Exploring Widowed Fathers in Film

Before Father's Day, I will include my reflections on the role of the widowed father in the following movies:

While exploring portrayals of the blended family in media; I noticed that there are many stories about widowed fathers finding true love and rediscovering joy when they meet a new woman. A second marriage heals the family and allows the patriarch to let go of his grief for his dearly departed first wife. As a bonus, his children get another mother to care about them.

But there are many stories that feature widowed fathers that don't remarry after the death of their first spouse. In fact, these fathers achieve resolution and move on from their grief without relying on a new wife to help them resolve their problems.

Often when I see widowed fathers in film, they are disconnected, indifferent or even overprotective to their children because they are stuck in the early stages of grief (denial, anger, fear, bargaining, depression). Sometimes it is the children or other external circumstances that force the patriarch to face the ways that his expression (or suppression) of his grief has negatively impacted his family. Only then can he move into the next stage of acceptance and achieve a reconciliation with his children.

All the widowed fathers in the films listed below experience a different journey in their stories. Share your ideas about these films if you have seen them and compare the similarities and differences in each one.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - 1989
The Little Mermaid - 1989
Aladdin - 1992
Forrest Gump - 1994
Casper - 1995
The Patriot* - 2000
Thirteen Ghosts - 2001
Signs - 2002
Virginia's Run - 2002
Finding Nemo - 2003
We Bought a Zoo* - 2011
Mary Poppins Returns - 2018
The Boogeyman - 2023

*A minor disclaimer - these titles feature the widowed father meeting a new love interest with a subtle implication that they might become a long-term couple. But the story does not end with their wedding.