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Featured Replies

I have a 14 year old son, and we watched Saving Private Ryan together recently.  He loved it, and it got me to thinking that there are a whole lot of movies that I think he and I should watch together.  Some because they are just great movies, but some that have a truth or lesson in them, especially those that are important for aspiring men.  Anyway, here are a few movies that I want to make sure we watch together.  Give me some more suggestions.

  • Outlaw Josie Wales
  • Big Lebowski
  • Schindler's List
  • Grand Torino
  • Shawshank Redemption
  • American Beauty
  • Patton
  • A River Runs Through It
  • Full Metal Jacket
  • Life is Beautiful
  • Goodfellas

Not a movie but Band of Brothers should be in the queue.
 

Separately, surprised American Beauty is on the list, any particular reason there?

1 hour ago, Frieda’s Boss said:

Not a movie but Band of Brothers should be in the queue.
 

Separately, surprised American Beauty is on the list, any particular reason there?

hes either gay or he wants to bang the cheerleader at his sons school

Why would American beauty be a dad and son movie? That would creep me out.

Just a few. Some you’ll want to wait til he’s older

It’s a Wonderful Life
Battleground
The Right Stuff
Blazing SAddles
Young Frankenstein
Old Yeller
The Blue Max
Chef
Bullitt
Endless Summer
Honeysuckle Rose (Texas, Willie, music)
2001
Dr Strangelove
Schindlers List
The Godfather I & II
The Searchers
Airplane!
Hud
Junction Boys
DAs Boot
Fargo
Jeremiah Johnson
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Bernie


A lot of Texas based movies. It’s important.

My son is in sixth grade, about the age I was when I saw Stand By Me. Thinking about watching that with him soon.

I’d say a River Runs Through It, but that movie was terrible and my son would fall asleep in the middle of it.

October Sky, esp if he's a bit of an engineer mind. It's a great engineering movie, plus a great family story.

Tommy Boy- watched this on a 7" portable DVD player on a boys high school  playoff football trip in 2007.  It is so engrained in our vernacular and daily exchanges, I think it would qualify as the one thing my wife hated that I ever did with the boys, therefore, it is spectacularly perfect.

Napoleon Dynamite- Runner up to Tommy Boy for interjecting lines into our daily lives.

Rocky

Full Metal Jacket( we watched the boot camp scenes and they didn't watch the Vietnam scenes until later( probably next day when I went to work)

The Fugitive

Shawshank Redemption

My kids hated The Godfather the first time they saw it.  They love it now.  Not sure 14 is the right-ish age.  Depends on the kid, I guess.

+1 on October Sky, as both kids were already wired that way.  Wheelhouse for them.

 

 

 

 

I’ve actually never seen October Sky, so guess I’ll give that a shot.

I like a lot of the list above.  Didn't see anyone mention:

Big Fish

and 

My Life

They hit on Father/Son relationships so it might be too direct a message for someone 14.  LOL.  

 

American History X

Glory

Karate Kid

Top Gun & TG - Maverick

Back to the Future

The last three more for fun than any important deeper life messages.  

 

Absolutely would include Band of Brothers in the list.  Especially after Ryan.

25 minutes ago, deech said:

Big Fish

I watched that with my parents many years ago, when my dad was somewhere in his 60’s (he’s 78 now). I can count the times on one hand I’ve seen my old man cry in my lifetime, and I could sense that he was getting emotional at the final scene. His dad was a fisherman, and they had a similarly strained relationship. At the end he got up and left the house, and I could hear him audibly weep as he walked out the front door.

  • Author

Thanks for the suggestions.  He’s seen some of these already.

I get the question marks in reaction to American Beauty.  It’s definitely not a typical man’s movie.  He would need to older, maybe even over 18.  I think AB serves as a great cautionary tale.  It makes the point that following the common, acceptable path and checking all the boxes of the American dream does not necessarily lead to happiness and contentment.  He gets one life, and some people spend all of theirs unhappily living a “good life” that society, media, parents, etc... have imprinted on them. If that isn’t where your happiness resides, don’t settle for it, or you’ll regret it at the end.

