Skip to content
Wherever I Look Logo

Wherever I Look

  • HomeExpand
    • About Wherever I LookExpand
      • Our Writers
    • Editorial Guidelines
    • Cookie & Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • HTML Sitemap
  • TV Shows
  • Movies
  • Character Guide
  • Live Performances
  • Videos
Wherever I Look Logo
Wherever I Look

Home - Movies - Like Father – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

Like Father – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

Kind of sappy, with a little bit of humor, Like Father presents just enough to get in your feelings and be worth your time. Director(s) Lauren Miller Rogen Screenplay By Lauren Miller Rogen Date Released 8/3/18 Genre(s) Drama, Family Good If You Like Father/Daughter Reconciliation Stories Stories About Workaholics Who Realize They’ve Neglected Family Sappy…

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted onAugust 3, 2018 12:02 PMAugust 3, 2018 2:38 PM Hours Updated onAugust 3, 2018 2:38 PM
Title card for Like Father.

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.


Additionally, some images and text may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission or receive products if you make a purchase.


  • Summary
    • Question(s) Left Unanswered
  • On The Fence
    • It'll Grow On You
  • Overall: Mixed (Divisive)
  • Follow Wherever I Look on Twitter, Like us on Facebook and Subscribe to the YouTube Channel.
    • Check Out Other Movie Reviews

Kind of sappy, with a little bit of humor, Like Father presents just enough to get in your feelings and be worth your time.


Director(s) Lauren Miller Rogen
Screenplay By Lauren Miller Rogen
Date Released 8/3/18
Genre(s) Drama, Family
Good If You Like Father/Daughter Reconciliation Stories

Stories About Workaholics Who Realize They’ve Neglected Family

Sappy Films

Noted Actors
Rachel Kristen Bell
Owen Jon Foster
Harry Kelsey Grammer
Frank Brett Gelman
Jeff Seth Rogen

Summary

At 31 years old, Rachel has done quite well for herself. At an advertising firm, that she has been at for 9 years, she has reached the point where she may be promoted to being second in command. Then, to top it all off, the guy she fell in love with in college, Owen, she was supposed to get married to. That didn’t happen. However, she did get to reconnect with her 55-year-old father she hasn’t seen in 26 years, Harry.

Leading us to what you expect to happen. A lot of drinking, Harry trying to explain why he left, why he came back into his daughter’s life, and of course there is some drama thrown in to complicate the reconciliation holding. Yet, with them both being in the same boat, literally and figuratively, there comes a realization that they can either repeat the mistakes of the past or forge a new future.

Question(s) Left Unanswered

  1. How did Rachel’s mom take Harry leaving like he did? Also, did he send child support or was he fully absent?
  2. Did Rachel really drunkenly push Harry to the cruise, or did he push her to do the cruise and just say she did?
  3. Why did Rachel’s bridesmaids not contact her at all after being left at the altar? How come only her boss, Frank, called and checked on her?
  4. Who thinks Jeff was lying about being a divorced teacher and maybe was just a player?

On The Fence

It’ll Grow On You

Rachel and Harry winning a karaoke competition.

This is not a film which sells you from the start. While Bell and Grammer have enough chemistry to keep you interested, with it trying to be a dramedy, it starts a bit rough. Mostly because the writing, which could just not appeal to me, doesn’t really find the humor in the situation at all. Luckily though, after you become adjusted, it starts to explore the heart of the film.

Something which is split into two. The most prominent being this estranged father/daughter relationship. Now, let me begin by saying Harry’s reason for feeling he wasn’t needed and all that, it didn’t do a damn thing for me. Especially since he doesn’t really present the idea Rachel was a difficult child to help raise or that him and Rachel’s mom had a terrible relationship. It just seemed work was something he was more committed to and which demanded more of his time. So, eventually, he stopped splitting his focus and went all in with work.

However, with it coming to the point all he had was work and his partner Gabe, partner in a work sense, not homosexual, some realizations hit. Especially since Gabe and him didn’t have any real family besides each other. That is, until Harry, who did Google his kid from time to time, realized he had this daughter and decided to show up. Leading to what really gets to the heart of the movie – loneliness and trying to compensate lack of meaningful interactions with work.

Rachel looking mopey.

In that, we truly get the heart of the film for Rachel is seemingly doing something along the lines of what her father did. When it came to Owen, it wasn’t love as much as convenience. Three months after her mom died this man proposed and she didn’t want to be alone. But, like her dad, she put work before the most important relationship she had at the time. So you can see patterns with this family. The main one being, the wake-up call only comes when you lose the one person who gave you a life outside of work. For Harry, that was Gabe and for Rachel, it was her mom.

Leaving us with two lonely people who aren’t desperate for a connection but realize how badly it is needed for, otherwise, they’ll just be on autopilot.

Overall: Mixed (Divisive)

To be honest, if this wasn’t a film on Netflix I wouldn’t watch it or probably recommend it. This is not something I’d pay $10+ to see. However, with this being a Netflix Production, something you can watch at leisure, it gives you the ability to pause and process. For watching this straight through, it would be straight up trash. Harry’s reasons for leaving and coming back are purely selfish. He left because he could and returned because he had no one. Add in he spoke of Googling his kid, and likely could have popped in at any time over 20 some odd years and it ruins the reconciliation a bit.

Yet, if you are sappy like me, eventually it will get you in your feelings. Mostly because you can see Rachel needs someone, outside of work, and Harry coming around is just good timing. Especially since, in movie world, you can imagine her just foregoing love and relationships for 10 or more years if he didn’t pop in. Thus the mixed label. This film definitely won’t appeal to everyone, but if you dig films of this ilk, in time you may shed a tear and be in your emotions a little bit.

Follow Wherever I Look on Twitter, Like us on Facebook and Subscribe to the YouTube Channel.


Check Out Other Movie Reviews






Follow/Subscribe To Our External Pages

  • YouTube
  • TikTok
  • Amazon
  • Google
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X

Sending
User Review
0 (0 votes)

Listed Under Categories: Movies, Mixed (Divisive)

Related Tags: Brett Gelman, Drama, Family, Jon Foster, Kelsey Grammer, Kristen Bell, Lauren Miller Rogen, Netflix Original, Seth Rogen

Amari Allah

Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been writing reviews since 2010, with a focus on dramas and comedies.

Facebook Instagram YouTube

Post navigation

Previous Previous
The Spy Who Dumped Me – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)
NextContinue
Angels of Death: Season 1/ Episode 5 “Don’t Let Me Kill You Just Yet” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

Site Pages

  • Home
  • About Wherever I Look
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie & Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer & Disclosure Policy
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • HTML Sitemap
  • Our Writers
The Wherever I Look logo featuring a film reel, a video game controller, old school TV set, a stage, and more done by artist Dean Nelson.

The overall goal of Wherever I Look is to fill in that space between the average fan and critic and advise you on what’s worth experiencing.

Category Pages

  • Articles
  • Character Guide
  • Collected Quotes
  • Live Peformances
  • Movies
  • Our Latest Reviews
  • TV Series
  • Video Page
Scroll to top

Wherever I Look logo

Welcome to Wherever I Look, your go-to destination for insightful and personable reviews of the latest TV episodes, movies, and live performances. Also, dive into our character guides and discover what’s truly worth your time.

  • Home
    • About Wherever I Look
      • Our Writers
    • Editorial Guidelines
    • Cookie & Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • HTML Sitemap
  • TV Shows
  • Movies
  • Character Guide
  • Live Performances
  • Videos
Search