# 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:** 10\ **Page:** 5
**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:** [July 2, 2026, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/81 "2026-07-02T05:19:34Z")
Bourne Identity 2003 The first movie in the triolgy is my favorite. It’s fun watching a character with amnesia stumble around Zurich and Paris fitting together this puzzle of his identity. Meanwhile the character is pursued by highly dangerous men with no explanation. I rewatched tonight. Probably my 7th time since it came out in 2003. The language is pretty tame. People shot aren’t bloody or gory. Highly recommend this action/thriller. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2026, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/82 "2026-07-02T07:00:14Z")
> [@F.U.Shakespeare](#): > > I enjoyed [Bang the Drum Slowly (film) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang_the_Drum_Slowly_(film)). A much better film than it’s brother “Brian’s Song”, with the box office and Academy Nomination to prove it. The film version of BTDS came out after the successful TV release of BS (and unsuccessful cinema release), but BTDS was already a successful TV play (and book) Since the TV release of BS came before the cinema release of BTDS, it’s not entirely fair to call Brian’s Song a genre telemovie – except that’s so clearly what it is. It’s transcendentally a genre movie. It’s the intersection of multiple genres. It’s a cancer movie. It’s a buddy movie. It’s a race-issue movie. It’s a sport movie. It’s the Naked Gun of serious theatre. All it needs is an earthquake, storm, and burning building so it could be a disaster movie as well. (Nice early-70s soundtrack on both movies. BTDS has the better song, but BS has the better original music) My serious complaint about Brian’s Song is that it’s mostly mumbled. Coach has a good clear speaking voice, but I can’t follow the two leads without subtitles. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2026, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/83 "2026-07-02T09:06:40Z")
Another sports movie is _Rudy_. ---
**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:** [July 2, 2026, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/84 "2026-07-02T17:24:28Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Bourne Identity 2003 I don’t think OP’s dad is going to love the movie that pretty much defined the modern action sequence: > [@Frazzled](#): > > I think he doesn’t like car chases and gun fights because he doesn’t like modern action sequences. ---
**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 6, 2026, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/85 "2026-07-06T07:06:39Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Bourne Identity 2003 > > The first movie in the triolgy is my favorite. It’s fun watching a character with amnesia stumble around Zurich and Paris fitting together this puzzle of his identity. Meanwhile the character is pursued by highly dangerous men with no explanation. One of my favorite parts is where an agent ambushes him in a Paris apartment and a fight ensues. Unlike most cinema fights there was nothing flashy or fancy, just two well-trained professionals trying their best to kill the other, ---
**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:** [July 6, 2026, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/86 "2026-07-06T13:49:55Z")
When it comes to heist movies, this one is really good. I saw it on TV when I was 13 or 14, and it made me want to become a _ **super criminal** _! 😎 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Eb6hw30LDS8/maxresdefault.jpg "Grand Slam (1967) ORIGINAL TRAILER") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eb6hw30LDS8) Edward G Robinson, Janet Leigh, and Klaus Kinski. Who could ask for more? 😊 ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/87 "2026-07-07T14:40:10Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#): > > This may seem like it’s out of left field, but I’d suggest _Sorcerer_ (1977). I like it a lot myself and virtually all older people I show it to seem to like it a great deal. Also known as “The Wages of Fear”. The earlier version (1953) is a great, and French, movie: Palme d’Or at Cannes, and the equivalent at Berlin. I say “and French” because it is darker and more tense than you expect from a 1950’s American movie. I would have seen it dubbed, but it doesn’t matter: it doesn’t depend on dialog. I don’t think I want to see the American version. I think the story is strong enough to support an updated retake, but I don’t think I want to watch something that tense twice. It’s already seared into my memory. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/88 "2026-07-07T14:51:52Z")
I’d suggest seeing the 1977 version. We had to study the 1953 film in college film classes and I appreciate it immensely, but the 1977 version is pretty darn strong. The practical FX are something to behold. OTOH, there is a brief sequence towards the end that is a bit cringeworthy. ---
**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 8, 2026, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/89 "2026-07-08T14:20:48Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > I know you said no sci-fi – what about fantasy? This is a good question. If he doesn’t mind fantasy, I suspect he’d like _[Babe.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babe_(film))_ ---
**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:** [July 8, 2026, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250/90 "2026-07-08T14:23:32Z")
Why not? After all, it is the Citizen Kane of talking pig pictures. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-movies-for-my-85-year-old-dad/1031250.md?page=4)