Need movie recs for an 85-yo guy

[Patiod]

My dad is immobile, and the morphine is making books tougher to follow. He's loving the little DVD player we found for him, though. I need my DU Loungers help with movies.

LOVED:
Leathernecks and Field of Dreams
Lonesome Dove and Tombstone
Primal Fear (likes mysteries/thrillers if they're not too complicated)
Family Vacation, Uncle Buck, and Trains, Planes and Automobiles

LIKED (in small doses):
Last King of Scotland and other "real" stories

DISLIKES/DISLIKED:
Pushing Up Daisies, LadyKillers, anything whimsical or quirky
Anything about war (esp WWII)
Anything extremely violent, racy, or obscure (he would hate David Lynch and Quentin Tarantino)

So, to summarize: he likes straightforward sports and western stories, not-too-complicated thrillers, family-type comedies. Any ideas?

[siligut]

1. The Magnificent Seven?

If he loved Lonesome Dove, he may like The Magnificent Seven: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0129695/

Not to be pushy/nosy, but immobility combined with age and morphine is a set-up for constipation....just in case his nurse/MD didn't warn you to take measures.

[Patiod]

2. Oh, we've been on this road for 2 years

Citricel in the coffee, 2 sennas and a stool softener every evening. But thank you for the advice - I do the same, and make sure that folks who are new to morphine know about the constipation (the pharma industry even has a name for it: OIC or opioid-induced constipation)

And I'll look for the Magnificent Seven...

[RandomThoughts]

12. Yea I like the Magnificent Seven also.

"Because nobody takes my beer and travel money"

:D

I Sorta get inspiration from films like that.

[rug]

3. Up, Wall-E, Toy Story 3, you've never too old for a good cartoon.

[Patiod]

14. Actually *I* want to see Up and Wall-E

and will be taking them out of the library. Toy Story 3 actually sounds too sad for me!

My dad, .however, seriously whimsy-impaired, and resistant to ANY kind of cartoon (he actually got angry that a show like "Pushing Up Daisies" was on the air (so no "Big Fish" for him), and rants about "The Simpsons" because "adults shouldn't be watching cartoons." :eyes:

[rug]

19. How about Gran Torino?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gran_Torino_%28film%29

[Patiod]

23. Yes - absolutely Grand Torino!

Not all Clint Eastwood would go over (I'm thinking NOT my SO's all-time favorite, Unforgiven) but Grand Torino is PERFECT

[charlie and algernon]

4. The Natural is a great old-time baseball movie

The Great Outdoors, if he likes John Candy movies

[Patiod]

27. 2 votes for the Great Outdoors - perfect

and The Natural is good as well, but I think that's one of the few movies made after 1970 that he may have actually seen. Especially good since he loves when it's "based on a true story" (which makes "Seabiscuit" a good idea)

[WildEyedLiberal]

5. Open Range was a fairly recent Western he may not have seen that got good reviews

Also 3:10 to Yuma and Appaloosa.

My dad likes the same kind of movies and he really liked The Bucket List, although I don't know how keen you/your dad are on watching a movie about old guys who are contemplating death.

Miracle was a decent sports movie, although I don't know if he's into hockey. What about Invincible, the Mark Wahlberg Eagles movie? Or Glory Road, about the first all-black college basketball team?

And this sounds kind of weird, but if you have cable, the Hallmark Movie Channel shows a ton of movies that all basically fall into one of the categories you mentioned. My dad watches it all the time, which I find adorable, since he's a 64 year old blue collar guy :)

Hope you find lots of movies to keep your dad entertained!

[Patiod]

9. Invincible!!! I have to get him that - we're in Eagle-land

And all the others are dead-on (writing them down). It sounds like our dads have similar tastes. Please PM me if any others come to mind

Bucket List may be a little too....apropos for my dad, and, frustratingly, even thought he's increasingly confined to his bed, he won't let me put a TV in his bedroom (which is why the little DVD player is so nice) .

[Crankie Avalon]

6. Rudy

Rudy
Hoosiers
True Grit (he sounds like the type who may have already seen this one, though)
High Noon (ditto)

Maybe "Raising Arizona", too, if you say family comedies.

[Patiod]

15. I just ordered "Rudy" and "Hoosiers" from the library!

And now I'll put "High Noon" and "True Grit" on the list, although he's not showing a lot of interest in the copy of "The Shootist" that we own.

He would not understand or appreciate the Coen Brothers, although "Blood Simple" is one of my own all-time favorite films. Does not appreciate dark comedy.

[Arugula Latte]

7. Well ...

Oops, I said "Rudy" and "Hoosiers" but I see they're mentioned above. How about "Seabiscuit."

