The bond between a parent and their child (or even between a person and their surrogate parental figure) is one of the most complex relationships there is. Hollywood certainly understands this, based on how many amazing parent-child duos have graced both the big and small screen for decades. The following are some of the world’s favorites.
Don Vito And Michael Corleone (The Godfather)
The entire Godfather saga is a tale of one man's rise to power as the leader of a ruthless mafia family, but the first of Francis Ford Coppola's Best Picture Oscar winners based on Mario Puzo's novel is, essentially, a father-son story. Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) never wanted his youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino), to take his place in the family business, but Michael's decision to avenge his father's attempted murder himself is what places him on this dark path.
Lorelai And Rory Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)
Creator Amy Sherman-Palladino's hit dramedy Gilmore Girls was one of the first series to introduce the idea of a parent and their child also being each other's best friends. In fact, single mother Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and her daughter, Rory (Alexis Bledel), whom Lorelai had when she was a teenager, consider themselves best friends first and a mother and daughter second.
Atticus And Scout Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird)
The American Film Institute named Southern attorney Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) from To Kill a Mockingbird cinema's all-time greatest hero for his refreshing empathy and undaunted sense of justice. What makes him a movie dad one would be proud to have is the way he passes his ideals onto his impressionable children, especially his daughter, Jean Louise, better known as "Scout" (Mary Badham), who bravely comes to her father's aid in his most challenging moments.
Fred And Lamont Sanford (Sanford & Son)
Not every person's relationship with their parent is perfect, and sometimes not even time can make it better. Take, for example, the bickering duo from the classic TV sitcom, Sanford & Son, in which the cantankerous Fred Sanford (Red Foxx) and his more conscientious son, Lamont (Demond Wilson), run a junk-dealing business together.
Anakin And Luke Skywalker (Return Of The Jedi)
There has never been a more awkward reunion between a parent and their long-lost child than in the beloved Star Wars movie, The Empire Strikes Back, when Darth Vader (née Anakin Skywalker), played by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones, reveals to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) that he is his father. Luckily, at the end of Return of the Jedi, the Sith Lord comes to his son's rescue against Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), turning back to the light side of the Force before it is too late.
Jim Hopper And Eleven (Stranger Things)
More than the intense otherworldly phenomena like Demogorgons and Mind Flayers, what keeps fans invested in Stranger Things is the relationships between the characters, none of which are as strong and heartwarming as that of Jim Hopper (David Harbour) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). The Hawkins Police Chief, who previously lost a daughter to cancer, secretly takes in the psychic child as his own at the beginning of Season 2 and becomes her legal guardian by its end.
Goofy And Max Goof (A Goofy Movie)
Despite its initially poor critical reception and dismal box office returns, A Goofy Movie is now regarded as one of the best Disney animated films of all time. The secret is the complicated, but ultimately charming, relationship between the classic, eponymous animated character (voiced by Bill Farmer) and his teen son, Max (Jason Marsden), who he takes on a road trip that changes their lives forever.
Sophia Petrillo And Dorothy Zbornak (The Golden Girls)
The main Golden Girls cast was made up of four older women sharing a house in Miami, namely Dorothy (Bea Arthur), Rose (Betty White), Blanche (Rue McLanahan), and Dorothy's quick-witted mother, Sophia (Estelle Getty). Getty's Emmy-winning performance was so convincing, lending wonderfully to her and Dorothy's back-and-forth relationship, you would never guess the actor was actually one year younger than Arthur.
Dr. Henry Jones Sr. And Indiana Jones (Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade)
Even if it is not the absolute best Indiana Jones movie (most would agree that honor belongs to Raiders of the Lost Ark), 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is easily the installment with the most heart. The key is seeing Harrison Ford's eponymous archaeologist team up with his estranged father, Dr. Henry Jones, Sr. (Sir Sean Connery), in a race against the Nazis to locate the Holy Grail.
Jack And Sydney Bristow (Alias)
Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) may have had a difficult relationship with her estranged father, Jack (Victor Garber). However, they prove to be a great team in the business of espionage after she discovers that they are both double agents serving the CIA on creator J.J. Abrams' hit, action-packed drama, Alias.
