10 of the Best “Dad Moments” in Film and Television

Fathers’ Day is coming up very soon and everyone has a father for better or for worse and that is doubly true in pop culture. Here are 10 of the best “dad moments” in movie and television history

10. Indiana Jones and His Dad Slept With The Same Woman

Despite being only 12 years older than his on-screen son Harrison Ford Sean Connery was perfectly cast as Indiana Jones’ father Henry Jones, Sr in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. One moment in particular highlights the chemistry between the father-son pair when Henry Sr reveals that he and his son have something in common: they both have slept with the villainess Elsa Schneider who is in fact a Nazi. Henry Sr. reveals he knew she was a Nazi because she “talks in her sleep” It’s a shame they weren’t able to bring Sean Connery back for the 4^th or even 5^th Indiana Jones adventures, but it might have been for the best as his performance in the third installment made it a grand finale for the original trilogy of films. Pretty good for a line that was originally improvised

9. Liam Neeson’s Threat from Taken

I’m sure a lot of fathers have fantasies about going to extreme lengths to protect their daughters, but Liam Neeson’s Bryan Mills has the skills to do it and tells his daughter’s kidnappers so in a bad-ass moment that signaled the arrival of Liam Neeson as a serious action star

8.Tyrion Kills His Dad in Game of Thrones

Game of the Thrones had many great villains, but perhaps one of it’s most sinister and overbearing was Tywin Lannister, head of House Lannister who definitely set a bad example as a father, notably in his treatment of his youngest son Tyrion, who he blamed for his wife’s death and went out of his way to torment and even imprisoned him after it appeared Tyrion had killed Tywin’s grandson Joffrey. In a moment of paternal violence and vengeance Tyrion escapes with the help of his brother, Jamie, before confronting his father one last time and killing him with a crossbow on the privy as he says, “I am your son. I have always been your son” in a nod to their truly twisted father/son dynamic

7. Frank Barone broke the generation cycle in Everybody Loves Raymond

Ray’s dad Frank had many great moments in Everybody Loves Raymond including driving his car into Ray’s house, but perhaps one of his best moments comes in a short conversation he has with his sons when he reveals he was hit almost daily by his father as a kid and that he broke the generational cycle by not hitting Ray and his brother Robert

6. “Daddy Horny Michael” from Arrested Development

The Bluths are definitely one of the most dysfunctional families in television history and this moment from the season one episode “Visiting Ours” perfectly illustrates that dynamic when George Senior, who is in jail for fraud and other crimes, tells his son Michael how much he needs some “afternoon delight”. In true Arrested Development fashion the moment became a running joke and was referenced numerous other times in the series

5. Frank Reynolds finds out Dee and Dennis aren’t his children

It could be argued Danny Devito’s Frank Reynolds both elevated and saved the cult comedy It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and he has some truly unhinged moments, but perhaps one of his best and earliest is when he finds out Dennis and Dee aren’t actually his kids and goes completely berzerk on his “whore” of a ex-wife. Coming at the end of his first season of the show this moment truly marked the beginning of his descent from businessman and father-figure to the Frank Reynolds we all know and love 16 seasons later and with an 18th season on the horizon look for even more great Frank moments to come

4. Frank Constanza challenges his son to Feats of Strength for Festivus

Seinfeld had many great side characters, but George Constanza’s parents Frank and Estelle played by the sadly departed Estelle Harris and Jerry Stiller definitely stood out. While Jerry Stiller’s Frank had some great  moments throughout the series, one can argue that his best moment came in the show’s final season as he reintroduces his made up holiday Festivus to compete with the “commercialized” Christmas. As the whole celebration implodes Frank challenges his son to the Festivus “Feats of Strength” and we get an all-too real look at George’s childhood trauma

3. John and Ray play catch in Field of Dreams

Field of Dreams is mostly a baseball movie, but it is also a father-son movie and it all leads to a touching game of touch between a son and the younger version of his deceased and estranged father

2. Mufasa’s Death

In a moment that scarred(pun intended) many 90s kids Mufasa’s death at the hands of his brother Scar is one of the few disney’s parent death we actually see on screen and perhaps that’s why it has such an impact over 3 decades later

1. Darth Vader reveals he is Luke’s father

The Daddy(or perhaps even Granddaddy) of all movie dad moments.  Over a decade before Maury was telling men “you are the father!”  Luke Skywalker was dealing with daddy issues of his own. The twist is so widely known even if you haven’t seen Star Wars you know the moment and while it’s often misquoted as “Luke I am your father” and not the actual line, “No, I am your father” it not only changed the trajectory of the entire Star Wars franchise, made Darth Vader, who was already a top tier film villain, into one of cinema’s greatest villains, but has been endless parodied and imitated in numerous movies afterwards including Spaceballs and Toy Story 2

There are many more great dad moments in film and television. What are some of yours? Do you agree with the choices on this list? Let us know in the comments