Worst parents on film?

[Connor B]

For me, the worst parents I have ever seen on the screen are the folks from the beginning of The Breakfast Club. The kids had their problems, but they were ultimately sympathetic. We can't hate the jaded janitor Carl, because he's the only level-headed, sensible adult in the movie. As bad as Vernon is, I don't really hate him... I actually find him more pitiable than pitiful. However, we can hate Andrew's dad for being a toxic, immature bully. We can hate Brian's mom for being a callous, selfish witch. We can hate Claire's dad for being a smug, two-faced liar.

Gordie's dad from Stand By Me actually gives me the creeps.

 

[skimom2]

The main couple in A.I. I hate just about everything about that movie, but they were the worst (and Jude Law was the best).

 

[kingricefan]

Mommie Dearest!!!
'No wire hangers EVER!!!!!!!!!'

 

[kingricefan]

Robert DeNiro's 'Dwight' in This Boy's Life.

 

[days be strange]

Home Alone?

 

[kingricefan]

Wynona Ryder's parents in Beetlejuice.

 

[mjs9153]

the Dursleys in the Harry Potter series..seriously,a cupboard under the stairs?

 

[mjs9153]

and Christopher Walken in At Close Range.."Is this the family gun,dad?is this the gun you used to shoot me?"

 

[KingAHolic]

Donald Sutherland (Michael) in the movie Panic (2000) - father to William H Macy (Alex)

also

Mary Tyler Moore (Beth) in Ordinary People (1980)

 

[skimom2]

Mary Tyler Moore (Beth) in Ordinary People (1980)

That reminded me of another one: Robert Duvall in The Great Santini. I couldn't watch him in anything until Lonesome Dove, I hated that character so much. And I never could watch MTM again. Awful, awful people.

 

[prufrock21]

The couple who spawned Leatherface.

 

[Connor B]

The couple who spawned Leatherface.

Another example from the Texas Chainsaw series: the couple that adopted Heather in Texas Chainsaw 3D. Rarely have I seen a parental unit that made me physically sick to my stomach.

 

[mjs9153]

Haven't seen texas 3d yet,but the original,yeah,maybe prufrock has it right..haha skimom,I know what you mean,such a kind caring guy,but as you go along,you see his son realizes that his life growing up wasn't all roses either,and in the end,he was a hero..Robert Duvall is one of my favorite actors,he had such range..He was so good in Tender Mercies..

 

[skimom2]

Haven't seen texas 3d yet,but the original,yeah,maybe prufrock has it right..haha skimom,I know what you mean,such a kind caring guy,but as you go along,you see his son realizes that his life growing up wasn't all roses either,and in the end,he was a hero..Robert Duvall is one of my favorite actors,he had such range..He was so good in Tender Mercies..

He's a WONDERFUL actor--so good that I couldn't stand him for years ; even though my head knew he was playing role, my heart hated him.

 

[mjs9153]

He's a WONDERFUL actor--so good that I couldn't stand him for years ; even though my head knew he was playing role, my heart hated him.

I know,right,that basketball scene was tough to take..I liked his one daughter that was teasing him,telling him she was in love with a black homosexual pacifist named Rufus,lol..

 

[king family fan]

Serial mom

 

[mjs9153]

Serial mom

 

[muskrat]

Dirk Diggler's mom in BOOGIE NIGHTS. I think she had some SERIOUS mental troubles.

Rodney Dangerfield in NATURAL BORN KILLERS. I love Rodney, but that role...ugh, what a creep.

The Creeds in PET SEMETARY--not the characters, but the actors--God, atrocious. Thank god for Fred Gwynne, who carried that flick on his back.

 

[blunthead]

That reminded me of another one: Robert Duvall in The Great Santini. I couldn't watch him in anything until Lonesome Dove, I hated that character so much. And I never could watch MTM again. Awful, awful people.

Yes, I was thinking of this one, too.

 

[CoriSCapnSkip]

The parents in Matilda were pretty bad, as were most of those in the two Chocolate Factory movies. The author in real life, Roald Dahl, is said to have been absolutely horrible to his second daughter--worse as he was apparently all right to his other children and just took everything out on the one.

Another pair of awful parents by the author of The Great Santini appear in Prince of Tides.

All-time prize for awfulness goes to Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance in The Shining.