Movie recs for dad?

September 13, 2005 2:28 PM

Help me recommend some movies for my dad.

The brother and the sister and I just bought my father an extended subscription to Netflix and I'd like to recommend some movies for his queue. His favorite movie is "October Sky" (? - don't ask me), and he also really liked "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?". He doesn't like movies with a lot of "curse words" or too much nudity, but violence is largely ok, especially if it's a movie like "Saving Private Ryan". He likes a good measure of wit (is a fan of "The Simpsons") and tends to prefer movies with an uplifting or hopeful message (again, "October Sky"), but he hates cheezy stuff ("Armageddon").

I'm thinking that he'll really like "The Straight Story" by David Lynch. What are some other movies (recent or classic) that your parents love and what would you recommend to them? Thanks a mil, mefi mofos.

posted by billysumday to media & arts (46 comments total)

Second te Straight Story.

Little Dieter needs To Fly.

Touching The Void. (I know, both documentaries, but moving as hell).
posted by docpops at 2:40 PM on September 13, 2005

Might also check out Matewan, also a Chris Cooper vehicle. I loved October Sky.
posted by docpops at 2:41 PM on September 13, 2005

Bullet in the Head is a Vietnam war-era story about three friends who get into trouble in HK and run off to Saigon to start a criminal enterprise where their friendship gets sorely tested.

I actually find Conan the Barbarian a very uplifting story about loss, growing up, and love. It's actually *not* campy.

My mother was absolutely googoo at the Bourne Identity/Supremacy and quite liked Minority Report.
posted by PurplePorpoise at 2:42 PM on September 13, 2005

The Limey - fantastic acting by Terrence Stamp.
Traffic - the ending of this, coupled with Brian Eno's lovely, ambient soundtrack in the background, is one of my favorites.
The Thin Red Line - incredible scenery, great ensemble cast.
posted by docpops at 2:44 PM on September 13, 2005

I wonder if he'd like Shawshank Redemption or The Green Mile ...
posted by WCityMike at 2:51 PM on September 13, 2005

If he can manage with subtitles (even those under 30 can have "issues" with them) I'd recommend "L'Homme du Train" (France), "The Man Without a Past" (Finland), and Kitchen Stories (Norway).

Recent European cinema is extraordinarily good at gentler movies winding together both a meaning and a good dash of humour. I suspect that all of those films will later be regarded as peaks of cinema. Both my father (73) and I (26) loved them all.

As an outside bet for a foreign film, Takeshi Kitano's Zatoichi (Japan) was slightly bloody, but bloody good. It's one of the best films I've seen for a few years, but your father will have to juggle blind swordfights with tranvestitism and a song and dance number.

I hope he finds something he likes, even if none of this is any good.
posted by NinjaPirate at 2:51 PM on September 13, 2005

Wonder Boys
A Very Long Engagement
Garden State
Run Lola Run
A Mighty Wind (very "Dad" film)
Ice Storm

are some films my father has enjoyed, although having said that I have a fairly left-field father who likes Pedro Almodovar and enjoyed Lilya 4 Ever.
posted by fire&wings at 2:54 PM on September 13, 2005

I hated the dance sequence in zatoichi. Ruined the movie for me. Sounds like your dad would like Master and Commander.
posted by atom128 at 2:54 PM on September 13, 2005

Or Motorcycle Diaries, if you USians can stand the communism!
(atom - no. Just no.)
posted by NinjaPirate at 3:09 PM on September 13, 2005

I loved the dance sequence in Zatoichi, a really unexpected, exhilarating finale that meant I left the cinema with a grin on my face (and rushed out to buy the soundtrack). Another Takeshi film that might be of interst is Hana-Bi which was sort of uplifting, in a slightly depressing way.

If he liked Saving Private Ryan he might get on with A Bridge Too Far. My Dad and I always seem to end up watching it whenever it's on TV (normally around Christmas time).

While I'm recommending military films Kelly's Heroes might also be a good choice, if he hasn't seen it already.
posted by drill_here_fore_seismics at 3:13 PM on September 13, 2005

Matewan is indeed a great movie, though it's quite political (left-wing, pro-union) -- just in case it might be something that would get him all riled up. Speaking of John Sayles's movies, how about Eight Men Out (about the Chicago Black Sox scandal)?

