The 20 best movie dads of all time

Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) is one of the most moral men in film history. From an early age, his children, Scout and Jem, were instilled with important values, like the need to treat people fairly, the importance of turning the other cheek, and that one should stand up for what they believe in. But these weren’t just words spoken by Atticus, he repeatedly led by example in his job as a defense attorney representing his very unpopular (but likely innocent) client, Tom Robinson. In the end, although everything didn’t work out according to plan, Atticus was rewarded for his morality and showed exactly what a role model should look like.

When Bob Ivanovich (Michael Keaton) was diagnosed with terminal cancer during his wife’s pregnancy, he refused to let the universe take away his fatherly responsibilities. Instead, Bob made videotape after videotape so he could not only teach his future son to do things like play basketball, cook, shave, and drive, but also so his son would get to see who his father was. It’s a good thing, too, because Bob Ivanovich was one of a kind.

When you really think about it, Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) probably gets into a bit too much trouble to be considered a good dad. But hey, the guy still knows how to get things done, like tracking down his daughter from halfway around the world and dangerously rescuing her while killing about 32 different people in the process. Hallmark probably doesn’t make a Father’s Day card for that one.

A paroled murderer might not seem like the best father figure, but keep in mind that Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) was only sent to jail after standing up for his pregnant wife. And all those heroics on the plane? That was just because he wanted to be able to see his wife again and meet his daughter for the first time. In the end, he even managed to save his stuffed animal gift, although its condition was questionable.

Chris Gardner (Will Smith) had trouble finding work, enough food to eat, and shelter for himself and his young son, but he never gave up and never lost sight of his goal to be a good provider – and, in the process, he set a solid example of how a father should act.

All the crazy stuff that Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) went through during the various vacations – Wally World, Europe, Christmas, Las Vegas – was just a constant attempt to be a good dad. He wanted his kids to have fun, experience different cultures, and understand the importance of family, and it was clear he would let nothing (be it a dead aunt and her dog, an endless roundabout, a greedy boss, or bad luck at the casino) stop him from making it happen.

Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams) loved his kids so much that he was willing to dress in an elaborate drag costume, invent a new persona, and get hired as their nanny just to spend time with them. His stint as “Mrs. Doubtfire” was, to be realistic, totally creepy and will likely lead to some confusing emotional trauma down the road for at least one of the children (our money’s on the little one), but it also shows an unfathomable level of fatherly dedication.

Darth Vader might have been a super-evil authoritarian maniac who could strangle people with his mind, but does that mean he couldn’t also be a good father? Yes, yes, it does. However, Vader had an understandably tortured upbringing (and you thought your adolescence was awkward). In the end, he did the right thing by saving his son Luke and eliminating the Emperor. Better late than never, right?

Steve Martin’s Gil Buckman character perfectly encapsulates all of the worries fathers encounter at various points in their lives, especially fathers who have complicated relationships with their own dads. (Am I raising my kids correctly? Do I work too much? Can I handle another kid? Am I just worrying?) Of course, it’s obvious to the audience that Gil is a great parent and need not worry. After all, how many dads would dress up as a cowboy when the birthday entertainer cancels at the last minute?

Although honesty is almost always the best policy, Jewish-Italian father Guido Orefice (Roberto Benigni, who also directed the film) chose to shield his son Giosuè from the horrors of the holocaust by pretending their entire concentration camp experience was an elaborate game. According to Guido, the winner was the one who could amass the highest number of points, which could be earned by not showing weakness, performing a number of specified tasks, and hiding from the camp guards. Although Guido was eventually executed, he never let up on the ruse, even winking at his son and making him laugh moments before he was killed.

As you’ll find elsewhere in this slideshow, the ultimate act a father can do to protect their child is to sacrifice their life. Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis) not only saved his daughter and future son-in-law by staying behind to manually detonate an explosive device buried deep with an enormous asteroid headed toward Earth, but he also saved the entire planet, making him a father to us all. Thanks, Dad!

