more
than just a monster.
Michael cilA