Also echoes the experiences of Joe Pepitone (e.g.: not taking the game seriously and forgetting to duck when going through doorways) and Randy Bass (who missed tying the home run king’s record in '85).
My hard to please father enjoyed ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou’.
My 98 year-old father-in-law laughed uproariously at his first viewing (believe it or not) of “It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” over Christmas.
Since he likes Sound of Music, perhaps he would the same movies as Pope Leo, who mentioned his 4 favorite movies:
- It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) — The Hollywood classic starring James Stewart that highlights the profound, unseen impact a single good person’s life has on an entire community.
- The Sound of Music (1965) — The iconic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical starring Julie Andrews, which the Vatican noted balances family devotion with a quiet, moral resistance against Nazi expansion.
- Ordinary People (1980) — Robert Redford’s heavy, emotionally raw drama starring Timothy Hutton, exploring grief, survival guilt, and the deep need for family healing and mercy.
- Life Is Beautiful (La vita è bella, 1997) — Roberto Benigni’s moving Italian film about a Jewish father who uses his immense creativity and imagination to shield his young son from the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp.
Sheep Detectives is a recent release on Prime
Hugh Jackman plays the Shepherd. His flock of sheep investigate his death. Starts slow but surprisingly good. Definitely a family friendly film.
How about a different Chicago musical: Robin and the 7 Hoods, featuring two-thirds of the Rat Pack with Bing standing in for Peter Lawford.
How about a car chase with music (and the world’s largest pie fight)?
Maybe if they’re played for laughs?
Screwball comedies might be a good area to try. His Girl Friday, The Philadelphia Story, and Sullivan’s Travels come to mind immediately as likely choices.
Most of the Ron Shelton films treat profanity as an art form
Also Das Boot and Master and Commander.
That occurred to me too, and if Dad likes it then it’s a small jump to The Martian’s near-future hard science fiction.
That occurred to me also, but it is a bit subversive. Worth a try.
Yeah, we just don’t know. Stand By Me is a possibility. The early 1960s sound track might not be Dad’s cup of tea.
Maybe The Man Who Wasn’t There or Hail Caesar? And he might get a kick out of The Hudsucker Proxy…
Some popular musicals
An American in Paris
Bye Bye Birdie
Fiddler on the Roof
Funny Face
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Grease
Hello Dolly
The Music Man
My Fair Lady
Oliver!
Stormy Weather
Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
I thought about Hudsucker —nostalgia and corporate finance — but remembered the time-stopping and metaphoric battles of good vs evil. There’s just no telling.