Dads speak in a language all their own. For me and my father, our language was a combination of inside jokes, movie quotes and a shorthand we found from our experiences together. I was thinking about him the other day, all the movies he made me watch and the unique dialect we spoke. We laughed and cried together. Movies became a love language.

I hope I get to create a language with my boys. One built on humor, experience and choice movie lines.

Here are 7 dads and their movie legacies for their kids:

Mike Adamick

The Princess Bride + E.T.

“I got full-on cry chills when we watched The Princess Bride and ET together. It’s a weird experience, to watch a movie with your kid and feel that somehow you’re passing a little bit of your own childhood on, giving them a glimpse of what it was like. Also can’t wait until she’s old enough for Interstellar. Loved that thing.”

Tshaka Armstrong

Lean On Me

“The first thing that comes to mind is the movie ‘Lean On Me.'”

“Why? When children have no expectations placed on them in life and no hope, they may flounder and go in some bad directions but when we set appropriate expectations… when we make normative the notion that they will strive for excellence, being the best, most authentic versions of themselves, magic happens and most will rise to meet the challenge.”

Ben Mullen

The Muppets

“They were funny, creative, impossible not to enjoy and helped usher in my love of classic literature. They not only made it funny and a little zany, but gave a young persons brain a window into understanding the themes and lessons behind the stories. I hope it can do the same for my kids. Having a grasp on the classics is just one of those vital things, in my opinion.”

Chris Read

The Sandlot

“Mine’s a little off the mainstream path but I watched The Sandlot (one of my favourite baseball movies) with my son the other day and not only did he love it and ask to watch it again, but he also decided that he wanted to play baseball. This is significant because I played ball at a pretty high level and really hoped he’d try it but didn’t want to pressure him into it.”

Simon Ragoonanan

Singin’ In The Rain

“The pinnacle of the movie musical, (Singin’ in the Rain) has wonderful characters, glorious song and dance sequences, and a plot that exemplifies the power and inventiveness of cinema. It’s been a great one to talk about with (my daughter) to explain different styles of storytelling in cinema. It also shows that dancing is for boys and girls.”

Tom Burns

Everything by Alfred Hitchcock

“I’ve been patiently waiting for the perfect time to introduce Hitchcock to my daughter. Because while, yes, it’s fun sharing all my favorite wacky 80s comedies, there is something truly special about introducing her to a cinematic master who basically wrote the book on how to make an exciting movie.

She just turned nine, so I hit her with two classics that are equal parts thrilling and fun — North by Northwest and Rear Window. Both had enough action and intrigue to keep her interest (but not Psycho-levels of blood and horror), and the best part was watching her slowly fall under each movie’s spell. She squirmed at Rear Window’s voyeurism, impatient to see what happened next, and quietly said “ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod” as Cary Grant found himself climbing down Mt. Rushmore to get away from James Mason. Now she wants to see way more Hitchcock movies and her former (and understandable) prejudice against “old” movies went right out the window.”

Josh Weinroth

Time Bandits

“I LOVE movies and always enjoy seeing my kids watch something for the first time, when it’s something I grew up with or have some sort of relationship with it’s that much more special. If I have to choose just one, Time Bandits stands out. While it’s a great adventure movie, it’s also funny, frightening, and irreverent and can be viewed on so many levels. It pushed boundaries and creates a pathway to even more incredible films.”