Dad Movie Canon Expands Beyond 1980s VHS Era as Gen X and Millennial Fathers Add 1990s Favorites
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 21
Dad Movie Canon Expands Beyond 1980s VHS Era as Gen X and Millennial Fathers Add 1990s Favorites
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 21
Summary
The article argues that “Dad Movie” has evolved from a dismissive label into a recognizable film canon shaped by generational taste and shared viewing habits between fathers and children.
1980s VHS and cable helped baby boomers establish the classic template, with TBS-style repeat viewing turning westerns, war films and sports movies into core Dad Cinema.
Action films remain central, but the piece says dads tend to prefer straightforward stories, practical effects, real stunts and older heroes over franchise-heavy spectacles like “Transformers” or Marvel entries.
Gen X and millennial fathers have widened the canon to include 1980s and 1990s action staples such as “Die Hard” and “Lethal Weapon,” linking Dad Movies to ideas of masculinity, resilience and family memory.