Eight Very Realistic Movies About Parenthood

I am not a parent yet but I presume that someday I will be.   And while I may not actually have a child myself I have quite a few nieces and nephews that are very young.   Bottom line is that I’m very attuned to parenting from a bunch of different angles so when I see movies about it I take them pretty seriously.

That being said, here are eight movies that I think capture parenting from their respective angles in a very realistic way….

Bye Bye Love

Bye Bye Love is one of the few movies whose central focus is on divorced parents.   It’s a great look at how couples who are separated handle dealing with kids.  It’s really about working together as parents with your ex even after things haven’t worked out as a couple.  It’s also about how you get your life back together even though marriage has fallen apart.   Great writing and funny performances from the stars Randy Quaid, Paul Reiser, and Matthew Modine.

Parenthood

Probably my favorite movie out there about being a Parent is Parenthood.   Ron Howard is at his best in this movie. The Buckman family is a midwestern family all dealing with their lives: estranged relatives, raising children, pressures of the job, and learning to be a good parent and spouse.  I feel like most parenting shows have been somewhat based off of this movie.

Mr. Mom

Before Mr. Mom we never, ever saw a film or television show that tackled a male staying at home and the mother working.  It was both funny and poignant, not to mention groundbreaking material.   Michael Keaton nailed it as the stay at home dad while Teri Garr did a great job playing the working successful ad exec wife.   Oh yeah, the kids were adorable.   My Wooby!

Father of the Bride

Granted this movie was a remake, the first one wasn’t all the memorable.  Hell most people didn’t even know there was an original.  Plus since Steve Martin was the star of Parenthood, you kind of have to realize he’d kick ass in this role and he did.   This movie tackles setting up a wedding for your kid but also the realization that your baby is leaving the house.  It’s a great movie, funny, endearing, and worth a view.