Movies About Estranged Father And Daughter

From Stanley Kubrick, starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers
Rated R

The Shining is a 1980 horror film directed by Stanley Kubrick, based on the 1977 novel of the same name by Stephen King. The film follows the story of Jack Torrance, a struggling writer who takes a job as the winter caretaker of the isolated Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rockies. As Jack and his family settle in, they begin to experience strange and frightening supernatural occurrences. Jack's mental health slowly deteriorates as he is subjected to increasingly dark and bizarre visions. His wife and son must attempt to escape the hotel and the horrors that lurk within it, before Jack's own inner demons consume him.

From Sam Mendes, starring Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley
Rated R

American Beauty tells the story of a discontented suburban family whose lives are disrupted when their father, Lester Burnham, decides to make some drastic changes. On the surface, Lester’s life appears to be perfect, but beneath the façade, he is deeply unhappy and has been planning to leave his family. His wife, Carolyn, is a successful real estate agent who is more concerned with her career than her marriage and her daughter, Jane, is a rebellious teenager who is trying to find her own identity. As Lester begins to make changes in his life, he finds love with a young woman, Angela, and discovers a newfound appreciation for life. Meanwhile, his dysfunctional family must grapple with their own issues as they try to get along. Ultimately, the film is a critique of the American Dream and the dark side of suburban life.

From Paul Thomas Anderson, starring Tom Cruise, Jason Robards, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Rated R

Magnolia is a drama directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, starring Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, William H Macy, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The film follows the intertwining stories of several characters living in San Fernando Valley, California. The film follows the lives of very different people: an arrogant and successful television producer, a former police officer turned barkeeper, a young man who is dying from cancer, a former child star turned game show host, a nurse with a troubled past, and a motivational speaker. These characters' lives become intertwined as their respective paths begin to cross, leading to a dramatic story full of love, loss, and redemption. The film focuses on themes of fate, faith, and redemption, as the characters struggle to make sense of their lives. As their stories unfold, the characters come to realize that their lives are all connected in ways that they could never have imagined. In the end, they must find the strength to face the truth of their lives and learn to accept their choices.

From John Hughes, starring Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy
Rated R

The Breakfast Club is a 1985 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes. It stars Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy as teenagers from different high school cliques who spend a Saturday in detention. Each of them realizes they have a lot more in common than they thought. With the help of a wise janitor, they learn to accept and respect each other, and grow as individuals. The film is widely considered to be an iconic classic of 1980s teen cinema.

From Peter Mullan, starring Eileen Walsh, Dorothy Duffy, Nora-Jane Noone, Anne-Marie Duff
Rated R

The Magdalene Sisters is a 2002 British-Irish drama film directed by Peter Mullan and inspired by the true stories of women who were inmates of Magdalene Asylums in Ireland. Set in 1964, the film follows three young girls who are sent to a Magdalene Asylum, run by a tyrannical nun, Sister Bridget. The girls, Margaret, Bernadette and Rose, suffer cruel and degrading punishments while they are there, and they must ultimately band together to survive the harsh environment. Throughout the story, their courage, resilience and hope are tested as they struggle to find a way out of their oppressive situation. Ultimately, they must find the strength to stand up to the system that is designed to keep them down.

From Shona Auerbach, starring Emily Mortimer, Jack McElhone, Gerard Butler, Mary Riggans
Rated PG-13

Dear Frankie is a 2004 British drama film directed by Shona Auerbach. The film tells the story of a single mother, Lizzie (Emily Mortimer) and her deaf nine-year-old son, Frankie (Jack McElhone). Lizzie has been protecting her son from the truth about his father, who left when Frankie was a baby. Unbeknownst to Frankie, his father has been writing him letters from the sea. To keep up the illusion of his father's ongoing presence and safety, Lizzie hires a stranger, ‘The Stranger’ (Gerard Butler), to impersonate Frankie’s father for a day. During the course of the day, The Stranger, Frankie, and Lizzie build an unexpected bond that helps them to cope with their respective troubles. In the end, Frankie and Lizzie both learn to accept life as it is and move on.

From Scott Hicks, starring Geoffrey Rush, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Justin Braine, Sonia Todd
Rated PG-13

Shine is a 1996 biographical drama film directed by Scott Hicks, starring Geoffrey Rush, and based on the early life of pianist David Helfgott. It follows his struggles with mental illness and his triumphant return to the stage. The film starts with a young David Helfgott in Australia, living with his overbearing father, Peter (Armin Mueller-Stahl). His father pushes young David to practice his piano skills, to the point where it causes David physical and psychological distress. He eventually collapses and is sent to a mental institution. Years later, David returns to Australia and is taken in by his sister and her husband. He slowly begins to heal and starts playing the piano again. With the help of his new teacher and friend, Dr. Gill (Lynn Redgrave), and his girlfriend, Diana (Noah Taylor), he is eventually able to make a triumphant return to the stage, performing a powerful rendition of the Rachmaninoff Third Piano Concerto. The film culminates with David's emotional reunion with his long-estranged father. The film ends with a shot of David playing the piano on stage again, this time with his father in the audience.

