# Recommend movies for my 85 year old Dad **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [June 28, 2026, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250 "2026-06-28T17:30:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/41 "2026-06-29T13:56:30Z")
He didn’t like Hamilton, but he might like 1776. (Another musical, and my favorite movie.) Other musicals he might like: Summer Stock (Gene and Judy), High Society (Bing and Frank), and April in Paris (Ray Bolger and Doris Day.) ---
**Author:** ![We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/We_re_wolves_not_werewolves)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/42 "2026-06-29T13:57:32Z")
_Secondhand Lions_ - A fun feel-good movie about two elderly brothers (Robert Duvall and Michael Cane) who take in their grandson to live with them. Kind of a gentle, old-timey feel to it and maybe he would identify with the brothers! ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/43 "2026-06-29T14:24:17Z")
> [@Frazzled](#): > > The only thing he usually likes to watch is sports and news (and I don’t need to tell you what news he watches). Several sports movie recs from this, but how about ['Broadcast News](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092699/?ref_=fn_t_1)’? A funny, entertaining movie, and maybe it’ll subtly remind him of a time when getting the news out was more about reporting the truth, not a polarized, partisan version of it. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/44 "2026-06-29T14:56:45Z")
Blazing Saddles. The Great Race starring Tony Curtis (a comedy, albeit with cars.) ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/45 "2026-06-29T18:13:17Z")
If he likes The Great Race, I recommend Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines. ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/46 "2026-06-29T18:23:29Z")
How about _ **Chitty Chitty Bang Bang** _? ---
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/47 "2026-06-29T22:59:15Z")
Lots of great selections, thank you! Yesterday we watched Bullitt and he really enjoyed it. I did too! Great suggestions on sports movies. He does love Miracle and Field of Dreams. I will try Bull Durham, Major League and Tin Cup. Mr Baseball is a great choice too, he’s a fan of Tom Selleck in Blue Bloods. I know he liked some boxing movies like Rocky but my Mom hates boxing movies so those are no go. He enjoyed Apollo 13 and Hunt For Red October. We dragged him to see Project Hail Mary and he hated it (I think he was confused by the non linear story) so I’m not sure I can convince him to like the Martian though my Mom and I loved that one. He loved Top Gun and Top Gun Maverick. Overall he likes Tom Cruise but doesn’t like the Mission Impossible movies. I think as far as action goes new movies are just too fast. I can’t go through all of the other things you guys mentioned but you’ve got some of my favorites on there and that helps get past the “what are we going to watch” while just looking at the front page of selections on Netflix. Thanks again! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/48 "2026-06-29T23:23:42Z")
> [@Frazzled](#): > > I will try Bull Durham, Major League and Tin Cup. Those were in my suggestions, but @Baal_Houtham pointed out, fairly, that there is salty language in all of those – though likely not nearly at the level that it is in _The Wolf of Wall Street_, which you had noted turned your father off due to the cursing (which IMDb rates as “Extreme”). Another sports movie which just came to mind (but I don’t think has been mentioned yet) is _Hoosiers_; it’s based on a true story about a small-town Indiana high school basketball team which challenges for the state title. It’s well-regarded, a PG film, and Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper are great in it. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/49 "2026-06-29T23:36:22Z")
Hopscotch 1980 Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, Ned Beatty Matthau is an older CIA Section chief embarrassed and fired by boss Ned Beatty. Matthau gets even by writing a exposé. His former colleagues are determined to stop him even if it means killing. There’s no real violence in this comedy/drama. Language is pretty tame. I rewatch it a couple times every year. Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson also teamed up in House Calls 1978. Grumpy Old Men 1993 with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon is great. ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/50 "2026-06-29T23:43:14Z")
_ **A League Of Their Own** _ sounds like a good choice for the whole family. And it doesn’t have the salty language of some the other baseball movies suggested above. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/51 "2026-06-29T23:47:07Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Another sports movie which just came to mind (but I don’t think has been mentioned yet) is _Hoosiers_ And as long as you’re doing Indiana sports movies, there’s always _Breaking Away_. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2026, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/52 "2026-06-29T23:51:05Z")
Breaking Away is one of my favorites. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/53 "2026-06-30T01:09:22Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Several sports movie recs from this, but how about ['Broadcast News](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092699/?ref_=fn_t_1)’? A funny, entertaining movie Excellent film. Since the OP mentioned _Song Sung Blue_ (and my wife liked it) I’ve watched about half of it today — and it put me in mind of SDMB fave, **That Thing You Do**. Funny, clean, deals with business (music and appliance), set in the wholesome past. And even if Dad doesn’t like the early rock, it features several cute pre-rock songs (“Mr. Downtown”). I would recommend the theatrical release, rather than the extended cut. The extended makes Hank’s homosexuality explicit and dwells pointlessly on Charlize Theron’s minor character. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/54 "2026-06-30T01:57:33Z")
> [@Frazzled](#): > > Yesterday we watched Bullitt and he really enjoyed it. I did too! If you both liked _Bullitt_, then I recommend _The Seven-Ups_. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/55 "2026-06-30T02:57:01Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Breaking Away is one of my favorites. I thought of _Breaking Away_ right off the bat. I’m not sure why, just a feeling, and then the OP mentioned his dad likes sports films so I thought, heck yes! (_Hoosiers_ could be a good one too). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/56 "2026-06-30T03:07:20Z")
Paul Dooley is great as the father and Barbara Barrie as the mother has a great explanation of why she carries a passport even though she probably doesn’t leave the state. It’s a wonderful film. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/57 "2026-06-30T03:29:26Z")
Does he like cartoons? Because if he liked Bullitt, I think The Wrong Trousers has a chase that’s on par. Aardman clay animation with Wallace and Grommit, but a good little thriller, and not a bad word in it. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/58 "2026-06-30T04:17:10Z")
If he likes WWII, _The Train_. Burt Lancaster is in the French resistance trying to stop Paul Scofield from stealing a trainload of art on the eve of the liberation of Paris. An entire railroad yard was blown up to simulate an air raid. SNCF was going to demolish it for a renovation and the movie company did it for free. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/59 "2026-06-30T04:22:06Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > If he likes WWII, _The Train_. Burt Lancaster is in the French resistance trying to stop Paul Scofield from stealing a trainload of art on the eve of the liberation of Paris. Perhaps _[Von Ryan’s Express](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Ryan%27s_Express)_ as well? Oh, and _[The Monuments Men](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monuments_Men)_ for a different look at getting art back from the Nazis. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/60 "2026-06-30T05:12:57Z")
The Netflix documentary _[The Battered Bastards of Baseball](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battered_Bastards_of_Baseball)_ should be of interest. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250.md?page=4)