Gentle and heartwarming. Studded with nuggets of wisdom about fatherhood, including several doled out by celebrities (Will Smith, Ron Howard, Hasan Minhaj, Jimmy Kimmel, and many others). Loved the diversity in the family stories Bryce Dallas Howard gives us, e.g. a gay couple, an unmarried couple, stay at home dads in Brazil and Japan, etc. It's also a deeply personal work, as she shows us her grandfather, father, and brother. The stories of sacrifice and connection are moving, and it's a reminder of the priorities in life.
Loved this line from Conan O'Brien, he cracks me up: "If I'm the expert, this whole project is in terrible trouble. So please tell me you've got better people coming in."
Dads
2019
Action / Comedy / Documentary / Family
Dads
2019
Action / Comedy / Documentary / Family
Keywords: fatherhood
Plot summary
Dads is a joyful exploration of contemporary fatherhood and a call to action for dads everywhere to take paternity leave. The film draws on the testimonies of famous funnymen such as Judd Apatow, Will Smith, Jimmy Fallon, Neil Patrick Harris, Kenan Thompson, Jimmy Kimmel, and Ken Jeong. Their reflections are combined with portraits of non-celebrity dads from different parts of the world - Brazil, Japan, the United States - who are creating new models of patriarchy. It's funny, heartwarming, and also revealing. (Apparently even professional comedians resort to dad jokes.) Among these voices, filmmaker Bryce Dallas Howard interweaves that of her own father, Ron Howard, who started his acting career as Opie, son of classic television father Andy Griffith. Interviewed by his daughter, Ron speaks movingly of his goal to meet the standard set by his real-life father, Rance. If the old-fashioned father was stern and stoic, the contemporary one is more vulnerable and self-deprecating. Conan O'Brien sums up parenthood as "this incredible realization that you're not the most important person in the world." Patton Oswalt, who became a single parent after his wife's death, reflects on how quickly kids grow up: "You get the tiniest window and then it's gone just like that." Hasan Minhaj pays tribute to his immigrant father, whose short-term sacrifice was for his family's long-term gain. Fathers can be close, distant, absent, or anything in between. Whatever your experience, this film warmly encourages conversations about how to be a better parent.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
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720p.WEB 1080p.WEBMovie Reviews
Heartwarming
The Dad-Vinci Code
Another documentary on Apple Plus, "Dads" is the directorial debut of Bryce Dallas-Howard.
Starting with her own father, Bryce Dallas-Howard interviews a number of actors and comedians about their thoughts and feelings on being a father. Those soundbite style interviews intersperse with several longer stories from various fathers around the world, about their lives and how parenthood has changed them.
I am a dad, so some aspects of the films did really speak to me - especially the stories about the difficult birth and having children with complex needs, as I've experienced both of those. I liked the soundbite interviews, the humorous anecdotes and the moments of touching honesty when the various celebrities broke down a little. It was nice to see some family stuff related to the Howards, the (slightly weird) videos they made for each child and the interviews with her brother as he was preparing to become a dad for the first time. There was a diverse range of situations from the different subjects, but perhaps showing a universal theme of it being time for Dad's to take a more central role in bringing up children and that there shouldn't be any more taboos about that situation.
I say all this, because ultimately, I felt that as a documentary it was a bit slight. It was charming, and funny but didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know. I've no regrets about watching it, but I can't imagine I'll ever have the inclination to watch it again.
A really sweet and tender doc.
"Dads" is a hilarious, heart warming and at times deeply affecting film that explores and salutes fathers all over the world. . In this documentary, actress and director Bryce Dallas Howard teams up with her father, Ron Howard, to explore fatherhood through anecdotes from funnymen such as Will Smith, Jimmy Fallon, Neil Patrick Harris, and everyday dads. . I really loved this doc more than I expected to. It's absolutely fantastic that Bryce Dallas Howard focused on a subject that not many people do and shined a light on all dads out there. I think that as much as our Moms are the ones who take the spotlight respectively of course, Dads need love too. This film had me laughing and even got me choked up because dads really do play important role in our lives. An entertaining watch. . Follow @snobmedia for more reviews!