From Pedro Almodóvar, starring Penélope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas, Blanca Portillo
Rated R

Volver is a 2006 Spanish-language drama film written and directed by the acclaimed Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar. The film stars Penélope Cruz in the lead role of Raimunda, a hardworking woman who is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her teenage daughter. After the death of her mother, Raimunda is visited by the ghost of her grandmother, who helps her deal with some of the family's hidden secrets. Along with her sister Sole (Lola Dueñas), Raimunda must confront the ghosts of the past in order to move forward. Volver is a heartfelt drama that explores love, death, and family in a unique and powerful way.

From Clint Eastwood, starring Kevin Costner, Clint Eastwood, Laura Dern, T.J. Lowther
Rated PG-13

A Perfect World is an American crime drama film directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Kevin Costner, Clint Eastwood, and Laura Dern. The film follows Butch Haynes (Costner), an escaped convict, and Phillip Perry (Eastwood), a Texas Ranger, as they form an unlikely bond while on the run. As they travel through the Texas countryside, Butch befriends an eight-year-old boy, who helps Butch discover a new side of his personality. As the two bond, Phillip attempts to hunt them down, but gets more than he bargained for when he realizes that Butch might be the father figure he’s been missing in his own life. In the end, Phillip is forced to choose between his career in law enforcement and a relationship with Butch and the boy.

From Alejandro Agresti, starring Rodrigo Noya, Alejandro Agresti, Julieta Cardinali, Carmen Maura
Rated PG-13

Valentin is a charming comedy-drama about a young Argentine boy growing up in the mid-1960s. Valentin is a bright and imaginative 10-year-old who has a penchant for daydreaming. He lives with his warm and loving grandmother in the city of Buenos Aires and spends his days creating imaginary worlds in which he is the hero. But Valentin’s life changes when his mother, who abandoned him as a baby, suddenly reappears and wants to take him with her to France. Valentin’s struggle to decide between his mother’s love and his grandmother’s safety leads to an emotional and heartbreaking journey of self-discovery. At its core, Valentin is a heartwarming story of love, family, and the power of dreams.

From Jiang Xiao, starring Yu Xia, Haibin Li, Yijing Zhang, Zhongyang Qi
Rated Not Rated

Electric Shadows is a 2004 Chinese comedy-drama film directed by Jiang Xiao. The film follows the story of Ma Xiaojun (Xiao Shengyang), an introverted teenager who finds solace in cinema. After being scolded by his parents for wasting time watching films, Ma Xiaojun decides to take a job at a small cinema in Beijing. Through his interactions with the other employees and his newfound obsession with classic films, Ma Xiaojun slowly starts to come out of his shell and discovers the joys of life. Along the way, he also meets a mysterious girl named Xiao Wu (Jia Hongsheng) who helps him explore his true self. Through a series of misunderstandings, and moments of joy, Ma Xiaojun and Xiao Wu slowly fall in love. In the end, Ma Xiaojun learns to appreciate the small pleasures of life and finds true happiness in his own backyard.

From Shane Black, starring Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, Corbin Bernsen
Rated R

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is an American neo-noir black comedy crime film directed by Shane Black and written by Black and Anthony Bagarozzi. The movie stars Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, and Corbin Bernsen. The story follows a thief-turned-actor who inadvertently gets involved in a murder investigation. Together with his new-found friend and mentor, a private eye, the two of them must work together to uncover the truth and clear his name. Through a series of twists and turns, they must contend with the city's seedy underbelly and the dangerous players in it. Along the way they discover that they have many more enemies than they initially thought, and must rely on their wits and each other to come out alive.

From Terence Davies, starring Pete Postlethwaite, Freda Dowie, Angela Walsh, Dean Williams
Rated PG-13

From Taylor Hackford, starring Kathy Bates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Plummer, Judy Parfitt
Rated R

From Lewis John Carlino, starring Robert Duvall, Blythe Danner, Michael O'Keefe, Lisa Jane Persky
Rated PG

From Michael Burke, starring Emile Hirsch, Richard Jenkins, Tom Guiry, Pablo Schreiber
Rated R

From John McNaughton, starring Michael Rooker, Tracy Arnold, Tom Towles, Mary Demas
Rated Unrated

From Russell Mulcahy, starring Geoffrey Rush, Judy Davis, Jesse Spencer, Tim Draxl
Rated PG-13

From Robert Altman, starring Bud Cort, Shelley Duvall, Sally Kellerman, Michael Murphy
Rated R

From Paul Schrader, starring Nick Nolte, Sissy Spacek, James Coburn, Brigid Tierney
Rated R

From Peter O'Fallon, starring Christopher Walken, Denis Leary, Sean Patrick Flanery, Mark Watson
Rated R

From Dito Montiel, starring Robert Downey Jr., Rosario Dawson, Shia LaBeouf, Dianne Wiest
Rated R

From James Gray, starring Tim Roth, Edward Furlong, Moira Kelly, Vanessa Redgrave
Rated R

From Frank Whaley, starring Noah Fleiss, Karen Young, Camryn Manheim, Austin Pendleton
Rated R

From Harmony Korine, starring Ewen Bremner, Brian Fisk, Chloë Sevigny, Werner Herzog
Rated R