ARTICLE
InCinemas' Very Own List of Our Favourite Onscreen Fathers
By InCinemas / 17 Jun 2017 (Saturday)
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Fathers’ Day is here again to remind us about the often unsung heroes in our lives: our beloved dad. Parenting is nothing short of an extraordinary feat, and fathers deserve all the credit for the unimaginable amount of work that they put into raising their child.
Here at InCinemas.sg, we are celebrating this special day with a list of our personal favourite onscreen fathers (in no particular order), each a hero in their own way.
1. Sam Dawson from 'I Am Sam'
Played by Sean Penn, Sam Dawson is a mentally challenged, single father of a seven-year-old girl, Lucy. Sam loves his daughter more than anything but, due to his mental disability, Sam's parenting abilities are called into question by the authority. The Department of Children and Family Services threatens to revoke Sam's parental rights and place Lucy in foster care. Sam's journey to get his daughter back will surely make you shed a tear or two at the display of pure, unadulterated fatherly love from a man whose IQ is that of a seven-year-old.
2. Guido Orefice from 'Life Is Beautiful'
Life Is Beautiful tells the story of Guido, a Jewish man, who is taken into a Nazi concentration camp together with his young son, Giosuè. To shield Giosuè from the gruesome reality of the situation, Guido tells his son that it is all just an elaborate game. Giosuè has to perform certain tasks, including hiding from the camp guards, in order to earn points and win a tank. Guido's love and protectiveness of his son are the shining beacon against the backdrop of the grim horror of the Holocaust.
3. Frank Adler from 'Gifted'
A more recent portrayal of a father figure is from the movie 'Gifted' where Chris Evans plays the role of Frank Adler, the unofficial guardian of his intellectually gifted niece, Mary. Wanting Mary to have a normal childhood in a public school, Frank finds himself in a custody battle with his mother, who wants to give Mary a special education catered to gifted children like her. Even though Frank isn't Mary's biological father, he is the closest thing to a father figure in her life who loves her and puts her wellbeing above everything.
4. John Keating from 'Dead Poets Society'
Another non-biological father figure that touches our heart is John Keating, played by the late Robin Williams. Keating is the new English teacher at Welton Academy, who inspires his young students to appreciate art and literature in their own way and reject the rigid, formulaic instructions that have been taught to them. With his motto of "Carpe Diem" and the iconic quote, "Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for", Keating doesn't just teach literature, he teaches his students about life. He guides them in finding their own voice and inspires them to (quite literally!) stand up for what they believe in.
5. Darth Vader from Star Wars
Despite being traditionally considered a villain, there is no doubt that Darth Vader a.k.a. Anakin Skywalker is a dedicated father. In fact, it is his devotion to protect his wife and unborn children that drives him to the Dark Side. Even after he has become Darth Vader, he loves his children and will do anything to protect them until his dying breath.
That's it for our list of the best onscreen fathers. Let us know YOUR version in the comment section. And don't forget to give your equally awesome offscreen dad a hug this Father's Day!