Maybe "Butch Cassidy" -- has he seen that? Also "Cool Hand Luke."

If he liked "Uncle Buck" he might like "Home Alone." "Best in Show" is hilarious.

From a list of great sports movies:
Caddyshack
Cool Runnings
Heaven Can Wait
Brian's Song
Remember the Titans
Miracle (U.S. hockey team)
Bad News Bears
Pride of the Yankees
Eight Men Out
Chariots of Fire
The Hustler
A League of Their Own
Breaking Away
Bull Durham
Rocky

[Patiod]

18. Many good suggestions

Seabiscuit, Butch Cassidy and Cool Hand Luke are going on the list (today I got him "21", "The French Connection" and "Remember the Titans").

I pulled up the identical list of best sports movies, and ordered about 5 of them from my local library system!

[grasswire]

8. how about some Jack Lemmon-Walter Matthau?

Plenty of great humorous movies by one or both of those guys.

One of my favorites is Front Page.

[Patiod]

31. I'll start with the front page

and that reminds me - what's the one about the cranky old Presidents?
Ah - and I think he'd like the original "taking of Pelham 1 2 3"

[grasswire]

10. World's Fastest Indian

What a great movie, about the old man who set the land speed record on an Indian motorcycle.

How about The Gods are Crazy parts 1 & 2?

[Patiod]

20. Will check out "World's Fastest Indian" - sounds great

Gods are Crazy might be a little odd for him - he doesn't understand odd (although I'm always looking for that stray Coke bottle from heaven myself).

This is why it's hard to put together a list, because so much of what *I* like is odd, whimsical, dark, or convoluted. None of which appeal to my dad.
But everyone's suggestions have been helpful....

[rbnyc]

47. Good One (nt)

[grasswire]

11. O Brother Where Art Thou?

I never get tired of that movie.

[AwakeAtLast]

46. Yeah, I have to watch it every time it comes on

I'm sure I've seen it 15 times at least!

I think it's the music that keeps me entranced....

[HopeHoops]

13. "Debbie Does Dallas" and "Who Reamed Rosie Rabbit".

Wait, he might not survive those if he has a bad ticker. Come to think of it, they were both pretty pathetic movies.

Never mind.

[Patiod]

21. I was just going to say - we're not trying to hurry up the Reaper

Which is what might happen....

[HopeHoops]

26. Neither one is that great a movie.

Try "Batman Begins".

[Swede]

16. Looks like he likes John Candy.

Here are a few from his filmography: Only the Lonely, Who's Harry Crumb?,and the Great Outdoors.

[Patiod]

22. Nice! I'll add them to the list

(he goes through 2 a day). He might like that movie about "RV" as well...

[elleng]

17. A League of their Own!

'No crying in baseball,' ya know!!!

[Patiod]

24. Good idea - good mix of comedy and sports

I wish I could find a copy of "Long Gone" with William Petersen - I think he would like that as well. So maybe "Bull Durham" instead....

[elleng]

36. Was trying to think of Bull Durham!

[Bucky]

25. The Right Stuff,

[Patiod]

32. One of the few he's seen, and we loved it

he used to fly...

[siligut]

38. Space Cowboys?

Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, James Garner and Donald Sutherland are old guys who go up in space to rescue a failing satellite. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0186566/

[Patiod]

43. Wouldn't have thought of that in a million years

but it's perfect, and my local library actually has it!

[Lyric]

28. Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old Men

Both fantastic Jack Lemmon/Walter Matthau comedies. :)

[Patiod]

35. Will order them

Thank God for a good library system!

[sarge43]

29. Some from my list of favorites

Big
Bull Durham
City Slickers
The Dish
Fort Apache
Ghost Busters
The Incredibles
Master and Commander
Men in Black
My Darling Clementine
Ratatoulle
Silverado
The Sting
Support your Local Sheriff

[Patiod]

33. So many there he would like! Esp City Slickers and The Dish

He enjoyed some of the Master and Commander books, so that's good as well.

[sarge43]

45. Well, if you haven't seen it, the combat scenes in M&C are pretty intense.

You might want to pre-view.

Also highly recommend Support Your Local Sheriff - a comic western and James Gardner is terrific.

[MilesColtrane]

30. The Searchers

October Sky
Master and Commander:The Far Side of the World
Dances With Wolves
Apollo 13
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935 Clark Gable/Charles Laughton)
The Bounty (1984 Mel Gibson/Anthony Hopkins)
Little Big Man
Bullit
Cinderella Man

[Patiod]

34. My SO suggested Cinderella Man b/c Dad loved Raging Bull

Thanks for reminding me. Actually, every single thing on that list would be a hit except Dances with Wolves, and that's only b/c it would exceed his current attention span.

