Who's the Daddy?

Spectacular parenting

It was a warm Sunday evening in the Wallace ranch and I was watching "30 Rock" with my father. We were mutually laughing and bantering along to the witty repartee of Jack Donaghy and Liz Lemon, when all of a sudden Jack hits out with a prostitute joke and my dad, having just taken an over-ambitious mouthful of milk, spits it out all over himself and the coffee table in a moment of uncontrolled, unbridled hilarity, and amidst the tears of laughter and milk-sodden mess I gazed over lovingly and thought, "You're some guy John Wallace."

THAT SAID, if I had to choose another dad, these guys would be top of my list...

1. Atticus Finch: One of the all-time literary fictional greats, Atticus Finch depicts every desirable quality you'd want in a father figure: honesty, integrity, strength and wisdom. The central protagonist of Harper Lee's Pulitzer-Prize winning novel "To Kill A Mockingbird" was voted American Film Institutes "Greatest Hero in American Film" and I defy anyone to challenge that accolade. Brought to life on the silver screen by the late, great Gregory Peck, this cat ain't cuddly but by God, is he an excellent role model, father and all-round sterling fella.

He's a wonderful dad

2. George Bailey: "A toast to George Bailey - the richest man in town!" And never was a more deserved glass raised.

Jimmy Stewart's timeless role in festive classic "It's A Wonderful Life" is enough to set any heart aglow.

As the film progresses with poor old self-less George being continually burdened and battered by Potter's tyranny, gradually descending down into a grimy pit of suicidal despair (mmmm christmassy) the viewer has a difficult time remembering just why life is so wonderful, but never ONCE do we stop rooting for George Bailey. LEGEND.

That's one lucky baby!

3. Peter Mitchell (Tom Selleck)/ Jack Holden (Ted Danson)/ Michael Kellam (Steve Guttenberg): Ok, so this one's a bit greedy but come on: Danson's humour, Selleck's tash and dashing good looks and Guttenberg's...err....connection with the rest of the Police Academy cast, how could you ever ask for anything else. Granted you'd undoubtedly grow up with more daddy issues than Soon Yi-Priven but what a lark it would be!

Arnie sports some festive neckwear

4. Howard Langston: Never before had one father been so driven and determined to meet the material needs of his whining son as Arnold Schwarzenegger in ground-breaking psychological thriller "Jingle All The Way".

Granted, not the best dad at the beginning of the film but after unreasonable exertion, turmoil and destruction our protagonist dons a plastic costume and invades the Wintertainment parade for one solitary reason: the love of his son.

Moving stuff.

And as little Jake's heart swells with pride upon realising that HIS DAD is Turboman I can't help but cast my nostalgic mind back to that Christmas Fayre of primary 5, and the moment I realised that the kind and familiar eyes behind the substitute Santa joyfully handing my classmates gifts belonged to my own father.

You can't buy that kind of happiness.




The Runners Up:

1. Bruce Willis as Harry Stamper in Armageddon (feared and selfless)
2. Steve Martin as George Banks in Father of the Bride (humorous and lovable)
3. Gary Lewis as Jackie Elliot in Billy Elliot (hard life, soft heart)
4. Arnold Schwarzenegger as John Matrix in Commando (no comment necessary)

Bad Dad's:
1. Darth Vader in Star Wars (never paid any alimony)
2. Jim Carrey as Fletcher Reede in Liar Liar (I don't think he can change)
3. Chris Cooper as Col. Frank Fitts in American Beauty (murderous ex-military homophobic homosexual. Nuff said really)
4. John Heard as Peter McCallister in Home Alone (Negligence at it's worst - Social Services should've stepped in years ago)