Fatherhood. The title of this Netflix movie is enough to tell you what it is about. That’s the same I thought when the recommendation popped up on my TV screen. Already a girl dad, I expected it to be quite relatable.
Directed by Paul Weitz, Fatherhood is a 2021 drama based on the 2011 book Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love by Matthew Logelin. The film features Kevin Hart playing Logelin, a single father to his daughter Maddy.
Fatherhood movie plot
Matthew and Liz are expecting their first child. The couple’s joy knows no bounds after Liz gives birth to a baby girl. But the happiness does not last longer.
Soon after childbirth, Liz suffers a pulmonary embolism, blockage of an artery in the lungs, and passes away, leaving everyone distraught.
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Matt, yet to come to terms with his childhood sweetheart’s sudden death, now has to raise his daughter Maddy alone. But the troubles are far from over.
Liz’s mother Marion questions Matt’s parental ability and forces him to move to Minnesota. But the determined dad is in no mood to give up.
“You know Maddy, if you could have only one parent, I wish you could’ve had your mom, cause she would’ve been better at it,” Matt tells his newborn daughter.
After finally managing to send his mother-in-law back to her home, Matt leaves no stone unturned to be by Maddy’s side as much as he can. After all, parenthood is not just a job, its a full time responsibility of your child.
Slowly Maddy grows up and the relation between the daughter and her dad goes through many changes.
Why should you watch Fatherhood?
If you are a new parent, I suggest you should watch it. Although it is not a dummy’s guide to parenthood or a crash course, it is a heartwarming tale of a father and his daughter who navigate through crests and troughs and begin to understand each other.
The film also chronicles how fathers leave no stone unturned to ensure the well-being of their child. I am not putting down the role of mothers, but dads do deserve appreciation.