Amazing how few of the movies mentioned have been made in the last 20 years.  Have any been made in the last 10?

Cool Hand Luke

The Sting

The Great Gatsby (both versions) 

Tombstone

Perfect Storm

just to add a few 

Boogie Nights
Smokey and the Bandit
Caddyshack
Weird Science
Private School
Porky's
Ferris Bueller's Day Off

 

46 minutes ago, Goredho said:

Thanks for the suggestions.  He’s seen some of these already.

I get the question marks in reaction to American Beauty.  It’s definitely not a typical man’s movie.  He would need to older, maybe even over 18.  I think AB serves as a great cautionary tale.  It makes the point that following the common, acceptable path and checking all the boxes of the American dream does not necessarily lead to happiness and contentment.  He gets one life, and some people spend all of theirs unhappily living a “good life” that society, media, parents, etc... have imprinted on them. If that isn’t where your happiness resides, don’t settle for it, or you’ll regret it at the end.

Amazing how few of the movies mentioned have been made in the last 20 years.  Have any been made in the last 10?

I loved American Beauty as a grown ass man recognizing so many of the depictions calling out real life tales of depravity and/or bad marriages.  It was dark AF and I loved it because of it.   Never once thought, "Oh my boys would love this movie." Same goes for American History X.  Great movie.  Not sure it would be cool for a 14 YO.

The reason most of my suggestions are a bit older is a function of when my own boys were that age.  I was thinking about more  flicks and would include stuff like:

The Martian

Almost any Bond flick

Finding Forrester

Good Morning Vietnam- my sons were very interested when I informed them Robin Williams was in it, and they knew he had voiced the genie in Aladdin.

Master and Commander

Good Will Hunting

Stand and Deliver

a shit ton of sports movies

 

  • Author

Yeah, like I said, American Beauty is for when he’s older.  These aren’t all movies that I think I should watch with him at 14.  More like things with messages he should receive/consider between now and when he’s out on his own.

Add Fatal Attraction to the list then...#sarcasm

rabbit-rabbitseason.gif

Edited by slorch

Breaking Away.

Could be considered as much a movie about a father and son as much as a buddy movie IMO.

Happiness is relative is a good message to learn.

 

 

 

  • Author

I know Glory was mentioned, but it seems like given the times, perhaps some movies concerning the American Revolution and the Civil War might be in order.  I'm not sure if I could have made it through the Ken Burns docuseries when I was a young man.

10 minutes ago, Goredho said:

I know Glory was mentioned, but it seems like given the times, perhaps some movies concerning the American Revolution and the Civil War might be in order.  I'm not sure if I could have made it through the Ken Burns docuseries when I was a young man.

The Crossing with Jeff Daniels cast as George Washington. While not in the 10 star category it's not bad and I'm always rather pleased with anything Daniels does. He's a good actor. Movie title says it all.

Secondhand Lions.

Since you indicated a military movie bent, American Sniper.

My son's also 14 and we watch tons of movies together. He loves scary/horror movies the most, but here are some of our faves across genres, not including many of the ones y'all have already listed.

  • Get Out
  • The Goonies
  • Stand by Me
  • It (I know, I know, but in between the horror is a great coming-of-age story)
  • The Shawshank Redemption
  • Ready or Not
  • Dead Poets Society

Others we haven't seen together but that are on the list:

  • The Green Mile 
  • Good Will Hunting
  • True Grit

 

1 hour ago, slorch said:

a shit ton of sports movies

Field of Dreams is a must if he has even a passing interest in baseball

  • Author
11 minutes ago, baboso said:

Secondhand Lions.

Since you indicated a military movie bent, American Sniper.

He's seen seconhand lions already.  I actually haven't seen American Sniper, so that might be a good one for both of us.  I had a passing thought of Lone Survivor, too.