Some other ideas off the top of my head (all of which have either been enjoyed by my parents or that I would feel comfortable recommending to them):
Seabiscuit
Quiz Show
Mrs. Brown
Best in Show
Waking Ned Devine
Brassed Off
My Dog Skip
Searching for Bobby Fisher
That Thing You Do!
Breaking Away
Radio Days (probably Woody Allen's sweetest film)
Gosford Park

I also strongly second (or third, or whatever) The Straight Story and Shawshank Redemption.
posted by scody at 3:14 PM on September 13, 2005

Oh, and Raising Arizona! I saw it with my mom back when I was in high school, and she and I can still make each other laugh by randomly quoting various lines (particularly "son, you got a panty on your head!").
posted by scody at 3:16 PM on September 13, 2005

My pop loves Twelve Angry Men.
posted by scallion at 3:42 PM on September 13, 2005

Thanks, everyone. He's actually seen Little Deiter Needs to Fly and loved it. Ditto Master and Commander. Hopefully he'll like Raising Arizona and Matewan (both films that I love). Touching the Void is also great suggestion.

As a further reference point, he has seen Wonder Boys and liked everything about it except "the gay stuff". Sometimes you just have to sigh and shake your head.

NinjaPirate: I can't imagine my dad hating any movie more than one in which he "will have to juggle blind swordfights with tranvestitism and a song and dance number". But it does sound intriguing to me.
posted by billysumday at 3:43 PM on September 13, 2005

Brothers Keeper....." the most engaging documentary since The Thin Blue Line"
posted by JohnR at 3:46 PM on September 13, 2005

How about Hoosiers? From the IMDB description: "A coach with a checkered past and a local drunk train a small town high school basketball team to become a top contender for the championship." (not as hokey as it sounds)

Also Local Hero is a good one. And Glory.

My dad is in his early 70s. He would probably be happy with an eternal loop of Errol Flynn's Robin Hood and also Casablanca. Come to think of it, that might not be so bad.

And don't forget the best film ever made: The Great Escape.
posted by marxchivist at 3:49 PM on September 13, 2005

Marxchivist: My father has lived in a small town in Indiana his entire life. He was baptized in the holy water that is Hoosiers. So have I, for that matter, and I wouldn't have it any other way. That is one hell of a movie.
posted by billysumday at 3:50 PM on September 13, 2005

I said it was an outside bet :]
posted by NinjaPirate at 4:12 PM on September 13, 2005

The entire Band of Brothers series.
posted by fatbobsmith at 4:29 PM on September 13, 2005

What about Good Will Hunting?
posted by Third at 4:41 PM on September 13, 2005

The Right Stuff?
posted by o2b at 4:51 PM on September 13, 2005

My Life As A Dog?
posted by forallmankind at 4:54 PM on September 13, 2005

My Dad is fond of Dave and My Cousin Vinny.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 5:16 PM on September 13, 2005

My parents love things like Chariots of Fire and Rivers and Tides"Rivers and Tides."

Your dad sounds a bit hipper than my folks, so how about Kung Fu Hustle?
posted by ambrosia at 5:19 PM on September 13, 2005

If his favorite movie is "October Sky," maybe he'd like other space movies. I see "The Right Stuff" has already been suggested. Perhaps "Apollo 13" or even "Space Cowboys"?
posted by Faint of Butt at 5:25 PM on September 13, 2005

If he liked October Sky, check out The Dish.
posted by Wolfdog at 5:39 PM on September 13, 2005

Since he liked "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" I would like to recommend "Songcatcher", with Aidan Quinn. Great story about early American Appalachian mountain culture, and wonderful music that is impossilbe not to enjoy.
posted by RoseovSharon at 5:43 PM on September 13, 2005

"Frailty" is a suspense/thriller that stars Bill Paxton and Mathew Mcconaughy. I highly reccommend it.

Also, I saw "The River Of No Return" (starring Marilyn Monroe and Robert Mitchum) today and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a western/adventure largely about Mitchum and his son.

Good luck! ;)
posted by Radio7 at 5:57 PM on September 13, 2005

Based on what you said:
The Right Stuff
The Great Escape
Black Hawk Down
The Endurance - By George Butler (documentary)
The Longest Day

Most anything directed by:
John Ford
Frank Capra
posted by rudyfink at 6:12 PM on September 13, 2005

Since he liked "Oh, Brother..." I'd say fill him in with the rest of the Cohen Bros. catalog. Hudsucker Proxy, Fargo, Raising Arizona, etc.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:26 PM on September 13, 2005

As he liked 'O Brother' I'd have to recommend The Big Lebowski, the only film (AFAIK) of the Cohen's that has a yearly meet up based on it. Personally I think it's also their funniest and even their best.

