Great movies for Father's Day

June 21, 4:22 PMHartford Movie Reviews ExaminerPete Clark

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In celebration of Father’s Day, here is a short list of a few excellent Father’s Day movie choices. Not every one of them may be Dad’s favorite, but each has its place on your TV on Father’s Day.

5. Father of the Bride: Perhaps not Dad’s favorite movie, but all dads, especially those who have been through a daughter’s wedding or are preparing for it with fear, will appreciate this film. Not only is the movie loaded with a lot of humor that is enjoyable for everyone, especially for a father and daughter, but it offers up a great deal of tender family moments. These are the kind of moments that I usually would like to fast forward through. However, here they are handled with a nice honesty that allows all viewers to appreciate the story and find a connection to the characters. Besides, who doesn’t love Steve Martin? Martin Short’s  portrayal of Franck Eggelhoffer, the wedding planner, is another highlight.

4. National Lampoon’s Vacation: A family comedy, but completely devoid of any of that over-the-top family sentimentality. Instead, it is a traditional road-trip-from-Hell-with-the-family movie. Chevy Chase’s character drags his wife and two kids across the country in an effort to get to Wally World (an obvious Disney parody). Along the way, they have a slew of very entertaining troubles, including dead in-laws, pants-less walks through the desert, and a kidnapping. A classic comedy that dads are likely to love, especially before gearing up for this summer’s road trip vacation.

3. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Sergio Leone’s third part of the “Man with No Name” trilogy, this film easily stands alone and is arguably the best western ever made. Dads like westerns and dads like Clint Eastwood, so why not combine the two in one of the greatest films ever to grace the screen? The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly features stunning visuals, phenomenal pacing, and one of the greatest characters in film history: Tuco. Every dad can go for a three-hour break in the old west with three famous gunslingers.

2. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Again, every dad loves Indiana Jones. But what makes the third installment so good for Father’s Day is Sean Connery’s appearance as Indy’s father. This film covers the father-son relationship in a new way, all the while providing non-stop laughs and action from wire to wire. As fast-paced and exciting a movie as there is, the dynamic between Ford and Connery is fantastic to watch and provides some of the funniest moments on screen. A rare, pure adrenaline combination of laughs and action, this film is one of the most re-watchable ever.

1. Field of Dreams. Sure it’s a little sappy, sure it completely lacks nudity and offensive humor, but the heartfelt tale of a magical baseball field and the power of youth is one of the only movies that can even make dads a little teary-eyed.

So maybe it’s not too late to go out rent one of these movies, make your dad some homemade popcorn (microwave popcorn is ok if you must), and let him relax with a classic. Then, you can go back to bothering him to fix your bike tomorrow.