My Favorite Movie Father and Sons

67.

Frank and Gil Buckman, Parenthood



Despite the fact that Frank (the late Jason Robards) used to take Gil (Steve Martin) to baseball games when he was a kid and paid ushers to watch him, Gil has spent most of his adult life trying to win this guy's approval and never really feeling it's ever going to happen.

66.

Dodge and Garrett, Message in a Bottle



Garrett (Kevin Costner) is a lonely widower who has shut down since the death of his wife while his dad (the late Paul Newman) is gently nudging him into a relationship with a divorced journalist (Robin Wright Penn).

I always do.

65.

Steve Zissou and Ned Plimpton, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou



Steve (Bill Murray) is a famed oceanographer on a journey to find the shark he thinks ate his best friend who is joined on said journey by a son (Owen Wilson) he apparently never knew he had.

64.

Walter and Chris Lloyd, Target



Walter (Gene Hackman) and Chris (Matt Dillon) have had a very strained relationship for years but find a way to work together when Walter's wife and Chris' mom (Gayle Hunnicutt) disappears.

63.

Michael Cromwell and Mimi-Siku, Jungle 2 Jungle



Michael (Tim Allen) is a wealthy divorced businessman who learns that his ex-wife )JoBeth Williams) has been keeping a son (Sam Huntington) from him who has been raised in the jungle.

62.

Sam and Ben Kleinman, The Thing About My Folks



Ben (Paul Reiser) suddenly finds himself caregiver to his dad, Sam (the late Peter Falk) who doesn't know what to do with himself after receiving a note from his wife (Olympia Dukakis) saying that she's left him.

61.
Hal and Oliver, Beginners



Oliver (Ewan MacGregor) is rocked not only by the news that his father, Hal (Oscar winner Christopher Plummer) has a terminal illness, but at the age of the 75, has come out of the closet and is in a committed relationshihp with a much younger man (Goran Visnjic).

60.

Guido and Giosue, Life is Beautiful



I never really got behind his Oscar win for Best Actor, but the relationship between a Jewish librarian (Roberto Begnini) and his young son (Giogorio Cantarini) is beautifully realized as the father tries to conceal the horrors of the holocaust from his son.

59.

Tom and Gene Garrison, I Never Sang for My Father



Gene Garrison (Gene Hackman) is in denial about the fact that his strained relationship with his father (Melvyn Douglas) is getting in the way of him moving to California with his girlfriend.

58.

Harry and Howard Keach, Harry and Son



In this forgotten gem from the Paul Newman library, Newman plays a demolition expert who has trouble connecting with his aimless, unemployed son (Robby Benson).

57.

Rufus and Buck Hannasey, The Big Country



Rufus (Oscar winner Burl Ives) is a wealthy land owner in the old west whose unintentional neglect of eldest son Buck (Chuck Connors) has led to Buck using some very shady methods in gaining the keys to the kingdom.

56.

Armand and Val Goldman, The Birdcage



In this Americanized version of the French classic La Cage Aux Folles, Armand is a gay nightclub owner who is thrown when his son, Val (Dan Futterman) comes home and announces that he's engaged but that his future in-laws are super conservative and will not be able to deal with Armand or his even ore flamboyant lover, Albert (Nathan Lane). I love the lengths that Armand attempts to go for the sake of his son's happiness.

I think you meant to say "Thailand".

Great list idea, though - certainly worthy of forgiving minor brain-fart lapses.

Very much a fan of this movie's simple charm. Glad to know I'm not the only person who took notice.

Curious where The Great Santini will end up, since Duvall is effectively parodying that role in this movie.

Way too early for The Great Santini on this list...begging your patience.

I did mean Thailand, I will change that right now, thank you.

55.

Jim and Jim's Dad, American Pie



Jim (Jason Biggs) is agonizing over teen growing pains and his dad (Eugene Levy) wants to help but is clueless as to what he can do.

54.

Adam and Cal Trask, East of Eden



Cal (James Dean) is the black sheep son of Adam (Raymond Massey) who is in constant competition with his brother Aron (Richard Davalos) for his dad's love and respect.