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Well Parenthood (1989), comes to mind, of course. It's chock-full of great dialog. But some fine parental advice comes from a parent's grandmother; it's pure genius, making Gil look even more irrationally anal retentive, thereby setting up the movie's climax. Watch a clip here, the excerpt below begins about 1:13. Grandma: You know, when I was nineteen, Grandpa took me on a roller coaster. Gil: Oh? Grandma: Up, down, up, down. Oh, what a ride! Gil: What a great story. Grandma: I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting to me that a ride could make me so— so frightened, so scared, so sick, so— so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn't like it. They went on the merry-go-round. That just goes around. Nothing. (beat) I like the roller coaster. You get more out of it.

Man of Steel (2013) Directed by Zack Snyder Written by: David S. Goyer, Christopher Nolan. Paternal advice from biological and adoptive parents.

Clark Kent: Can't I just keep pretending I'm your son? Jonathan Kent: You are my son. But somewhere out there you have another father too, who gave you another name. And he sent you here for a reason, Clark. And even if it takes you the rest of your life you owe it to yourself to find out what that reason is.

Jor-El: To see you standing there having grown into an adult... if only Lara could have witnessed this. Clark Kent: Who are you? Jor-El: I am your father, Kal, or at least a shadow of him. His consciousness. My name is Jor-El Clark Kent: Kal? That's my name? Jor-El: Kal-El, it is. Clark Kent: I have so many questions. Where do I come from? Why did you send me here? Jor-El: You came from Krypton, a world with a much harsher environment than Earth's. Long ago, in an era of expansion, our race spread out through the stars, seeking new worlds to settle upon. This scout ship was one of thousands launched into the void. We built outposts on other planets, using great machines to reshape environments to our needs. For 100 thousand years our civilization flourished, accomplishing wonders. Clark Kent: What happened? Jor-El: Artificial population control was established. The outposts and space exploration were abandoned. We exhausted our natural resources. As a result, our planet's core became unstable. Eventually, our military leader, General Zod, attempted a coup, but by then it was too late. Your mother and I foresaw the coming calamity and we took certain steps to ensure your survival. This is a genesis chamber. All Kryptonians were conceived in chambers such as this. Every child was designed to perform a predetermined role in our society as a worker, a warrior, a leader, and so on. Your mother and I believed Krypton lost something precious, the element of choice, of chance. What if a child dreamed of becoming something other than what society had intended? What if a child aspired to something greater? You were the embodiment of that belief Kal. Krypton's first natural birth in centuries. That's why we risked so much to save you. Clark Kent: Why didn't you come with me? Jor-El: We couldn't, Kal. No matter how much we wanted to. No matter how we loved you. Your mother, Lara, and I were a product of the failures of our world as much as Zod was. It's hard to explain. Clark Kent: So I'm alone? Jor-El: No, you are as much a child of Earth now as you are of Krypton. You can embody the best of both worlds. The dream your mother and I dedicated our lives to preserve. Jor-El: The people of Earth are different from us, it's true, but ultimately I believe that is a good thing. They won't necessarily make the same mistakes we did, but if you guide them, Kal, if you give them hope, that's what this symbol means. The symbol of the House of El means hope. Embodied within that hope is the fundamental belief the potential of every person to be a force for good. That's what you can bring them.

Trivia: The idea that Superman's S-Shield means "hope" is taken from Mark Waid's "Superman: Birthright" comic: the S-Shield is the Kryptonian symbol for "hope", and Superman (1978) created the concept of the Shield being a Kryptonian herald for the house of El. And it's interesting to compare similar scenes in other versions of Superman: Superman (1978) Directed by Richard Donner Written by Mario Puzo, David Newman, Leslie Newman, Robert Benton with uncredited contributions by Tom Mankiewicz (Three pieces of dialogue from different scenes)

Jor-El: So, my son. Speak. Young Clark Kent: Who am I? Jor-El: Your name is Kal-El. You are the only survivor of the planet Krypton. Even though you've been raised as a human, you are not one of them. You have great powers, only some of which you have as yet discovered.

Jor-El: Live as one of them, Kal-El, to discover where your strength and your power are needed. Always hold in your heart the pride of your special heritage. They can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you... my only son.

Jor-El: You are revealed to the world. Very well, so be it. But you must still retain your secret identity. Superman: But why? Jor-El: The reasons are two. First, you cannot serve humanity twenty-eight hours a day. Superman: Twenty-four. Jor-El: Or twenty-four, as it is in Earth time. Your help would be called for endlessly, even for those problems which human beings could solve themselves. It is their habit to abuse their resources in such a way. Superman: And, second? Jor-El: Second, your enemies will discover that the only way to hurt you, will be by hurting the people you care for. Superman: Thank you, Father. Jor-El: Lastly... Do not punish yourself for your feelings of vanity. Simply learn to control them. It is an affliction common to all, even on Krypton. Our destruction could have been avoided had it not been for the vanity of some who considered us indestructible. Were it not for vanity, why... at this very moment... [sadly] Jor-El: I could embrace you in my arms. My son.

And Superman Returns (2006) Directed by Bryan Singer Written by Michael Dougherty, Dan Harris, Bryan Singer (story) Trivia: Director Bryan Singer decided on using stock footage of Marlon Brando that was originally shot by Superman (1978) director Richard Donner for the Singer version. Brando and Christopher Reeve were once filmed interacting for Superman II (1980), but due to a lawsuit against the Alexander Salkind and Ilya Salkind for a percentage of the sequel, the scenes were deleted and re-shot with Susannah York as Kal-El's mother Lara.