Why are you looking for movies and not odd TV shows? Movies are becoming expensive marketing vehicles whereas TV shows are more about writing.

If your dad like interesting comedy I'd recommend old Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister, Blackadder, Drop the Dead Donkey and maybe Black Books.

And finally, why not put your Dad's movies that he likes into one of the recommendation engines, or even show him them yourself (fish/learning etc)?
posted by sien at 6:33 PM on September 13, 2005

Cool Hand Luke
Zulu
Runaway Train
Once Upon a Time in the West
A Fish Called Wanda
posted by forrest at 7:10 PM on September 13, 2005

Magnolia (an unusual story with an uplifting ending).
Engima (WWII intrigue).
posted by SPrintF at 7:22 PM on September 13, 2005

second, third, and fourth on The Dish.
posted by docpops at 7:37 PM on September 13, 2005

Hud

A Simple Plan

Blood Simple

The Natural

...and justice for all

Avalon

Birdy

Stalag 17

Life is Beautiful
posted by any major dude at 9:58 PM on September 13, 2005

Once I'd browbeaten him into watching a cartoon, my dad really really liked Spirited Away.
If he's okay with the subtitles, also get him Twilight Samurai - enough action for my dad, but with enough story line and gentle sensibility for my mom, a very rare balance.
posted by Sara Anne at 10:48 PM on September 13, 2005

Definitely The Ladykillers. Fantastic little movie, and the music is unbelievable.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 12:18 AM on September 14, 2005

Gallipoli, an excellent WWI film filled with humor but also the tragedy of war, from the Australian perspective --with a young Mel Gibson, before we knew he was a Christian nut-job.
posted by sic at 1:46 AM on September 14, 2005

Get the original The Ladykillers with Alec Guiness; also The Man in the White Suit.
posted by brujita at 3:36 AM on September 14, 2005

12 Angry Men (original)
The Shawshank Redemption
The Hudsucker Proxy
The Truman Show
Wag The Dog
Dial M for Murder (original)
A Lady Vanishes
Quiz Show
The Ipcress File
Three Days of the Condor
The Hunt for Red October
posted by nthdegx at 4:54 AM on September 14, 2005

I bet I’m pretty much like your dad.
Here’s a (very) few of my 5-star rentals from Netflix. If he likes a good number of ‘em, I’ll invite him to be a “friend,” and we can share recommendations.

The Twilight Samurai
Swimming Upstream
To Be and To Have
Since Otar Left
The Chorus
Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi
Almost Peaceful
Island at War
The Story of the Weeping Camel
13 Conversations About One Thing
25th Hour
Admissions
Fighting Tommy Riley
Because of You
Being Julia
Box of Moonlight
Colors Straight Up
Diamond Men
Dinner Rush
Elling
George Washington
I Capture the Castle
Fresh
Iron Jawed Angels
The King of Masks
Lagaan
Looking for an Echo
posted by dpcoffin at 12:36 PM on September 14, 2005

Gattaca.
posted by softlord at 9:45 PM on September 14, 2005

Ooo, add these to my list:
The Snow Walker
Zelary
Nowhere in Africa
Piece of Cake
Prime Suspect
posted by dpcoffin at 12:09 AM on September 15, 2005

The Apartment
posted by graventy at 8:50 PM on September 16, 2005

Magnolia is an amazing movie, but as I remember, it has a LOT of cursing.

I second Breaking Away--a very uplifting and warm movie.

Also:

Diner (early Barry Levinson movie about a bunch of buddies in Baltimore)
Fly Away Home (underrated movie with Anna Paquin and Jeff Bridges as daughter and father; visually and emotionally beautiful)
Stolen Kisses (a very warm and accessible Truffaut movie)
Notte de Cabiria ( an early Fellini movie, from before he got "Fellini-esque".)
Tin Cup (, from the writer/director of Bull Durham--it has a similar tone, but it's about golf instead of baseball)
posted by yankeefog at 6:15 AM on September 20, 2005

Try "Miller's Crossing." Excellent! And if you like Gabriel Byrne and Lena Olsen try "Polish Wedding." "Trial By Jury"
is another good one. What? You think you see a pattern? By jove, I think you're right! I think he would really enjoy "The Brylcreem Boys."
posted by CatyDidn't at 1:48 PM on February 20, 2006