“ Ted Kramer: Kramer vs Kramer

This award-winning film was one of the first to portray the hardships of divorce and raising a child on your own from the perspective of the father. It was both heartbreaking and inspiring to watch Ted Kramer as he slowly transformed from a workaholic executive to a loving, attentive father, only to almost lose custody of his son once again. Here's to the fathers who are raising their children on their own.

Buy Kramer vs Kramer at Amazon. ”

“ Atticus Finch: To Kill a Mockingbird

Atticus taught his children Jem and Scout about tolerance and standing up for what you believe in, and in 2003 he was voted the greatest hero in American film history by AFI.


Buy To Kill a Mockingbird at Amazon. ”

“ Cliff Huxtable: "The Cosby Show"

At some point, if you grew up in the '80s, you probably wished that your dad was more like Dr. Huxtable. And why not? Cliff Huxtable was funny, warm, caring, and knew how to rock a bad sweater. But whenever his kids took a wrong step, he was very quick to correct them -- not for the sake of punishment (although one of "The Cosby Show's" most memorable quotes was "I brought you into this world, and I'll take you out") but to make sure they continued down the right path. What's not to love about Cliff Huxtable?


Buy "The Cosby Show" at Amazon. ”

“ Harry Morgan: "Dexter"

Is it possible for a serial killer to have a moral compass? In Dexter Morgan's world, yes, thanks to the care and guidance of his adoptive father Harry, a cop. Instead of locking his son away or abandoning him to his impulses when he discovered Dexter was a budding serial killer, Harry instilled a set of laws in him known as "the code," and they must be met to the letter. His son kills murderers who escape justice, and Miami becomes a safer place, if only by small degrees. And though Harry is long dead, he remains with Dexter as a manifestation of his consciousness to keep him from succumbing completely to his Dark Passenger.


Buy "Dexter" at Amazon. ”

“ David Clarke: "Revenge"

David Clarke only ever appears in flashback on "Revenge," but James Tupper's portrayal of the man wronged by the wicked Grayson family set up an ever-twisting narrative that hooked us from the pilot episode and resulted in one of the best cliffhanger season finales in recent memory. Emily Thorne might be the star of the program, but her adherence to her father's moral code kept the show from going too far off the rails.


Buy "Revenge" at Amazon. ”

“ Bryan Mills: Taken

This quote from the film says it all:

"I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you."

May we all have fathers who are so dedicated to their children.

Buy Taken at Amazon. ”

“ Daniel Plainview: There Will Be Blood

Hard-working and entrepreneurial, Daniel Plainview seems like an ideal father. That is, as long as you a) aren't deaf and b) don't mind if he drinks some or all of your milkshake.


Buy There Will Be Blood at Amazon. ”

“ Darth Vader: Star Wars

Mr. Vader's gradual shift to the dark side did put a bit of a crimp in his relationship with Luke, but he did serve a what-not-to-do role model for his son, who learned from his mistakes and chose another path. (P.S. We don't don't condone lightsaber battles between fathers and sons unless they're strictly the toy variety.)


Buy Star Wars at Amazon. ”

“ Marlin: Finding Nemo

Marlin set a new standard for fathers everywhere when he overcame his agoraphobia and traveled across the ocean in search of his lost son Nemo. He was a textbook case of Underwater Separation Anxiety when the single fish father found his son snatched by a tropical fish enthusiast in the Great Barrier Reef. Next to Liam Neeson, count Marlin as our next choice to rescue us if we're ever kidnapped!

Buy Finding Nemo at Amazon. ”

“ Mike Brady: "The Brady Bunch"

Here's the story of a man named Brady, who was busy with three boys of his own... when he met Carol and her three daughters. And when their families blended, Mike was an attentive, sensitive and wise father to all of them, not to mention the model of a perfect dad for millions of people to watched the show. But perhaps Mike's best quality was his ability to dole out sage advice to all of his children, firmly and gently. If the Bradys are one of popular culture's most ideal families, then Mike is the heart that makes them so lovable.

Buy "The Brady Bunch" at Amazon. ”

“ Gil Buckman: Parenthood

Steve Martin's portrayal of fatherhood is not one of perfection; Gil makes mistakes, knows that he's making them, but all the while is trying to do the best for his kids that he can, to be a better father than his own. Plus, he may be the best birthday party entertainer dad in the world.


Buy "Parenthood" at Amazon. ”

“ Fred G. Sanford: "Sanford and Son"

Watching Fred and Lamont jaw at each other show after show was always a laugh, but regardless of how grumpy or exasperated they were with each other, we as an audience never doubted for a second that they loved each other. Their disagreements felt closer to real life than previous sit-coms, where families always seemed too polite and perfect to actually exist.

Buy "Sanford and Son" at Amazon. ”

“ Graham Hess: Signs

As a father dealing with mysterious crop circles that suddenly pop up in his backyard, Mel Gibson gave one of his most sympathetic performances as a dad trying to protect his two kids from the menacing aliens who suddenly invade planet Earth... and his home.

Buy Signs at Amazon. ”

“ Professor Henry Jones: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

He may have spent more time searching for the Holy Grail than raising "Junior" ("We named the dog Indiana"), but his son turned out well enough that we'll give Dr. Jones a pass.

Buy Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade at Amazon. ”

“ Coach Eric Taylor: "Friday Night Lights"

While yes, Coach Taylor is officially a father to two fantastic girls, we think of him also as an ideal surrogate father to all of his players. Inspirational speeches? Check. Good advice? Check.


Buy "Friday Night Lights" at Amazon. ”

“ Vito Corleone: The Godfather

"I'm gonna make him an offer he won't refuse." How could any Father's Day list be complete without The Godfather himself, Vito Corleone?

Buy The Godfather at Amazon. ”

“ Keith Mars: "Veronica Mars"

Keith Mars managed to raise an intelligent, strong-willed, snarky daughter through personal and professional tragedy, and served as an example to her of the importance of doing right despite the odds against you - even when his joking catchphrase "Who's your daddy?" unexpectedly turned from a minor annoyance for Veronica into a serious question.

Buy "Veronica Mars" at Amazon. ”

“ Cameron Tucker and Mitchell Pritchett: "Modern Family"

Lily Pritchett has not one, but two, devoted, loving and downright hysterical dads? We count her has one tremendously lucky kid.

Buy "Modern Family" at Amazon. ”

“ Stanley Banks: Father of the Bride

While we're fans of Steve Martin's more recent take on the role of Mr. Banks, we adore Spencer Tracy's performance in the original film, in which he manages a balance of exasperation at the inanities of weddings with the unabashed love of and concern for his daughter (played by a luminous Elizabeth Taylor). He's curmudgeonly and wonderful all at once.


Buy Father of the Bride at Amazon. ”