Entertainment
PSA — Father's Day is here and I know for a fact that some of you are scrambling for last-minute gift ideas. Perhaps your dad is into the latest technological gadget or already preparing to grill the night away, but what about fathers who don't necessarily enjoy those things? Don't worry, you can still spend some serious quality time with your old man this Father's Day — and you don't even have to leave your couch to do it. Just check out these father-daughter movies on Netflix that will make you cry, because sometimes you just need a good tearjerker to really bond.
Not going to lie, father-daughter relationships on film and television can be a little awkward. Often times, they miss the mark and don't come off as organically as mother-daughter relationships do onscreen. So it can be difficult finding a great film that focuses on a dad and daughter duo that you can actually relate to. But from heartwarming flicks like Definitely, Maybe to Mulan, there are still plenty of father-daughter movies that feature an authentic representation of parental connection — you just have to know where to look.
That being said, remember that this list consists of movies on Netflix, so classics like Father of the Bride, Jersey Girl, and The Descendants aren't available at this time. While I highly recommend those titles, these movies are more than enough to make you and dad weep throughout Father's Day 2019.
Definitely, Maybe
Ryan Reynolds and Abigail Breslin star in Definitely, Maybe, an adorable father-daughter movie that is basically How I Met Your Mother, but far more satisfying. In the film, Will (Reynolds) tells his daughter, Maya (Breslin), about three of his girlfriends and Maya has to guess which one is her mother. Definitely, Maybe lives and breathes like a sweet comedy from 2008, and that's exactly what makes it so good.
First Match
While Definitely, Maybe might have you crying tears of joy, Netflix's First Match will hit you right in the feels. In the Olivia Newman-directed film, a teenage girl named Mo (Elvire Emanuelle), is hardened by years in foster care. To find her way back to her estranged ex-con father (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), Mo joins the all-boys wresting team, but everything is not what she had hoped it would be. Emotional and thought provoking, once you see First Match, you'll demand a sequel.
Mulan
Do I even need to explain this Disney classic? Based on an ancient legend, Mulan follows a brave woman who enters the Chinese army in place of her injured father. Since she is a woman, she is unqualified to serve, so she disguises herself as a man — a capital offence. While most of the film delves into Mulan's adventures, her motives and final scene with her father are enough to make you teary-eyed.
He Named Me Malala
Although He Named Me Malala is a documentary, it's an incredible story that you must watch, even if it's not on Father's Day. The film follows Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani woman who spoke out for the rights of girls' education, and was shot by a Taliban gunman. Named after Malalai of Maiwand, who is known as the "The Afghan Jeanne D'Arc," Malala honored her name, given by her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai. With him at her side, she then continued to advocate for her cause and soon became a symbol of hope to women everywhere.
What A Girl Wants
If you're looking for something lighthearted and fun with a few emotional scenes sprinkled in, then you need to watch the 2003 classic, What a Girl Wants. In the film, an American teenager named Daphne (Amanda Bynes) meets her British father, Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth), for the first time, and they couldn't be more different. While the father-daughter duo seem to clash at first, they eventually begin to understand each other, and the result is more charming than Firth's smile. So yeah, that's saying something.
Whether you decide to buy your dad a funny gift or you spend the day watching heartfelt films together, no matter what you do, make sure you celebrate Father's Day with some quality bonding time.
