Dad

During a tense boardroom meeting, a driven corporate executive learns that his mother may be dying and rushes home to be by her side. Once there, the focus shifts from quarterly reports to family duties as he becomes the primary caregiver for his father, a stubborn man with a careful reserve. The role pulls him away from the relentless pace of deals, flights, and presentations and forces him to listen in new ways. As days pass, he begins to reconnect with a father he barely knows and to reexamine his own priorities. Meanwhile his relationship with his son Billy, once distant, becomes a mirror for what his life has been missing. He starts to see home as something worth protecting.

Gary David Goldberg directed Dad, adapting William Wharton's 1988 novel. Released in 1989, the drama stars Jack Lemmon as Jake Tremont, Ted Danson as John Tremont, Olympia Dukakis as Bette, with Ethan Hawke and Kevin Spacey, and features compact ensemble.

The film did not garner major nominations from the Oscars or Golden Globes, and was generally recognized more for its intimate performances than for industry accolades. Critics praised the tonal restraint and the way the Tremont family story unfolds in everyday settings. Some critics noted its quiet, enduring appeal.

Some viewers remember quiet scenes around a kitchen table and hospital waiting room that anchor the drama. The film is often cited as a steady example of an era when family dynamics and aging were handled with honesty rather than bombastic emotion That quiet resilience echoed in later family dramas.

Reception highlighted the portrayal of duty, memory and forgiveness. It centers on a man who discovers that leadership can mean tending to loved ones and admitting vulnerability. The movie asks what it costs to connect with those you care about. Its focus on listening and responsibility stands out in narratives.