A Father’s Day watchlist for kids with daddy issues

Father’s Day is that one Sunday in June when dads get socks, mugs that say “Best Dad Ever,” and maybe a siesta without judgment. But somewhere between samgyup smoke and awkward Facebook tributes, we forget that fatherhood is brutal, mostly thankless, and well, good dads are rare.

As a film major, I turn to cinema for life lessons, since I only get one lifetime. Here are three screen dads who remind me of what fatherhood looks like when things get real, dirty, or downright dramatic:

1. Bryan Mills in “Taken” (2008): The ultimate helicopter parent (with actual choppers)

If dads had a fantasy league, Bryan Mills (played by Liam Neeson) would be the first-round pick. He’s got CIA training, zero chill, and no qualms about waterboarding some Parisian to get his daughter back. His parenting style? Bantay sarado (maximum security).

The plot is simple: Daughter goes to Europe, gets kidnapped five minutes after landing, Dad flies over, and wrecks everyone. The end. It’s ridiculous, indulgent, and perfect.

What works isn’t just the action; it’s that all-consuming panic of letting your kid out into the world and praying she texts back. Mills might be an overkill version of a dad, but if you’ve ever seen a Pinoy father go ballistic when his daughter comes home an hour late from a gimik, it’s really not that far off. I nervously drove behind my 14-year-old son on his first solo bike ride to and from jiujitsu class with my 9-year-old recording the whole thing like a human dashcam.

Most Filipino dads won’t have “a particular set of skills,” but they will have a cousin somewhere who knows where you’ve been.

2. Jon and Wendy in “The Savages” (2007): When you have to parent the guy who raised you

Here’s a plot twist no one talks about: Eventually if we’re lucky (and unlucky), we end up taking care of our parents. And it’s awkward, exhausting, and messes with your entire inner wiring.

“The Savages” follows two adult siblings who are emotionally constipated and drowning in their own drama, trying to care for their estranged, dementia-stricken dad. No one’s winning. But the quiet parts of this movie (the tension between guilt and obligation, the grief that sneaks in before death even shows up) hit hard.

Filipinos know this one well. Sandwich generation, anyone? You’re raising kids and changing your dad’s diapers, and still somehow expected to smile through family Viber calls. Fun!

3. Chris Gardner in “The Pursuit of Happyness” (2006): The broke dad who refuses to break

If you didn’t cry during this movie, you’re made of concrete.

Will Smith plays real-life, down-on-his-luck Chris Gardner, trying to land a job while being broke, homeless, and dragging his young son along with him. It’s relentless. And unfortunately, relatable.

There are no superpowers here, just sheer grit. Gardner isn’t perfect (he’s a mess), but he never lets go of the only thing that matters: staying in his kid’s life, even when life is actively trying to beat him out of it.

And if there’s one lesson Pinoy tatays live by, it’s that kind of tenacity. You don’t need to have it all together. You just need to stay—physically, emotionally, stubbornly there.

None of these movie dads are winning Dad of the Year (maybe Bryan, but only if you overlook the body count). But each one shows us something real: that love sometimes shows up loud and violent, care can look like awkward conversations in a sterile nursing home, and presence beats perfection, every single time.

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This Father’s Day, maybe skip the artery-clogging steak and just watch a movie that reminds you who your dad actually is, or was, or tried to be. And if you’re a dad yourself, maybe remember that your kids won’t care how many hours you worked if you never showed up for the part that mattered. Demonstrate the work it takes to build a happy home.

And maybe send your dad a text that isn’t just “Happy Father’s Day.” Try:

Thanks for trying to be someone I could look up to.

Thanks for staying.

Thanks for showing up, even when things were hard.

Thanks for listening when you could’ve just lectured.

Thanks for being the kind of dad I’d want to be and the kind of father I hope my kids get, too.