1 minute ago, Chuckie Finster said:

Field of Dreams is a must if he has even a passing interest in baseball

Neither one of us are into baseball.

Fandango

Dancer, Texas Population 81

Fort Apache

 

 

  • Author
Just now, RPM said:

Fandango

Dancer, Texas Population 81

Fort Apache

 

 

Ooh, some deep cuts, but good ones.

17 minutes ago, Underdog said:

The Great Santini

The Death of Richie

Tank

 

Holy shit. Santini and Tank are like opposite ends of the father / son relationship scale. Excellent choices and bonus points for Shirley Jones as the hot Mom in Tank. Now that I think about it, Blythe Danner was too.

Edited by RPM

Already mentioned, but Master and Commander is an excellent movie.  I'd also suggest Barbarossa with Willie Nelson and Gary Busey; High Plains Drifter and Hang 'Em High.  And don't forget Enter the Dragon.

Edited by 83Horn

4 hours ago, South Austin said:

My son is in sixth grade, about the age I was when I saw Stand By Me. Thinking about watching that with him soon.

I’d say a River Runs Through It, but that movie was terrible and my son would fall asleep in the middle of it.

I watched Stand By Me with mine during Covid. He would have been in 5th. It was not really much of a hit. I think it's more nostalgic for us old guys. 

29 minutes ago, RPM said:

Holy shit. Santini and Tank are like opposite ends of the father / son relationship scale. Excellent choices and bonus points for Shirley Jones as the hot Mom in Tank. Now that I think about it, Blythe Danner was too.

Not to mention this in Tank... 

74020110579f56890701871eaa364652.jpg.68b7f15a61581dc218f71f7be34a21fd.jpg

 

 

Commando

Predator

Conan the Barbarian

Conan the Destoyer

Pumping Iron

True Lies

Terminator

Terminator 2

Running Man

Twins

Total Recall

Kindergarten Cop

It’s a Gift
The Bank Dick
It Happened One Night
The aviator
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Dazed and Confused
12 oClock High
Network

The Sandlot (you don’t have to like baseball at all for that one)

Boyz N The Hood

Apocalypto 

Interstellar

Predator

Friday Night Lights

American History X

Mrs Doubtfire

 

Not a movie but I wish I’d seen Cobra Kai as a kid. Outstanding lessons on self-confidence, balance, and the results of bullying.

3 hours ago, Goredho said:

Thanks for the suggestions.  He’s seen some of these already.

I get the question marks in reaction to American Beauty.  It’s definitely not a typical man’s movie.  He would need to older, maybe even over 18.  I think AB serves as a great cautionary tale.  It makes the point that following the common, acceptable path and checking all the boxes of the American dream does not necessarily lead to happiness and contentment.  He gets one life, and some people spend all of theirs unhappily living a “good life” that society, media, parents, etc... have imprinted on them. If that isn’t where your happiness resides, don’t settle for it, or you’ll regret it at the end.

Amazing how few of the movies mentioned have been made in the last 20 years.  Have any been made in the last 10?

That is not what that movie is about

Beastmaster needs to be mentioned. Seeing a young nubile Tanya Roberts kickstarted some changes in me. Maybe watch that with him and then give him some alone time.

image.png.847a32cf79358e6bbeb677838006ccfb.png

  • Author

Disagree, but ok.

  • Author

Airplane! so he is aware of the dangers of being imprisoned in Turkey.

4 minutes ago, Serak The Preparer said:

Beastmaster needs to be mentioned. Seeing a young nubile Tanya Roberts kickstarted some changes in me. Maybe watch that with him and then give him some alone time.

image.png.847a32cf79358e6bbeb677838006ccfb.png

Its 2022, you think he hasn't seen pornography?

  • Author
6 minutes ago, Michael Knight said:

Its 2022, you think he hasn't seen pornography?

So get him an onlyfans gift certificate for his 15th birthday?

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