[lost-in-nj]

37. Always with Richard Dryfus

and Holly Hunter....

lost

[grasswire]

39. oh, Mr. Holland's Opus might work.

Not as thrilling as a western, tho.

[Patiod]

40. Actually, he'd love it - and Stand and Deliver

Likes inspirational stories

[Deep13]

41. The Right Stuff nt

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

42. Gladiator -nt

[Patiod]

44. Wow - good one

My SO watches that every time it's on TV. I think my dad would love it.

[Roon]

48. Forrest Gump

My 89-year-old grandfather LOVES that movie. Will always watch it to the finish if he stumbles across it when he is surfing.

[Lars39]

49. Quigley Down Under

Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones movies, Poirot mysteries

[pokerfan]

50. Rob Roy (1995)

LIKED (in small doses):
Last King of Scotland and other "real" stories

Rob Roy is a 1995 American historical drama film directed by Michael Caton-Jones. Liam Neeson stars as Robert Roy MacGregor, an 18th century Scottish historical figure who battles with feudal landowners in the Scottish Highlands. Jessica Lange, John Hurt, Tim Roth, Eric Stoltz, and Jason Flemyng also star. Roth was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the villain Archibald Cunningham.

[marzipanni]

51. My Cousin Vinny

Pancho Barnes
http://www.flixster.com/movie/pancho-barnes

[Richardo]

52. The Grey Fox (1983)

Turn-of-the-century Western with Richard Farnsworth as a stagecoach robber who served 33 years in prison, was released in 1901 into the 20th Century, where all the stages have been replaced by trains.

It's beautifully photographed, slowly-paced (in a good way). Farnsworth is one of my favorites.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085622/



From imdb.com:

Surely one of the most direct, honest and accurate depictions of life in the "Old West," the Grey Fox does not resort to violence, bluster or machismo to present its story. Instead, the film comes across as a story of a man whose life has gone wrong as the result of carefully thought out and well-reasoned choices, though nevertheless bad choices. This alone is particularly refreshing in a Western movie and makes the film a worthwhile experience.

The late Richard Farnsworth relies on his considerable skills as an actor and makes his character sympathetic and heroic, never losing sight that he is in fact a thief. The costumes, setting, dialog and yes, even the miserable weather are true to the historical period and makes the viewer feel as if they were there alongside the characters in this elegant story.

It's a wonderful film and a visual feast!

[Flaxbee]

53. Gran Torino with Clint Eastwood was really good.

Sneakers with Robert Redford and Sidney Poitier is very funny.

Seabiscuit
Would The Bourne Identity, etc., be too violent and/or hard to follow? My mom has very early Alzheimer's and I do understand the need to keep movies relatively straightforward.

Love, Actually was nice, but lots of plots to follow
About a Boy, if not too quirky
Ronin
Inside Man
State of Play
The Fugitive (Harrison Ford)
Twilight (NOT the vampires! Twilight is a neat little movie with Paul Newman, Gene Hackman, Susan Sarandon)
Chocolat, unless that's too quirky (Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp)
In the Line of Fire (another Eastwood)

[pitohui]

54. gran torino a great choice!

first one i thought of myself...

[Tikki]

55. Trip to Bountiful...

My mother-in-law finally learned to work the VCR while I was at
work so she could watch it over and over again.

Tikki

[applegrove]

56. My parents liked sherlock holmes and the young victoria.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

57. Here's a few,

"Slueth" with Lawrence Olivier and Michael Caine
"The Friends of Eddie Coyle" with Robert Mitchum
"Charley Varrick" with Walter Matthau

:bounce:

[msanthrope]

58. Four Brothers, Catch Me If You Can, and

When We Were Kings.

[grasswire]

59. A Christmas Story

Of course. He ought to relate to the nostalgia.

[Ahpook]

60. My dads favorite was an old Andy Griffith film.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052005/


He enjoyed it anyway. We watched that movie quite a bit when he was immobile.

[WinkyDink]

65. One of the all-time greats!

[blogslut]

61. Some off-kilter suggestions

For a mini Peter O'Toole/bookend kind of film fest:

My Favorite Year - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Favorite_Year
Venus - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_%28film%29 (kind of racy but very touching)

A deep, bleak-but-compelling historical drama:

Pierrpoint: The Last Hangman - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierrepoint_%28film%29

And just for general nostalgia:

Paper Moon - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_Moon_%28film%29

[Inchworm]

62. Curious, did you try Band of Brothers?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ehwsOL04og

I hear it is bad if you remember the details. :(

:hi:

[AtomicKitten]

63. Boondock Saints.

[WinkyDink]

64. Red River; The Fugitive; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; Stripes.