Big Fish (2003) Director: Tim Burton Writers: Daniel Wallace (novel), John August (screenplay) Senior Ed Bloom: You are in for a surprise. Will Bloom: Am I? Senior Ed Bloom: Havin' a kid changes everything. There's burping, the midnight feeding, and the changing. Will Bloom: You do any of that? Senior Ed Bloom: No. But I hear it's terrible. Then you spend years trying to corrupt and mislead this child, fill his head with nonsense, and still it turns out perfectly fine. Will Bloom: You think I'm up for it? Senior Ed Bloom: You learned from the best.

[…] Daily Dialogue Theme for Next Week: Parental advice […]

The Godfather (1972) Written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola VITO CORLEONE So -- Barzini will move against you first. He'll set up a meeting with someone that you absolutely trust -- guaranteeing your safety. And at that meeting, you'll be assassinated. I like to drink wine more than I used to -- anyway, I'm drinking more... MICHAEL It's good for you, Pop. VITO CORLEONE I don't know -- your wife and children -- are you happy with them? MICHAEL Very happy... VITO CORLEONE That's good. I hope you don't mind the way I -- I keep going over this Barzini business... MICHAEL No, not at all... VITO CORLEONE It's an old habit. I spent my life trying not to be careless -- women and children can be careless, but not men. How's your boy? MICHAEL He's good -- VITO CORLEONE You know he looks more like you every day. MICHAEL He's smarter than I am. Three years old, he can read the funny papers VITO CORLEONE Read the funny papers -- Oh -- well -- eh, I want you to arrange to have a telephone man check all the calls that go in and out of here -- because... MICHAEL I did it already, Pop. VITO CORLEONE -- ya'know, cuz it could be anyone... MICHAEL Pop, I took care of that. VITO CORLEONE Oh, that's right -- I forgot. MICHAEL What's the matter? What's bothering you? I'll handle it. I told you I can handle it, I'll handle it. VITO CORLEONE I knew that Santino was going to have to go through all this. And Fredo -- well -- Fredo was -- well -- But I never -- I never wanted this for you. I work my whole life, I don't apologize, to take care of my family. And I refused -- to be a fool -- dancing on the string, held by all those -- bigshots. I don't apologize -- that's my life -- but I thought that -- that when it was your time -- that -- that you would be the one to hold the strings. Senator - Corleone. Governor - Corleone, or something... MICHAEL Another pezzonovante... VITO CORLEONE Well -- this wasn't enough time, Michael. Wasn't enough time... MICHAEL We'll get there, Pop -- we'll get there... VITO CORLEONE Uh... Now listen -- whoever comes to you with this Barzini meeting -- he's the traitor. Don't forget that. Trivia: "pezzonovante," means ".90 caliber," or more accurately an idiom meaning "big shot". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuWkcKbBQkg

Another film in which parental advice is offered by a grandparent is Hope Floats (1998). Ramona Calvert must become aware her daughter Birdie is eavesdropping while she has a heart-to-heart with her granddaughter/Birdie's daughter Bernice.

Ramona Calvert: Hey honey, your momma called a while ago, she said she'd be home soon. You want me to tuck you in? Bernice: (nods) Ramona Calvert: How tight? Bernice: Tight. Ramona Calvert: (tucking in bedding) Okay...as snug as a bug in a rug. (beat) You're so much like your momma, she used to live me to tuck her in real tight. Bernice: I'm not like her. We're different. It's like we're not even relatives. Ramona Calvert: Ah well. Yeah, yeah, I know what you mean. Relatives are trouble, I couldn't agree more. Did I ever tell you about Walter, my brother? Huh? Well, what you have to go through with your mother, suffering, that's what I had to suffer with Walter. One day we were playing out back, down by the river, and we came across the most beautiful anthill you ever saw. And then Walter, he immediately kicked it, and stomped on it, just, just, scattered it to the four winds, I just started howling. I was just, I yelled for my momma, I grabbed her and dragged her down there, just crying and carrying on, anyway my momma was trying to calm me down so she wait, wait, they’re not finished, not by a long shot. And we waited and waited, and sure enough, those little black things just started scurrying every which way, just workin’ hard to build their home back. And I said, why did they do it? I’d just give up, I mean, it’s hopeless. And my momma said, yeah, if it’s just one of you, but there’s lots of ants down there, and they’re all relatives, they’re family. Just like we are. Well, that’s what families are for. That’s why they invented family. So hopeless doesn’t get the last word. So listen if ants can do I figure we can do it. (laughs) Bernice: (laughs) Ramona Calvert: You know, my Birdie has a lot more strength than she’s ever known. One of these days she’s going to realize it.

It's never quite clear when Ramona begins to address her comments to Birdie offscreen, but that last line is definitely for her daughter and not her granddaughter. Rather crappy quality clip here.

Femme_Mal, this is one of my favorite Mentor moments in any movie. It's so surprising as up to this point, Grandma has simply been played for laughs, half-senile old lady. Then boom! She lays out the central theme of the story. Of course, there's that great out line from Gil. His wife comments re Grandma, 'I think she's pretty darned smart,' or something like that. Then Gil, looking out the door where Grandma has walked to get ready to go to the school play, "Yeah, if she's so smart, how come she's sitting in the neighbor's car?!" Wonderful movie!