# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/61 "2026-06-30T11:43:30Z")
**The Majestic** is a sweet Frank Darabont story of a man with amnesia who helps a town rebuild. **Blast From the Past** is a fun movie about a 20-something who was raised in a bunker by his “locked in the 50s” parents and he has to navigate the 21st century. **Catch Me If You Can** Does he like heist movies like **Ocean’s 11**? What about something a little mind bending like **The Prestige** or **Inception**? ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/62 "2026-06-30T12:06:08Z")
> [@Typo\_Knig](#): > > 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. Somebody upthread mentioned “The Great Escape”, and if he likes that and enjoys Aardman/W&G he might like “Chicken Run”. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/63 "2026-06-30T13:33:10Z")
I enjoyed [Bang the Drum Slowly (film) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang_the_Drum_Slowly_(film)). ---
**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, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/64 "2026-06-30T13:35:19Z")
How about Raiders of the Lost Ark? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/65 "2026-06-30T16:57:55Z")
85 years old? How about John Wayne? Start with True Grit or The Quiet Man. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/66 "2026-06-30T17:00:03Z")
> [@Llama\_Llogophile](#): > > I like submarine and aviation movies. This “trilogy” of movies meets both criteria with the setup, execution, and aftermath of the Doolittle Raid in 1942: _ **Destination Tokyo** _ _ **Thirty Seconds over Tokyo** _ _ **The Purple Heart** _ Three of the best war movies ever made. You can’t go wrong with stars like Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy, Van Johnson, and Dana Andrews. Dana Andrews reminds me of another one of my all-time favorites, _ **The Best Years of Our Lives** _. A trio of discharged veterans (an Air Force bombardier, a disabled sailor, and a banker who served in the Pacific as a tough Marine sergeant) return to the States and have to deal with the post-WWII reality. The cast includes Frederic March; the beautiful and talented Virginia Mayo and Myrna Loy; Hoagy Carmichael; and Harold Russell, a genuine disabled veteran. When my dad told me about this movie many years ago, he said “See it once, and you’ll never forget it.” Well, he was right! ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/67 "2026-06-30T17:11:45Z")
Strong seconds for both _ **The Train** _ and _ **Von Ryan’s Express** _. And _ **The Great Escape** _, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/68 "2026-06-30T19:56:11Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Paul Dooley is great as the father For years in my family, calling out “REFUND?!? REFUND!??!” indignantly was a meme. (Dooley plays a used-car salesman in _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 30, 2026, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/69 "2026-06-30T20:08:32Z")
Paul Dooley also played Molly Ringwald’s father in _Sixteen Candles_. Now, that movie has _a lot_ of issues, but his portrayal is not one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/70 "2026-06-30T20:36:40Z")
I’ve never seen _Sixteen Candles_—not out of any personal distaste, but just because I somehow haven’t caught up with all the cultural touchstones of our time. (For instance it wasn’t until last night that I finally saw _The Rock_. Seminal Cage-and-Connery!! With typical-Michael-Bay!) ---
**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, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/71 "2026-06-30T20:48:07Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > > [@Frazzled](#): > > > > Yesterday we watched Bullitt and he really enjoyed it. I did too! > > If you both liked _Bullitt_, then I recommend _The Seven-Ups_. Adding to this, you can currently watch [_The Seven-Ups_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vEG5Kz-zmI) for free on YouTube. ---
**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 30, 2026, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/72 "2026-06-30T20:56:17Z")
More Great Options in here! Let me clarify the cussing - normal cussing wouldn’t bother him, it’s when it crosses into edgy or becomes excessive. A specific example was the movie Crimson Tide. There’s a scene where some people are trying to convince the weapons officer on a nuclear submarine to release the nukes before Russian separatists can launch theirs. One of the seamen says “They’re fueling their missiles!” and another says “you don’t put on a condom unless you intend to Fuck!”. He thought that was unnecessary. I told him they’re in the Navy and it’s in character to cuss like Sailers, but he felt like it wasn’t natural language, just a cheap way to create tension. Somebody up above mentioned The Bad News Bears - I know he’d hate the new one but he might actually like the original with Walter Mathau. He likes him, and I’ve added his movies to my list now. As for the Bad News Bears, I think there’s just something less threatening about a drunk guy in a 70’s movie. And the cussing was a little on the tamer side by modern standards. I think Grumpy Old Men will be perfect. I loved the movie Ocean’s 11 and I don’t know if he’s seen that one but it’s a good choice. The mind bending movies are a bit harder for him. Also, long movies are hard - 2 hours is about all we can do. ---
**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, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/73 "2026-06-30T21:17:59Z")
> [@Frazzled](#): > > I loved the movie Ocean’s 11 and I don’t know if he’s seen that one but it’s a good choice. If you’re looking for a good heist movie, I’d recommend _Kelly’s Heroes_. It’s a heist movie with a wartime setting. ---
**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, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/74 "2026-06-30T21:18:40Z")
> [@Frazzled](#): > > Let me clarify the cussing - normal cussing wouldn’t bother him, it’s when it crosses into edgy or becomes excessive. So not a Tarantino fan. ---
**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:** [July 1, 2026, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/75 "2026-07-01T00:45:26Z")
Oooh! Back to baseball, of a sort, _The Sandlot_. Clumsy adolescent kid knowing nothing about the game learns at the hands of a ragtag gang in (what else?) a vacant lot. Two immortal quotes: **Mr. Mertle** : I take it back. You’re not in trouble, you’re dead where you stand. **“The Babe”** : Let me tell you something kid; Everybody gets one chance to do something great. Most people never take the chance, either because they’re too scared, or they don’t recognize it when it spits on their shoes. The latter was submitted by yours truly. (Preens) ---
**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:** [July 1, 2026, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/76 "2026-07-01T16:38:12Z")
Speaking of heist movies, _[Going in Style](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Going_in_Style)_ might be of interest. Three retirees (George Burns, Art Carney, and Lee Strasberg), tired of their usual routine, decide to spice things up by robbing a bank. ---
**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:** [July 1, 2026, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/77 "2026-07-01T21:04:16Z")
Fun premise, but as I recall a really depressing movie. I’d say watch Shawshank Redemption instead. An fun movie I’ve recommended here is “The Time of Their Lives” with Abbott & Costello. It’s a good flick! A fun history/ghost story. It has a coherent plot - it’s not just an excuse to show their sketches. [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039037/?ref\_=nv\_sr\_srsg\_0\_tt\_4\_nm\_4\_in\_0\_q\_the%20time%20of%20their%20lives](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039037/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_4_nm_4_in_0_q_the%20time%20of%20their%20lives) ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2026, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/78 "2026-07-01T21:12:23Z")
He is at the age when a lot of popular movies and TV shows were Westerns. Does he like old westerns? ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2026, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/79 "2026-07-01T21:28:30Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’d recommend _Kelly’s Heroes_. That one is on tonight, on the basic-cable channel “Movies!” [https://www.tvinsider.com/network/movies/schedule/](https://www.tvinsider.com/network/movies/schedule/) ---
**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:** [July 1, 2026, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/80 "2026-07-01T22:13:54Z")
Various people on this message board have recommended the musical film 1776. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it, but it’s scheduled to air on TCM on Saturday, so I set the cable box DVR to record it. The OP’s father might enjoy it, or not. (The Music Man is also on the schedule for Saturday.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250.md?page=5)