Real Dads Vs. Reel Dads: Movie Lovers Weigh In On Father's Day Survey From Blockbuster

Real Dads Vs. Reel Dads: Movie Lovers Weigh In On Father's Day Survey From Blockbuster

Will Smith Is Voted Top Dad In Movies & Life

DALLAS, June 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Father may know best, but when it comes to films, movie lovers are the best judge of dads on the big screen. Just in time for Father's Day on Sunday, June 17, entertainment retailer Blockbuster presents a survey on the best and the worst movie dads -- and how they stack up against those off-screen.

Topping movie lovers' list of on-screen fathers they'd most like as their own is the devoted and determined single dad Chris Gardner in "The Pursuit of Happyness," played by Will Smith. Perhaps because of his convincing portrayal in the movie opposite his real-life son, Jaden Smith, fans also chose Will Smith as the celebrity dad they'd most like to have as their own. Not surprisingly, the on-screen and off-screen Smith was most popular with young females ages 18-34, although males also named him a top pick.

Real-life dads get less respect than their on-film counterparts, with survey respondents comparing their own fathers to some of the most notoriously humorous and sometimes bumbling dads in movie history. Topping the list is Steve Martin's George Banks in "Father of the Bride," who finds himself overruled and bullied by his wife, daughter, a colorful wedding planner and even two Doberman Pinschers. Movie lovers also named Jack Byrnes, the overprotective ex-CIA dad in "Meet the Parents" and Chevy Chase's clueless Clark Griswold from "National Lampoon's Vacation" as characters reminiscent of their own dads.

Of course, clueless, overprotective and bumbling is child's play compared to the evildoings of some movie dads. When asked what movie dad they'd least like to have as their own, more than a third chose the terrifying Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson in "The Shining," followed by Jim Carrey's Fletcher Reede in "Liar, Liar" and the ominous Darth Vader from the Star Wars series. Fortunately, none of these characters showed up on the "movie dads most like my own" list.

Movie fans who haven't had a chance to see these reel life dads in action can rent the DVDs at any BLOCKBUSTER(R) store or at blockbuster.com. And, if you want to pick up a classic dad film on Father's Day, which falls on a Sunday, you can head to a BLOCKBUSTER store. BLOCKBUSTER stores are open seven days a week and on holidays, so even when the mail's not available, your favorite movies are.

An overview of results from the omnibus survey, conducted in May 2007 by MarketTools on behalf of Blockbuster Inc., is provided below. More detailed results are available upon request.

Movie Dads You'd Most Like As Your Own

Chris Garder (Will Smith), "The Pursuit of Happyness" 19%
George Banks (Steve Martin), "Father of the Bride" 18%
Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck), "To Kill A Mockingbird" 17%
Bernie Focker (Dustin Hoffman), "Meet the Fockers" 12%
Jack Butler (Michael Keaton), "Mr. Mom" 8%

Movie Dads You'd Least Like As Your Own

Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), "The Shining" 35%
Fletcher Reede (Jim Carrey), "Liar, Liar" 16%
Darth Vader (David Prowse), "Empire Strikes Back" 13%
Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), "The Godfather" 13%
Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey), "American Beauty" 6%

Movie Dads Most Like Your Own

George Banks (Steve Martin), "Father of the Bride" 16%
Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro), "Meet the Parents" 16%
Drum Eatenton (Tom Skerritt), "Steel Magnolias" 12%
Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase), "National Lampoon's Vacation" 8%
Jim's Dad (Eugene Levy), "American Pie" 7%

Celebrity Dads You'd Most Like As Your Own

Will Smith, father to Trey, Willow and Jaden 25%
Russell Crowe, father to Charlie and Tennyson 8%
Ben Affleck, father to Violet 7%
Brad Pitt, father to Maddox, Zahara, Shiloh and Pax 7%
Hugh Jackman, father to Ava and Oscar 6%
Tom Cruise, father to Isabella, Connor and Suri 6%

About Blockbuster

Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE:BBI)(NYSE:BBI.B) is a leading global provider of in- home movie and game entertainment, with more than 8,000 stores throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia. The company may be accessed worldwide at http://www.blockbuster.com/.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: jsieg@blockbuster.com

Source: Blockbuster Inc.

CONTACT: Tami Cannizzaro of Blockbuster Inc., +1-214-854-3190

Web site:

http://www.blockbuster.com/

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