There Was a Father (1942): cast, story & where to watch
1942 · Film · ★ 7.2
Released in 1942, There Was a Father is a drama film directed by Yasujirō Ozu, running about 88 minutes.
What it’s about. Shuhei Horikawa, a poor schoolteacher, struggles to raise his son Ryohei by himself, despite neither money nor prospects.
Who’s in it. There Was a Father stars Chishū Ryū as Shuhei Horikawa, the father, Shūji Sano as Ryohei, the son, Haruhiko Tsuda as Ryohei as a child and Shin Saburi as Yasutaro Kurokawa, the father's colleague, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 7.2/10, There Was a Father has been warmly received by audiences.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel and HBO Max. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch There Was a Father page.
If you liked it. Fans of There Was a Father tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch There Was a Father (1942)?
- In US, There Was a Father is available to stream on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV and Criterion Channel. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is There Was a Father worth watching?
- There Was a Father holds an audience score of 7.2 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy drama. Most viewers rate it highly.
- Who stars in There Was a Father?
- There Was a Father stars Chishū Ryū, Shūji Sano, Haruhiko Tsuda, Shin Saburi and Takeshi Sakamoto.