Dads and their female offspring are a whole different pot of stew from mothers and their girls — both in the movies and in real life. Director Gabriele Muccino ("The Pursuit of Happyness") takes on the theme in "Fathers and Daughters," but doesn't bring anything new to the party. In fact, his movie feels like a convoluted excuse for beautiful but emotionally damaged Katie (Amanda Seyfried) to have a meaningful relationship with the cute and muscular Cameron (Aaron Paul). The whole thing seems coated with a brand of romantic goo usually found in a Nicolas Sparks vehicle. Or am I the only crank in the screening room?

One thing the film touches on, but never digs into, is that the cinematic father-daughter relationship — whether it's painful, as in the case of this movie, or positive and inspirational, as in the case of, say, "Contact" — provides excellent fodder for romance, whereas with moms and daughters it works in the opposite direction. A woman with a father fixation can seem alluring and mysterious — a damsel in distress just waiting for the right guy to come along — but a woman with mom issues is often a turn-off.

Look no further than 2013 drama "August: Osage County" for evidence: Julia Roberts, playing the daughter in that film, came off as brittle and mean, while Meryl Streep, playing her shrill, domineering and spiteful mom, made you want to run from the room screaming. Between the pair of them, they managed to alienate all men within a five mile radius, including the father (played by Sam Shepard), who kills himself in one of the films first scenes. Movies can be disturbingly misogynistic, and let's not forget how respected filmmakers like Woody Allen have ripped into motherhood.