The Father is a psychological drama film directed by Florian Zeller in his directorial debut, based on Zeller’s 2012 play Le Père, which is part of a trilogy that also includes Le Fils and The Mother. Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Mark Gatiss, Imogen Poots, Rufus Sewell, and Olivia Williams feature in this French-British co-production about an elderly man suffering with dementia. After the 2015 film Floride, this is the play’s second adaptation.
The Father had its world debut on January 27, 2020, at the Sundance Film Festival, and was distributed in the United States by Sony Pictures Classics on February 26, 2021, in France by UGC Distribution on May 26, 2021, and in the United Kingdom by Lionsgate UK on June 11, 2021. The film grossed $28 million on a $6 million budget, and critics praised Hopkins and Colman’s performances, as well as the production quality and representation of dementia.
Hopkins won Best Actor at the 93rd Academy Awards, while Zeller and Hampton won Best Adapted Screenplay; the film got a total of six nominations, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress (Colman). The film garnered four nominations at the 78th Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, and six nominations at the 74th British Academy Film Awards, where it won Best Actor (Hopkins) and Best Adapted Screenplay. Hopkins and Colman were both nominated for the 27th Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Leading Actor and Outstanding Supporting Actress, respectively. A sequel is now in production, based on Zeller’s 2018 play The Son, with Hopkins resuming his role as Anthony and Zeller returning as writer and director.
Cast:
Anthony Hopkins as Anthony, Olivia Colman as Anne, Rufus Sewell as Paul, Imogen Poots as Laura, Olivia Williams as The Woman, Mark Gatiss as The Man, Ayesha Dharker as Dr. Sarai.
Plot:
A man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages. As he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality.
This is The Father trailer!
Box office:
The picture earned $433,611 from 865 theatres in its first weekend in the United States, placing it eighth at the box office. The picture grossed $355,000 in 937 theatres throughout the weekend after its six Oscar nominations. The picture earned $147,000 from 713 theatres for a total of $1.9 million after its two Oscar victories. In Spain, the picture grossed $171,901 in its first weekend from 156 theatres, followed by $160,378 in the second weekend and $54,901 in the third weekend.