Looking to bond with your son over a movie that doesn't involve superheroes of video-game characters? It's not easy these days, but Made Man has come up with the following list of 10 movies every father should make sure his son sees:
Rebel Without a Cause. James Dean epitomizes the angst-ridden youth, and his father's desperate and clumsy attempts to connect don't help things.
The Godfather. Your son is going to struggle with its pace, and maybe even snicker at Brando's legendary affectation as Vito Corleone. But once the bullets begin flying, and an enraged brother takes a trash can lid to the head of his brother-in-law for hitting his sister, he'll know he's seeing something important.
Rocky. Rocky remains the ultimate underdog story, and Stallone's lovable lug who just... won't... stay... down will have you and Junior bonding in a Philadelphia minute.
Brian’s Song. It's the #1 "guy-cry" flick of all times. Yes, "guy-cry." It didn't take off like "rom-com."
The Bad News Bears. The cursing may be off-putting, considering just how seriously you take that sort of thing, but Walter Matthau's drunken little league coach and the rag-tag crew of awful baseball players he is stuck with is the ultimate tale of embracing the suck.
Raiders of the Lost Ark. With its soaring theme music and throwback sensibilities, this horse-riding, snake-hating, hard-scrabble archaeologist remains a character that resonates with all little boys.
The Empire Strikes Back. Significantly faster than its predecessor, and twice as action-packed, this time around we also get Yoda. And every boy needs to see Yoda training a frazzled Luke Skywalker. Plus, the greatest reveal in cinematic history happens right here, and it involves a father introducing himself to his son, after lopping his hand off. Perfect!
Field of Dreams. Challenging on many levels, the Kevin Costner classic makes the cut largely because it's all being about a grown man still reeling from the passing of his father—so much so that he's pretty darn sure the old man wants him to clear out his crops and replace them with a baseball diamond.
A Bronx Tale. Heartfelt, sometimes funny as hell and sometimes violent as hell, this whole thing is somehow now a hit Broadway musical!
Unforgiven. Look, the boy's gotta meet Clint.