Three Sweet, New Films for the Fathers in Our Lives

We here at Plugged In would just like to wish every dad out there a very happy Father’s Day!

But it seems we may not be alone.

I’m talking, of course, about Blue Miracle, Fatherhood and 12 Mighty Orphans, three movies that talk about fatherhood and released just in time for the big day.

Each of these films has their own content concerns, which you can read about in our reviews, but they also each have their own merit and heartfelt messages about what it truly means to be a father—or just as important, father figure.

Blue Miracle—streaming on Netflix—is faith-based and stars Dennis Quaid and Jimmy Gonzales (check out our interview with them here). It tells the true story of how a group of orphans teamed up with a grizzled old boat captain (Quaid) to win an international fishing competition and save their orphanage from foreclosure. Along the way, the orphanage’s director (Gonzales) stands up for his boys, acting as their father, teaching them what it means to have integrity and never giving up. And through his example, Captain Wade learns what it means to really be present in his own son’s life.

Fatherhood—also streaming on Netflix—stars Kevin Hart as a recently widowed father of a baby girl. As our own Kristin Smith wrote, “This film is a tear-jerker. I cried in a few scenes. It’s just so relatable. So real. Such a beautiful portrayal of how hard it is to parent, let alone parent on your own. And while this is a story of a dad raising his daughter, it’s also one of a husband losing his wife and the permanent pain that comes with tragedy.” So while it’s probably necessary to have tissues on hand while watching, “those who see this film will find a positive, redemptive message about the beauty, joy and pain of parenthood, and some poignant reminders of why it’s all worth it.”

12 Mighty Orphans—now in theaters—stars Luke Wilson as Rusty Russell, the real-life Texas high school football coach who led a team of 12 orphans to the state championship by developing their passing game. The story gives us multiple heartbreaking tales of how these kids became orphans during the Great Depression. But Rusty never gives up on them. He wants to give them a better life and he’s willing to fight for it. He just has to teach them how to fight for it as well.

So, whether you’re a dad, granddad, stepdad, adopted dad, foster dad, soon-to-be dad, or Happy Father’s Day! And hopefully these films will inspire you to be the best dad you can be.