Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- breezy
- sentimental
- lazy sunday
- family movie night
What critics said
Critics generally found the Robin Williams and Billy Crystal pairing entertaining, but considered the formulaic plot and uneven comedy underwhelming.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jack and Dale travel to Sacramento and work together to locate Scott after discovering they were both told they were his father.
The central conflict asks whether Jack or Dale is Scott's biological father while both develop parental investment.
The film pairs Robin Williams and Billy Crystal as contrasting comic leads within a reconciliation-focused family story.
Jack and Dale repeatedly pursue Scott after he leaves them and must be brought home.
Films like Fathers' Day, and why
City Slickers
shared road movie structure, mismatched comic leads, and warm family reconciliation
Parenthood
shared parental anxiety, ensemble comedy, and domestic family themes from the same writing team
Three Men and a Baby
shared buddy comedy dynamic, runaway child premise, and broad emotional humor
Planes, Trains & Automobiles
shared odd-couple partnership, fatherhood themes, and sentimental comedy
Movie Details
- Director
- Ivan Reitman
- Release Date
- 1997-05-09
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (318)
Cast
- Robin Williams
- Billy Crystal
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus
- Nastassja Kinski
- Charlie Hofheimer
- Bruce Greenwood
- Dennis Burkley
- Haylie Johnson
- Charles Rocket
- Patti D'Arbanville
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Fathers' Day about?
- Two mismatched men road-trip after a runaway teenager to determine which of them is his father and unexpectedly become a team.
- What is Fathers' Day like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Fathers' Day as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Fathers' Day violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Fathers' Day as mild.
- What did critics think of Fathers' Day?
- Critics generally found the Robin Williams and Billy Crystal pairing entertaining, but considered the formulaic plot and uneven comedy underwhelming.
- Which films are like Fathers' Day?
- Films with a similar feel include City Slickers, Parenthood, Three Men and a Baby, and Planes, Trains & Automobiles.
- How long is Fathers' Day?
- Fathers' Day runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch Fathers' Day?
- In United States, Fathers' Day is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
