Anthony Hopkins stars in The Good Father as a publishing executive whose wife Julie Walters has left him, taking their son with her. Walking around like a zombie after this blow, Hopkins is brought back to life by involving himself in the profound problems of his friend Jim Broadbent. Feeling that his misguided pro-feminist stance has caused him all his trouble, Hopkins encourages Broadbent, whose own wife is leaving him with their son in tow, to fight for custody of the child in court. Hopkins even agrees to finance Broadbent's legal fees. As Broadbent's custody battle intensifies into a bitter, all-out war, Hopkins becomes more relaxed concerning his own domestic difficulties. Allowing Broadbent to be his emotional surrogate, a becalmed Hopkins feels secure enough to try to reconcile with his ex-wife Walters. But she is aware, even if he isn't, that his problems stem not from his relationship with women, but from his resentment of his son, whose birth was the beginning of the end of his marriage. Contrary to the title and his own self-deceptions, Hopkins is not "the good father." The film was scripted by Christopher Hampton from a novel by Peter Prince

The Good Father is a 1985 British film directed by Mike Newell and starring Anthony Hopkins, Jim Broadbent, Harriet Walter, Fanny Viner, Simon Callow, Joanne Whalley, and Michael Byrne.It is loosely based on Peter Prince's novel of the same name. It marked the first appearance in a feature film of Stephen Fry. The movie was produced for British television but received a theatrical release in the US.

Bill (Hopkins) is a man who is utterly bitter about his recent divorce from his wife. and the loss of custody of his only child. He acts out his anger by befriending another man, Roger (Broadbent), who has been sued for divorce by his wife, so that she can enter into a lesbian relationsship with her lover. Bill tries to help the man out, by funding the latter's court case to regain custody of his child. Simon Callow plays the unscrupulous sleezy barrister hired for the case. Soon Bill, who has focused his anger against feminism, which he blames for robbing him of his family, turns to feel disgust for what he and his new friend are doing.[1]

Release Date: February 11, 1987

Distrib: Skouras Pictures