In A Father’s Legacy, a man on the run unknowingly takes his father hostage after he comitts a crime. But, deep familial bonds slowly but surely changes their relationship to one that inspires. If you are looking for more movies about fathers, sons or daughters unexpectedly getting together or having their lives intertwined, we’ve got just the list for you. Here are 6 movies like A Father’s Legacy.
Speaking of father movies, we wrote up similar movie suggestions for two very popular 2021 movies about fathers. Her are movies like Anthony Hopkin’s tear jerker The Father and movies similar to Concrete Cowboy, a Netflix movie about a troubled father son relationship.
6 Inspiring Father Son/Daughter Movies like A Father’s Legacy
1 City by the Sea (2002)
IMDB 6.1 | 24K+ Ratings
Don’t let the movie’s rather average 6.1 IMDB rating discourage you. This is an underrated movie starring Robert De Niro and James Franco. Vincent LaMarca (Robert De Niro) is a celebrated police officer. But, the latest suspect he is investigating is his own son Joey (James Franco). The movie is called City by the Sea because it is set against the backdrop of Long Beach. But, just like Vincent’s life, there is hardly anything glamourous about the city by the sea. Decaying boardwalks are the perfect backdrop for this movie that showcases the troubled relationship between father and son.
There’s quite a touching scene where Robert De Niro puts his heart out there in terms of acting performances. Whether you are father or son, it will be hard not to tear up a bit when that scene comes around. James Franco is brilliant too, as he is usually is.
2 The Judge (2014)
IMDB 7.4 | 182K+ Ratings
Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) is a big city hotshot lawyer. Out of the blue, his brother calls him to tell him that their father Joseph Palmer (Robert Duvall) is being accused of murder. Hank and Joseph don’t get along. But, Hank finds it hard not to help.
But, his help is met with resistance, disdain even. Father and son don’t see eye to eye on the values of life and there are undercurrents with the other brother Glen (Vincent D’Onofrio) as well. Joseph is also a Judge with a distinguished service record, until this murder accusation came along. So, he isn’t a man who bows down to others either.
But, despite all the friction and estranged animosity, the family comes closer together, after an unexpected discovery. There are many moving scenes between father and son in this movie. Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton and Jeremy Strong deliver excellent acting performances as well. Hank’s efforts to acquit his father is of course the movie’s underlying plot.
3 North Country (2005)
IMDB 7.3 | 40K+ Ratings
This movie is a fictionalized retelling of how the first sexual harassment case in the United States played out. Charlize Theron is Josey Aimes. A single mother and desperate for money, she decides to work at the mines. She is not welcome there. She and a few other female colleagues are subject to constant sexual harassment from the likes of Bobby (Jeremy Renner) and his coworkers. Complicating matters is the fact that Josey’s father Hank Aimes (Richard Jenkins) works at the mines as well, turning a blind eye to the injustice against his own daughter.
Josey and Hank share an estranged relationship. But, when push comes to shove in the end, could an inspiring reunion occur? A movie that will inspire you in many ways – courageous women embarking on a landmark lawsuit and a progressive evolution of a difficult relationship between father and daughter.
4 Fences (2016)
IMDB 7.2 | 100K+ Ratings
Denzel Washington is Troy Maxson. He is a hard working sanitation worker. At home are his wife and son. Times are tough and there is just enough money to stay afloat. Troy aspired to be a professional baseball player. But, by the time apartheid came to an end to allow black players to play professional baseball, Troy’s youth was up. He was too old. Troy carries a lot of bitterness from this into his daily life.
But, when he decides to disallow his son’s chance to meet a professional football recruiter, tensions within the family rise. A great family drama with many scenes in the family’s dilapidated backyard. Viola Davis is exceptional as Troy’s wife Rose Maxson.
Denzel Washington directs this movie himself. The plot beautifully weaves the troubled relationship between father and son through the love husband and wife share in difficult and trying circumstances.
5 He Got Game (1998)
IMDB 6.9 | 45K+ Ratings
We have another movie starring Denzel Washington here. Directed by Spike Lee, He Got Game is about Jake Shuttlesworth and his son Jesus Shuttlesworth (Ray Allen). Jake (Denzel Washington) is serving a prison sentence. But, if he can convince his basketball prodigy of a son to go to a particular college to play, he prison sentence can be greatly reduced.
But, there’s a problem. Jake is in prison for killing Jesus’ mother. Will the father and son be able to make amends and enter what seems to be a very unlikely pact?
There are many interesting things about this movie. The estranged father son relationship of course is what is closest to what you saw in A Father’s Legacy. There’s also Ray Allen playing Jesus Shuttlesworth. Ray Allen if you did not know was a professional NBA player, a very good one at that. So, the sports scenes that you see are not your typical sports scenes with a lot of camera cuts. It’s the real deal and that adds an X-factor to this movie. Spike Lee’s direction stands out of course, like it almost always does.
6 Like Father (2018)
IMDB 6.1 | 19K+ Ratings
Like Father is a bit of a lighter take on an estranged father and child relationship. Kristen Bell is Rachel. She’s left stranded at the altar after her fiancé bails on her. If that weren’t enough, she sees her estranged father Harry (Kelsey Grammer) show up for the wedding out of the blue. She hadn’t seen him since she was 5.
The two get drunk, and no, get your mind out of the gutter, go on a honeymoon cruise together, one Rachel had booked for herself and now long gone fiancé.
Aboard a large cruise ship, the two try to come terms to each other. Rachel sees how she is very much like her father. But, will that be enough for them to see eye to eye. A fairly slow paced comedy but a good one nonetheless. Kelsey Grammer is excellent and so is Kristen Bell. This is a definitely what you will call an offbeat suggestion for a Netflix movie like A Father’s Legacy. But, the essence of a parent child reunion is there and there are a lot of learning moments scattered throughout the movie. And, a little comedy drama won’t hurt once in a while, right?