Mufasa And Simba (The Lion King)
Disney's 1994 hit The Lion King would not be such a devastating tragedy if not for the powerful father-son relationship at its core. Young Simba (voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas) falls under the impression that he caused the untimely death of his father, Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones), driving him to go into hiding and allow the true murderer, Scar (Jeremy Irons), to usurp the throne.
Endora And Samantha Stephens (Bewitched)
Bewitched exaggerated the common trope of the disapproving mother-in-law to uproarious, fantastic proportions by putting veteran witch Endora (Agnes Moorehead) at constant odds with her son-in-law, Darrin Stephens (Dick York and, later, Dick Sargent). Luckily, Darrin's wife and Endora's daughter, fellow spellcaster Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery), managed to keep her mother in check, for the most part.
Ellen Ripley And Newt (Aliens)
It may seem like a bit of a cheat to include Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley and Newt (Carrie Henn, a child star who walked away from Hollywood after this role) from Aliens, as they are not biologically related or even bonded by law. However, through the survivor's fierce bid to protect the orphaned child from the Xenomorphs, she effectively becomes that little girl's mother by the end of that 1986 sci-fi movie classic.
Joseph And Murphy Cooper (Interstellar)
While Interstellar is certainly an intriguing space movie, Christopher Nolan's 2014 sci-fi odyssey is an even more powerful father-daughter story. Forced to leave Earth to search for a more habitable alternative home, Joseph "Coop" Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) becomes estranged from his daughter, Murphy, or "Murph" for short (played at different ages by Mackenzie Foy, Jessica Chastain, and finally Ellen Burstyn), not only by miles but also by decades after traveling through a time-dilating black hole.
Man And Boy (The Road)
Director John Hillcoat's 2009 adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's The Road is a brutal post-apocalyptic thriller about a man (played by Viggo Mortensen) and child (played by Kodi Smit-McPhee) searching for sanctuary in a dystopian wasteland. However, by keeping the core duo nameless, the story of a father struggling to do what is best for his son despite insurmountable obstacles becomes a tale that any parent can identify with.
Georgia And Ginny Miller (Ginny & Georgia)
Netflix's Ginny & Georgia is a TV show often compared to Gilmore Girls for its plot involving a single mother (played by Brianne Howey) and her young adult daughter (played by Antonia Gentry) she had in her teens. However, creator Sarah Lampert's dramedy takes things in a much darker direction with distressing circumstances that tend to put the titular duo at odds with one another.
Marlin And Nemo (Finding Nemo)
The duo most people would more readily associate with Finding Nemo is the platonic pairing of Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Dory (Ellen DeGeneres). However, in the grand scheme of things, the Pixar movie favorite is really about the clownfish's search for his eponymous son (voiced by Alexander Gould) and the youngster's determination to reunite with his father.
Din Djarin And Grogu (The Mandalorian)
Before The Mandalorian premiered, Star Wars fans did not know what to expect from the now-acclaimed Disney+ original TV show, other than an adventure following a tough galactic bounty hunter. The moment the series and the character of Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) truly won over audiences was when the show exposed his soft spot as he defied his orders and became a surrogate father to an adorable, infantile Jedi eventually called Grogu (but initially referred to by fans as "Baby Yoda").
John And Ray Kinsella (Field Of Dreams)
Field of Dreams has been described as a classic baseball movie, a mystifying ghost story, and a profound, heartwarming fantasy, but that is the tip of the iceberg. In its purest, most essential form, the 1989 favorite is the story of a farmer named Ray (Kevin Costner) given the astonishing opportunity to reunite with his late father, John (Dwier Brown), for a game of catch.
M'Lynn Eatenton And Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie (Steel Magnolias)
The 1989 adaptation of Robert Harling's play, Steel Magnolias, is an ensemble piece following multiple, strong Louisiana women from various walks of life. However, the core storyline, and the most memorable, is that of Mary Lynn "M'Lynn" Eatenton (Sally Field), and her struggles to let go of her grown-up daughter, Shelby (Julia Roberts), when she gets married and to come to terms with the risks that come with her diabetic condition.
