'Dads' Review
TV-14
Runtime: 1 Hour and 27 Minutes
Production Companies: Imagine Documentaries
Distributor: Apple TV+
Director: Bryce Dallas Howard
Cast: Judd Apatow, Jimmy Fallon, Neil Patrick Harris, Ken Jeong, Jimmy Kimmel, Hasan Minhaj, Conan O'Brien, Patton Oswalt, Will Smith, Kenan Thompson
Release Date: June 19, 2020
So many movies at TIFF last year were about daddy issues. Hell, so many movies in 2019 alone have centered on characters who were dealing with daddy issues or had a plot revolving around it. It has become numb, but thankfully Bryce Dallas Howard made a Hallmark greeting card of a documentary celebrating fathers around the world. That may sound like a cynical setup, but honestly, I loved this. This was the nice palate cleanser for this rather heavy year focused on fathers.
Compiled of segments centered on fathers across the globe and few quick tidbits from famous dads in the entertainment industry, Dads is a celebration of… well… DADS!
There is an abundant amount of distinctive dynamics that fathers share with their kids all around the globe. One of the main elements of Dads that I liked is how Howard aims for the rarest of dynamics within the modernized idea of family and shines her spotlight on them. Some of the subjects she centers her camera on might be on a very specific checklist to appeal to every demographic in order for you to react with, “Awww”. But as the spotlight shines on the male parent’s story and you’re observing it, there is a universal emotional connection that is relatable and beautifully told. It’s a basic routined cycle, but Howard does a great job personalizing each subject’s story and making them relatable.
Howard never shies away from exhibiting great fathers in underrepresented communities across the globe from different continents such as South America and Asia. Most of the stories stem from American fathers, but I loved seeing how most of the segments focused primarily on Black fathers. Personally, I find her approach to be great because the Black community faces a stigmatization of stereotypes where Black fathers are either absent from their child’s life or abusive towards them. You always hear about it in the media, but Dads rightfully presents that no, it’s not like that at all and you should feel ashamed if you even think that way.
Howard creates a balance of showcasing inspirational stories where fathers find an outlet of creativity in raising their kids and sharing their experience with the world and stories of how fathers find new purpose after welcoming a child or raising a family.
When not doing that, Howard makes it personal and exhibits her family in the mix as well. Interpret that as you will, but it never comes across as emotionally manufactured or pretentious as she sets a segment on her brother, Reed Howard, who anxiously preps for the arrival of his first movie and the pressures of being a dad. You witness firsthand the loving imprint captured between fathers and their young, which is so special that it makes you want to play Paul Simon’s “Fathers & Daughters” followed by Phil Collins’ “You’ll Be In My Heart”, the most iconic songs about parents and their kids to give you nothing but feels! There is genuine inspiration as she interviews her fellow actor friends and her dad about their experiences. Heck, you even get to see cute home videos of her birth and seeing how generational and traditional it was, not just to that family, but families everywhere.
I’m 22 years old. I’m too young to have baby fever, but damn this movie gave me major baby fever. Without a doubt, “traps” are present and they are strong yet manipulative. Between every segue to another segment, the film cuts to cute social media videos of dads interacting with their adorable kid in a manner that feels stripped from America’s Funniest Home Videos and manipulatively gets you to go:
But in my mind, I immediately had to remind myself:
Families come in all shapes and sizes, and Dads from Bryce Dallas Howard is a celebration of fatherhood that may feel like an extended Hallmark Father’s Day card, but it’s an endearing and earnest one at best.
Rating: 3.5/5 | 76%
