She Likes to Watch

Here’s a gaggle of movie dads who didn’t make the cut for this week’s Ticket cover story.

More top pops

Elliot Hopper in “Ghost Dad”
Bill Cosby loves his family so much that he comes back from the dead. See also “Jack Frost,” Michael Keaton’s so-called “comedy” about a father who’s resurrected as a rude, crude snowman. Really.

Gomez Addams in “The Addams Family”
Easily the best dressed of the movie dads, Raul Julia in the part is charming, generous and madly in love with his wife and odd, demented children. And, oh yeah, he’s got a severed hand for a butler.

Ted Kramer in “Kramer vs. Kramer”
Dustin Hoffman plays a loving dad who sacrifices everything — even his advertising job — to win custody of his son. He’s just not very good at making French toast.

Jack Butler in “Mr. Mom”
At first blush, Jack (Michael Keaton) seems like a pretty crappy dad. After he loses his job as an engineer for an auto manufacturer, his wife lands a job as an ad executive, and Jack becomes a stay-at-home dad. Yet, it’s apparent early on that he has spent little time with his kids. The guy is absolutely clueless. But, hey, this is Michael Keaton, right? You can’t not like him. And, as the movie progresses, he gradually finds his way, realizing the importance of being an involved dad. This film did a lot for changing the perception of gender roles, so much that real-life stay-at-home fathers are still often referred to as “a Mr. Mom.”

Armand and Albert Goldman in “The Birdcage”
This gay couple (Robin Williams and Nathan Lane) makes a set of loving parents to Armand’s son, Val. So loving, in fact, that when Val gets engaged to the daughter of an ultra-conservative Senator, they go along with a plan to obscure their lifestyle and Jewish background in order to make a good impression on the irascible man for Val’s sake.

More bad dads

Allie Fox in “Mosquito Coast”
Mad scientist Harrison Ford drags his family to Central America so he can build an ice factory in the jungle. Do we hear “custody battle”?

Gideon Largeman in “Garden State”
This doc-turned-dad is one cold, clinical S.O.B. When his wife is paralyzed in a household accident, Ian Holm’s character blames his son, then sends the kid into a medicated stupor for at least a decade. Jerk.

Vito Corleone in “The Godfather”
The don of the Corleone family, Vito (Marlon Brando) surely fancied himself a family man, what with his big get togethers and what not. Indeed, the concept of family probably did mean a lot to him. But let’s talk about what kind of a role model the guy was. First of all, his job entails several anti-family-values activities, such as, oh, let’s just start with murder. Then he thinks, oh well, this murderous career is so great, I’ll recruit my sons into it because, you know – the dental plan is something else. His child rearing is so bad, the kids even kill each other. (“I know it was you, Fredo.”) Lesson learned: If your job entails thievery, deception and murder, you should probably leave your work at the office.

More in-betweeners

H.I. McDunnough in “Raising Arizona”
Sure, this small-time crook — played by Nicolas Cage — did kidnap his so-called son. But what dad is so devoted that he’d hold up a convenience store to get diapers?

Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible in “The Incredibles”
Mr Incredible’s (Craig T. Nelson) selfish bid to relive the glory days of superheroism causes him to lie to his family, shirk his responsibilities and lose his job, so he loses points for that, but by the end his questionable choices have led to the defeat of a villain systematically wiping out the world’s “supers,” and in the formation of a family-size super-squad. So we’ll call it a wash.