Howard Langston (Arnold Schwarzenegger) worked too much and didn’t pay nearly enough attention to his son, and then came up with the idea to basically buy back his kid’s love with a toy. However, his simple purchase turned into an all-out comedic adventure that involved infiltrating a counterfeit toy ring, threatening a radio DJ, and saving his son via a superhero costume jet pack that, for some reason, was fully functioning, all while attempting to outwit Sinbad at every turn. Talk about dedication, especially since simply hanging out with Sinbad is challenging enough.

Sure, Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) was the antagonist to Ben Stiller’s Greg Focker character in 2000’s “Meet the Parents,” but he was really just looking out for his daughter like any other father. And when you think about it, Greg really screwed up a lot of things during that wedding weekend, so maybe ol’ dad wasn’t that far off. Plus, Jack was also an American hero (ex-CIA) who was incredibly generous (he offered up his home as a wedding venue and planned a very lavish surprise honeymoon) and adored his cat, so how bad could he really be?

After 10-year-old Tre got in a fight, his mom sent him to live with his father Furious (Laurence Fishburne) in South Central Los Angeles, hoping dad could straighten the boy out and teach him to be a man. Furious immediately put Tre to work in the yard, took him fishing, and taught him about responsibility, money, and the importance of not falling into the endless cycle of gang violence and revenge prevalent in the area. In the end, that last lesson became the most important one. With Furious’ guidance, Tre narrowly avoided getting involved in a conflict that claimed the lives of his closest friends.

In another fatherly sacrifice, John Q. Archibald (Denzel Washington) found out his son needed a heart transplant and, unable to afford the enormous cost of getting on the waiting list, stormed a hospital and took 11 hostages. We obviously don’t condone violent actions like this (no matter how good the intentions are), but it definitely showed John’s dedication to his son — especially since the father planned on donating his own heart to save him.

While most audiences watching “Juno” were captivated and entertained by the on-screen duo of Elliot Page and Michael Cera, we were focused on how cool of a dad Mac MacGuff was throughout the whole thing. Think about it; the guy dealt with one of the worst nightmares for a father — a teenage daughter’s pregnancy — in a calm, reasonable, and supportive way. He accompanied her to meet the baby’s potential adoptive parents, was always around for advice, and cracked all the right jokes. Even after she eventually gave birth at the hospital, he knew the perfect thing to say: “Someday, you'll be back here, honey. On your terms.”

In a post-apocalyptic world, it’s every man for himself. However, it soon became clear in the 2009 drama “The Road” that the unnamed father (Viggo Mortensen) was only fighting to survive so he could protect his young son. In addition to his own actions, such as killing others when threatened, it also became clear that the man was a good father because of the morality, sympathy, and intelligence exhibited by the boy throughout the bleak film. Although the end was a bit ambiguous, it appears the man’s efforts paid off in the form of a better life for his son.

Like many fathers, Noah Levenstein (Eugene Levy) is nerdy, uncool, and often totally embarrassing. Still, Mr. L was the kind of father most kids would be happy to have, as he always had his son’s back, even when Jim was caught in several precarious and unfortunate situations that we can’t even begin to describe here. (This is a family website!) Noah kept in mind that most kids make mistakes, and sometimes they need help or guidance more than a lecture. That’s a lesson fathers everywhere can learn something from.

If people thought Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) was cool in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Temple of Doom,” imagine what they thought after meeting his dad, Professor Henry Jones (Sean Connery), in 1989’s “The Last Crusade.” Sure, the guy was a neglectful dad who explained away his lack of parenting by telling Indy he was teaching him self-reliance, but we still enjoyed every second the two were onscreen together, as the perfect casting and chemistry really made us believe we were watching a father and his son.

Ted Kramer (Dustin Hoffman) is a heroic symbol for any father who doesn’t have a perfect relationship with their son. Despite their differences, Ted and Billy eventually learned to get along after Billy’s mother/Ted’s wife, Joanna (Meryl Streep), left them both to find herself. When she returned 15 months later and tried to take custody of Billy, Ted’s love and dedication was brought front and center, so much so that Joanna realized it would be a mistake to take her son away from his father.