Fathers and Sons in the Movies

About three weeks ago I watched the film Five Easy Pieces for the first time in maybe twenty years. If you've seen it, you probably recall the scene in the diner in which Jack Nicholson tries to order toast, one of the most memorable restaurant scenes in film history.

While watching the film it became apparent that I had not remembered hardly anything about it, except the beautiful Chopin piece that Nicholson plays at one point in the film.

It's a film with a lot of tension, and not easy to watch. One of the areas of tension, and one of the central hubs of the film, was the fractured relationship between Nicholson and his father. As I reflected on this, I thought about other films involving fathers and sons, and the various ways father-son relationships can be a blessing or a hardship.

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My freshman year at college was a year of new experiences for sure. One of these experiences was an album by Cat Stevens called Tea for the Tillerman. Jon Brite, an artist in Scott Quad where I roomed at Ohio U freshman year, made the introduction. While listening to a portion of it recently, as I do from time to time, I noted that the music and lyrics still hold up as the classic it was.

The thought I had, however, was how targeted this album was at the time it was written. It was an album from the point of view of youth, directed toward youthful seekers whose life quest was just unfolding. No wonder Stevens went on to sell 25 million albums. The generational dissonance is most pronounced in the song "Father and Son."

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After watching Five Easy Pieces I reflected on some other films I've seen in which the relationship of father and son is either prominent or a feature close to the center of the film. Here are a few that quickly came to mind. (Those in bold have reviews.)

The Music Never Stopped 

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

The Godfather
Great story about a mob boss and his sons. Brando is most memorable as he kicks off the first of a trilogy.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Paul Newman, Elizabeth Taylor and Burl Ives in a Tennessee Williams scorcher.

A River Runs Through It (A Roger Ebert review)
I have read the story at least five times and four times watched the film. Try it. Great either way.
Here's a reflection on rivers.

Legends of the Fall (Another Roger Ebert's review)

Once I started down this path some other interesting films with father-son relationships came to mind including Rain Man, The Lion King ("Remember who you are."), Back to the Future, Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade, and Field of Dreams, each special in its own way.

I woke thinking about my own father yesterday and considered assembling a few memories here. Instead, I may just start by sharing my thoughts with my brothers.

Enjoy your weekend. If your father is still alive, let him know you love him.