7 Movies About Single Fathers

"The Boys Are Back"

• 2009
• Australia, United Kingdom
• Drama
• Director: Scott Hicks
• Cast: Clive Owen, Emma Booth, Laura Fraser, George MacKay, Nicholas McAnulty
• IMDb Rating: 6.8
• MyShows Rating: —

After his wife’s death, sports reporter Joe Warr takes full responsibility for raising their six-year-old son, despite the plans of his mother-in-law, who also claims custody. Soon, his older son from his first marriage arrives from England. Joe must rebuild his relationship with his children and learn to be a father to two boys at once, each of whom is coping with the loss in his own way. They all face difficult decisions as they try to stay together as a family.

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"We Bought a Zoo"

• 2011
• USA
• Drama, Comedy, Family
• Director: Cameron Crowe
• Cast: Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Hayden Church, Colin Ford, Maggie Elizabeth Jones
• IMDb Rating: 7
• MyShows Rating: 4.18

Widower Benjamin Mee tries to cope with the loss of his wife by buying an abandoned country house. An unexpected “bonus” on the property turns out to be a closed zoo with two hundred exotic animals. The family spends all their savings to save the zoo, get it up and running, and successfully pass a strict inspection.

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"2 + 1"

• 2016
• France, United Kingdom
• Drama, Comedy
• Director: Hugo Gélin
• Cast: Omar Sy, Clémence Poésy, Antoine Bertrand, Ashley Walters, Gloria Colston
• IMDb Rating: 7.3
• MyShows Rating: 4.16

Samuel is a carefree bachelor whose life changes dramatically when one of his ex-girlfriends leaves their daughter on his doorstep and disappears. Now a single father, Samuel moves to London and takes a job as a stuntman to provide for his child. Over time, he becomes a loving and attentive father to the girl and raises her for eight years. But their peaceful life is shattered when the mother suddenly reappears, determined to take the child back and pursuing this through the courts.

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"I Am Sam"

• 2001
• USA, Germany
• Drama
• Director: Jesse Nelson
• Cast: Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dakota Fanning, Dianna Wiest, Loretta Devine
• IMDb Rating: 7.3
• MyShows Rating: 4.16

Sam Dawson is a man whose mental development has stalled at the level of a seven-year-old child, but he tries his hardest to live independently and be part of society. One day, he takes in a pregnant woman who, after giving birth to a daughter, leaves the newborn in his care. Since then, Sam has devoted himself entirely to the child and named the girl Lucy—after the heroine of a song by his favorite band, The Beatles. Seven years pass, and Lucy becomes smarter and more mature than her father, which attracts the attention of social services. In court, the issue of stripping Sam of his parental rights is raised.

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"Captain Fantastic"

• 2016
• USA
• Drama, Adventure
• Director: Matt Ross
• Cast: Viggo Mortensen, George MacKay, Samantha Isler, Annalisa Basso, Nicholas Hamilton
• IMDb Rating: 7.8
• MyShows Rating: 4.02

A father living with his six children in the forests of the Pacific Northwest returns for his wife’s funeral. Their life is far removed from conventional social norms: the family survives in the wilderness, the children know how to hunt, butcher game, navigate by the stars, and treat wounds with whatever is at hand. Instead of school, they learn in the woods, yet they are well-versed in philosophy, understand contemporary debates surrounding the Bill of Rights, and are capable of discussing complex literary themes. However, this isolated “utopia” collides with reality—ordinary Americans whose views and way of life starkly contrast with their own world.

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"Kramer vs. Kramer"

• 1979
• USA
• Drama
• Director: Robert Benton
• Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander, Justin Henry, Howard Duff
• IMDb Rating: 7.8
• MyShows Rating: 4.14

Ted Kramer is completely absorbed in his work and fails to notice his family life falling apart. As a result, his wife leaves, leaving him alone with their six-year-old son. Now Ted has to take on a role for which he was completely unprepared: caring for his child and gradually learning to understand his sensitive inner world. Over time, a genuine bond develops between father and son, and they begin to truly understand each other. But just then, the mother returns, having regretted her decision, and demands the child back, further complicating an already difficult situation.

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"The Pursuit of Happyness"

• 2006
• USA
• Drama
• Director: Gabriele Muccino
• Cast: Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Thandive Newton, Brian Howe, James Karen
• IMDb Rating: 8
• MyShows Rating: 4.43

Chris Gardner is a single father raising his five-year-old son and doing everything he can to ensure the boy grows up surrounded by love and care. Working as a salesman, he struggles to pay the rent, and they are evicted. Left without a roof over his head but undeterred, Chris lands an internship at a brokerage firm. However, even there, his income is barely enough to get by. Despite all the hardships, he doesn’t give up: Chris is determined to secure a future for his son and refuses to let circumstances break him.

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