Dads Dumb, Devious & Just Plain Deranged
Think your dad has some shortcomings? We bet your father never came after you with an ax, bedded your best friend, or ruled over an evil intergalactic empire (we apologize if he has indeed done any of the above).
We polled users to find out who they think is the worst movie dad of them all. Click through to see the results.
AP / FOX / Lucasfilm / Paramount Vantage
15. Wayne Szalinksi, 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids' (1989)
Played by: Rick Moranis
Why He's a Bad Dad: Um, let's see ... he shrunk his kids! For those who insist Wayne isn't a bad father and claim this was just one unfortunate mishap, we refer to that time three years later when he 'Blew Up the Kid.' Negligence is a form of child abuse too.
Rent the DVD | Buy the DVD
Buena Vista Pictures / Everett Collection
14. Royal Tenenbaum, 'The Royal Tenenbaums' (2001)
Played by: Gene Hackman
Why He's a Bad Dad: Royal's transgressions include stealing money, forgetting middle names and blaming them for his divorce. But he tops all those when he tells his kids, now adult and dysfunctional (shocker!), that he's dying ... just so he can move back home.
Rent the DVD | Buy the DVD
Buena Vista
13. Fletcher Reede, 'Liar, Liar' (1997)
Played by: Jim Carrey
Why He's a Bad Dad: Sure, this devious lawyer ultimately redeems himself after a very Capraesque turn of events, but what if his young son hadn't been granted a magical birthday wish forcing his father to be honest for a whole 24 hours? Ever stop and think about that?
Rent the DVD | Buy the DVD
Everett Collection
12. Jake Shuttleworth, 'He Got Game' (1998)
Played by: Denzel Washington
Why He's a Bad Dad: He had already wronged his son Jesus (Ray Allen) by leaving him parentless (killing his mother and going to prison for it), then he turns up just in time to try to influence the star basketball player's choice of college for a shorter sentence. He got nerve.
Rent the DVD | Buy the DVD
Touchstone / Everett Collection
11. Big Daddy, 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof' (1958)
Played by: Burl Ives
Why He's a Bad Dad: The old man is dying, and still he can't appreciate his family. It's not enough that his son (Paul Newman) is a depressed, drunk shell of a man -- Big Daddy's only pleasure is rubbing salt in his boy's wounds.
Rent the DVD | Buy the DVD
Everett Collection
10. Don Vito Corleone, 'The Godfather' (1972)
Played by: Marlon Brando
Why He's a Bad Dad: He's big on Family values, but unfortunately that's family with a capital "F." He raised his sons to know that nothing is more important than the job -- even one's own brother. (Hey, "F" is for "Fredo," too.)
Rent the DVD | Buy the DVD
AP
9. 'Bull' Meechum, 'The Great Santini' (1979)
Played by: Robert Duvall
Why He's a Bad Dad: The career marine treated his children like they were unruly boot camp trainees -- always pushing them to work harder, bossing them around, never showing any love or kindness. (Spoiler alert!) So there's no love lost from his son Ben (Michael O'Keefe) when his father's plane goes down.
Rent the DVD | Buy the DVD
AP
8. Norman Osborn, 'Spider-Man' Trilogy
Played by: Willem Dafoe
Why He's a Bad Dad: Unknown to his son Harry (James Franco), Daddy was flying baddie Green Goblin -- but considering the verbal abuse and scorn Norman heaped onto his heir, Harry probably wasn't too shocked to learn the truth.
Rent the DVD | Buy the DVD
Columbia Pictures
7. Darryl Cooper, 'Poison Ivy' (1992)
Played by: Tom Skerritt
Why He's a Bad Dad: It's one thing for your dad to be a perv, but to get it on with your new BFF (Drew Barrymore, in her skankiest role)? Ugh. Now that's just gross.
Rent the DVD | Buy the DVD
New Line / Everett Collection
Reader Comments (26)
corpo at 8:23PM on Jun 14th 2008
Why didn't Danny Devito make worst dad lists from Matilda? He treated the girl like crap and taught his son how to rip people off by selling faulty products. Plus after all Matilda went through to save him he still gave her away to her teacher (which worked for her in the end).
Jeremy at 11:27PM on Jun 14th 2008
What about the stepfather (I forget the actor's name) in "A Boy's Life?" That was an early Leonardo diCaprio movie, in which he played the boy.
Ancient at 5:51PM on Apr 7th 2009
Actually, DeNiro's character *was* listed. It's #6.
dblade32 at 11:36PM on Jun 14th 2008
hasn't anyone seen the movie "The Color Purple?" The father Albert played by Danny Glover is definitely top 5.
chloworms at 8:59AM on Jun 15th 2008
How in the WORLD could you for get "At close range" w/the Penn brothers, and Christopher Walken as the FATHER????? Come on...the Father kills one son, and tries to kill the other.
deeda at 10:41AM on Jun 16th 2008
I agree with chloworms - Christopher Walken plays the worst dad ever! Not only does he kill one son (and a couple of their friends, after making them dig their own graves!), and tries to kill the other, he uses both sons as grunts in his crime syndicate, AND he rapes one son's girlfriend. One of Walken's creepiest roles - and that's saying something!
Elaine at 10:08PM on Jun 29th 2008
OMG! YOU FORGOT THE WORST DAD EVER! BILLY BOB THORNTON ,PLAYING HEATH LEDGER'S DAD! GAWD,,,,,,,,,,
Elaine at 10:07PM on Jun 29th 2008
BTW that was in Monster's Ball! (Billy Bob and Heath)
Lou at 6:19PM on Jul 7th 2008
Im sorry, but this list is INCOMPLETE without mentioning TERRY O'QUINN IN "STEPFATHER".
alex at 8:18PM on Jul 10th 2008
what about joe kingman from gameplan
Danielle at 9:55PM on Jul 10th 2008
I really don't think that Vito Corleone should be on this list....Michael Corleone sure, but not Vito. In the mafia world, according to those movies, he was the one doing things...I don't want to say the right way, but still a bit better than the other heads of families. His kids were the ones that wanted him to get into the drug rackets and everything, and he says at one point in the film that he wants whats best for his kids...I dunno, that's just my opinion, people may disagree but I think there are movie dads that are way worse that should be on here.
d at 10:47PM on Jul 10th 2008
Kaiser Souse.....killed his own family so the bad guys couldn`t.......
Serina at 1:10PM on Jul 11th 2008
i think Darth Vader is 1 of many bad fathers in movies.
4fingers at 12:11PM on Jul 12th 2008
What about Mallory's dad, played by Rodney Dangerfield in Natural Born Killers? How can a father that brags to his son about raping his daughter, not make the top 10?
dla75@aol.com at 5:16PM on Jul 12th 2008
How can you froget about Terence Stamp's dead on performance as General Zod from Superman and Superman II. moviefone people who made up this list shoud Kneel Before Zod.
Lori at 9:00PM on Jul 12th 2008
What about Bll Paxton, the father in " Frailty ?"
Blaine at 8:49PM on Jul 20th 2008
What about De Niro as "Gill" in The Fan with Wesley Snipes? He was a horrible father to that little boy.
Kyle at 7:01PM on Jul 19th 2008
What about the Dad in August Rush who told his daughter her baby was dead and secretly put it up for adoption?
Kyle at 7:06PM on Jul 19th 2008
What about the Dad in August Rush who told his daughter her baby was dead and secretly put it up for adoption?
Robert Darby at 3:56PM on Aug 4th 2008
You guys put a bunch of bull on this list to have forgotten Jack Nich.