Top 10 Father and Son Movies

Losing your mother in a factory accident can be a stressful time for a teenage boy and his father. Having to deal with an escaped alien in the wake of that loss can make things that much more strained. In this 2011 sci-fi thriller, Joe and Jack Lamb are a father and son still reeling from the devastating tragedy when an unconventional threat upends their lives. This causes Jack Lamb to kick into “protective father” mode and go on a rescue mission to save his teen boy and his friends from a desperate creature at its wits’ end.

It’s not difficult to see where Indiana Jones got his fascination with historical artifacts. In this third installment of the “Indiana Jones” franchise, Sean Connery plays Indy’s estranged father, Professor Henry Jones, who also happens to enjoy hunting for super-ancient memorabilia. His obsession with the Holy Grail has put him in the crosshairs of a troupe of Nazis that are also hot on the Grail’s trail. Junior then sets out to save his father from almost certain death, and also prevent the Grail from falling into the wrong hands.

In this not-so-subtle interpretation of the story of Cain and Abel, James Dean plays Cal, a young man desperate for his father’s affection at the height of World War I. He’s also fairly resentful of his brother Aron, who is the apple of his father’s eye. Cal spends the better part of the film looking for ways to earn his father’s approval, including starting a lucrative business and attempting to gift his dad with a large sum of cash. It’s only when he’s felled by a debilitating stroke after his favorite son enlists in the army that Cal’s father finally makes an effort to reconcile with his son.

In “The Road,” Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee play a father and son who have managed to survive an apocalyptic event that has ravaged the entire globe. This, of course, leaves them with a lot of father-son bonding time. The two are trekking towards the coast in an effort to make it through the winter, but they encounter some snags along the way. That is, if you consider murderous groups of roving cannibals to be snags. Unsurprisingly, the two are brought together by the hardships of their existence. Surviving an apocalypse can really bring a family together.

When you lose your fish wife and almost all of your fish-egg children in a predator attack, chances are you’re going to be a little protective of the only child you have left. That’s exactly the case in this mega-successful Pixar adventure that follows a slightly neurotic father fish as he desperately seeks to rescue his captured son. After Nemo is taken by a scuba diving dentist, Nemo’s father, Marlin, sets out on an epic adventure to track him down. Through their separate ordeals, Marlin and Nemo wind up closer, even as Marlin understands that there are also times when he needs to let go.

Told through a series of flashbacks, this story centers on the relationship between a young man and his father, who comes out as gay following his wife’s death. Certainly a case of “better late than never”, the older gentleman begins to explore his life out in the open, while also building his relationship with his son. Over the course of the romantic comedy, the son witnesses a transformation in his father that inspires him in his own life, namely his romantic pursuits. Filled with humor and touching moments, “Beginners” is a coming of age tale for a father and son that are just figuring out how to live their lives.

In this somber crime thriller, Tom Hanks plays Michael Sullivan, Sr., the adopted and highly favored son of a mob boss. The life of an enforcer doesn’t come without its hazards though, as Sullivan’s own son witnesses a crime that sets in motion a course of events leading to the death of his mother and younger brother. Sullivan and his son then go on the run, looking for sanctuary as well as a means to avenge the deaths in their family. And while their relationship propels the film forward, Michael also has to contend with the actions of his adopted father and unstable brother.

This drama sees Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep play a divorced couple locked in a fierce custody battle for their young son. In the critically acclaimed film, Ted Kramer’s wife Joanna suddenly walks out on him and her son to find herself. This means Ted and Billy are suddenly thrown together and must adjust to a life without her. And while it’s not initially easy, the two eventually form an intense father and son bond – however, it’s later threatened by Joanna’s sudden reappearance.

Having your entire family put in a concentration camp is not supposed to be an enjoyable experience by any stretch of the imagination. And yet, imagination is exactly what the father in this film relies on to shelter his son from the horrors of their surroundings. After Jewish shop owner Guido, his wife and his son are placed in one such camp at the height of World War II, he convinces Joshua that it’s all an elaborate game that everyone else is in on. But, while he may have shielded his son from the brutality of their situation, his imagination won’t be enough for all of them to make it out completely unscathed.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- “The Tree of Life” (2011)
- “The Lion King” (1994)
- “A Goofy Movie” (1995)
- “The Godfather” (1972)

This poignant, biographical drama follows Will Smith as Chris Gardner, an ambitious man struggling to make it amidst hardship. As Gardner vies for a position at a brokerage firm, he and his young son, played by Smith’s real-life son, Jaden, soon find themselves without a roof to live under. This father/son duo endures homeless shelters and overnight stays in public restrooms as Gardner struggles to keep a brave face for Christopher. Thankfully, the ending is one that sort of makes it okay to unleash the man-tears that’ve accumulated over the course of the last two hours.

Do you agree with our list? What is your favorite father and son film? For more entertaining Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.