Frank And John Sullivan (Frequency)
One of the most unique time travel movies ever made is 1999's Frequency, starring Jim Caviezel as John Sullivan, a modern-day homicide detective inexplicably given the chance to speak to his long-dead father, Frank (played by Dennis Quaid), from 30 years in the past over HAM radio. However, when they accidentally alter the past in grim ways, they must work together to prevent a series of murders before they happen.
Bonnie And Christy Plunkett (Mom)
The hit CBS sitcom, Mom, stars Anna Faris as single mother Christy Plunkett, who has enough on her plate trying to raise two children, in addition to maintaining her sobriety. Not making things too much easier is her mother, Bonnie (Academy Award winner Allison Janney), who is a recovering alcoholic herself, but unlike her daughter, rarely holds back from speaking her mind.
Julius And David Levinson (Independence Day)
Director Roland Emmerich's sci-fi blockbuster Independence Day is an alien invasion movie and disaster thriller with a nearly unmatched sense of charm and heart. Much of that can be credited to the relationship between MIT grad David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) and his relationship with his father, Julius (a hilarious, scene-stealing Judd Hirsch).
Keith And Veronica Mars (Veronica Mars)
Veronica Mars was a trailblazer for coming-of-age TV shows in the way it offered more subversive and grounded takes on inter-character relationships, such as the title character's bond with her single father, who is a private investigator. While Keith (Enrico Colantoni) can be a bit overprotective of Veronica (Kristen Bell), they share a bond that almost better resembles close friends, strengthened by their mutual passion for justice.
Hal And Oliver Fields (Beginners)
Some people go their entire lives never fully getting to know their parents for who they truly are, but Oliver Fields (Ewan McGregor) gets the chance before it is too late in the 2010 dramedy, Beginners. Oliver becomes inspired to pursue a more spirited life and romance with Anna (Mélanie Laurent) following his strengthened relationship with his father, Hal (Christopher Plummer in an Oscar-winning performance), who reveals that he is gay at 75 years old after the death of his wife.
Richard And Alexis Castle (Castle)
If Richard Castle's (Nathan Fillion) professional and, eventually, romantic relationship with Det. Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) is the lifeblood of ABC's zesty crime procedural, Castle, then the heart and soul is his relationship with his daughter. The novelist-turned-police consultant has been called reckless and immature by some, but the proof that he is an exceptional father lies in the teenage Alexis (Molly C. Quinn).
Carl And Bud Fox (Wall Street)
One of the most iconic instances of a parent and child acting alongside each other is Martin and Charlie Sheen in Oliver Stone's Wall Street. Carl Fox (Martin) and his son, Bud (Charlie), are divided by their employment status (Carl being blue collar and Bud being white collar) and an ethical disagreement that nearly severs their relationship forever, but ultimately remain united by their mutual love and admiration.
Rocky And Jim Rockford (The Rockford Files)
No one made being a private investigator look cooler than James Garner as street-smart former convict Jim Rockford on The Rockford Files. Of course, the detective was lucky to be able to rely on his allies, the best being his own father, Joseph "Rocky" Rockford (Noah Beery Jr.).
Tess And Anna Coleman (Freaky Friday)
There may not be a parent-child duo on this list that understands each other better than Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Anna Coleman (Lindsay Lohan) from Disney's 2003 adaptation of Mary Rodgers' novel, Freaky Friday. How so? The psychiatrist and the teen musician have literally spent a day in each other's shoes, thanks to a magical fortune cookie, in the beloved body swap movie.
Calum And Sophie Patterson (Aftersun)
Writer and director Charlotte Wells' Aftersun is a heart-wrenching, but great, A24 movie starring Academy Award nominee Paul Mescal as a man trying to do right by his young daughter, Sophie (Frankie Corio), amid his struggles with depression and anxiety.
Max And Page Conners (Heartbreakers)
Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt star in Heartbreakers as a mother-daughter con artist duo. They specialize in cheating wealthy men out of their money by having Max (Weaver) marry the target, having Page (Hewitt) seduce them into being adulterous, and collecting the loot in the divorce settlement.
"Big" And "Little Edith" Bouvier Beale (Grey Gardens)
The acclaimed 1975 documentary Grey Gardens introduced the world to Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter, "Little Edith," who are the cousins of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore gave acclaimed performances as the reclusive eccentrics in a dramatized adaptation of the doc made for HBO in 2009.
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