Parent's Choice

7 Classic Movies Sons Can Watch With Their Dads

by Kevyn Gohu
June 27, 2025

Here are some classic movies sons can bond over with their dads

While we know that action movies are what make our dads and sons happy, some mellow and deeply intriguing ones will tickle them pink too. Besides, having a varied library of movies will help our boys become more well-rounded individuals. Life isn’t always about being outwardly and traditionally aggressive; it takes some brains, too! Here are some classic movies sons can bond over with their dads:

The Emperor’s Club

Released in 2002, The Emperor’s Club stars Kevin Kline as a professor who teaches at a prestigious prep school for boys. The professor then finds himself at odds with headstrong student, Sedgewick Bell, who is the son of a U.S. Senator from West Virginia. It’s a story of principles; Mr. Arthur Hundert (Kevin Kline) finds himself clashing with Sedgewick and struggling to stay true to who he is as a teacher. And in the modern-day world, our sons and dads will often find themselves in situations that do just the same.

The Dead Poets Society

Starring the late and beloved Robin Williams, The Dead Poets Society is a movie that teaches the balance of being and doing, made in 1989. John Keating (played by Robin Williams) attracts students with his unusual way of teaching and analyzing poetry, offering life lessons at the same time, to the young men who study in his class. It’s in this movie that sons and dads are taught that we don’t just learn the subjects that help us survive, but also the subjects that help us thrive.

17 Again

Starring Zac Efron and the late Matthew Perry, 17 Again is when a dad (played by Matthew Perry) who returns to his 17-year-old self (Zac Efron) in modern-day time. He then masquerades as a schoolmate of his son and daughter, learning what life is like in their shoes. It’s a movie that reminds dads and sons that we can learn from the past and that parents can and are encouraged to learn from their children, too.

The Ron Clark Story

Another one from Matthew Perry from 2006, but this time, he plays the movie’s namesake character — Ron Clark. As he takes on a class of students who “nobody wants,” it first becomes a clash of wills before they eventually bond with one another. Ron Clark (Matthew Perry) became the father figure the kids needed, willing to stick it out with them and always finding new ways to communicate. Something that dads and sons always need to work on.

Hearts in Atlantis

A movie made in 2001 starring the famous Anthony Hopkins, Hearts in Atlantis, is told from the point of view of a man named Bobby who reminisces about his younger years in a small town. Much of the movie then focuses on his relationship with a mysterious gentleman with telekinetic powers, Ted Brautigan, with whom he forms a father-son relationship. Together, the two navigate life while dodging the attempts of the “Low Men.”

The Devil’s Advocate

While this is a supernatural horror movie and better off for older sons, the movie does teach a valuable lesson of how certain things are not as they seem. Played with an all-star cast, Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino, and Charlize Theron, The Devil’s Advocate is a movie that shows even the most amazing of things may have strings attached. It may feel like a more modern-day adaptation of the old literary piece, Faust.

The Naked Gun

Although there’s a reboot scheduled to debut this August 1, 2025, The Naked Gun is a long-running police humor classic. If ever the boys want to find out where their father gets his humor, it’s probably this movie. Filled with comical and innocent mishaps, it’s about a detective who tries to be better than his father, who was known to be quite a bumbling detective. While Leslie Nielsen plays Detective Frank Drebin, Liam Neeson plays the son, Frank Drebin Jr.

What Women Want

Boys nowadays are always trying to understand what women want and this classic Mel Gibson drama covers exactly that. Suddenly gifted with the ability to read women’s minds, Mel Gibson is then advised by his therapist to use the powers to his advantage. From there, he starts learning what his daughter wants and what the women in his office want. While sons and dads may never have that power, they can try to learn through the movie.

A lot of movies that fathers and sons can bond over

While we know movie night is usually moms and daughters, fathers and sons can do the same. We often think that a good action movie will do the trick, but it’s good to change it up a little by watching movies that encourage a little character debate. After all, they can’t solve every problem with aggression and violence. Some just need a little reflection and processing, something that these classic movies teach.