Four Father Figure Movies

There are movies you watch to make idle time more entertaining, the type you laugh along with and tend to forget about a few days later. Then there are others that leave a major impression on you, challenge you to think differently and refine you as a person in some minor way.

Four such movies come to mind, and coincidentally all four of them have a patriarchal element to them; a father figure or male mentor features as the main protagonist.

1)      Life is Beautiful

An Italian movie with English subtitles, the innocently simple title disguises a very deep and morbid subject matter, the holocaust. Set in 1939, it follows the tale of Guido, a young Jewish Italian book shop owner who wins over his lady love Dora with his wit and humor. They lead a simple, happy life and have a son they name Joshua. Their lives take a dramatic turn when the family is sent off to the horrors of the Nazi death camps.

In an attempt to shield the young son from the horrors around them, Guido creates an imaginary world. He tells Joshua they are entering a game, and the game requires them to win points. The first team to get a thousand points will win a tank, but Joshua should not cry, complain ask for his mother or say he is hungry as this will lead to a loss of points. To win points, Joshua must hide from the camp guards and be very quiet.

When Joshua tires of the game and pleads to go back home, Guido convinces him they are very close to winning. He conceals the ugliness around them through this game. The guards are mean because they want to win the tank for themselves. The diminishing numbers of children who are being slaughtered daily in the camp are actually in hiding. Guido’s great acting and Joshua’s innocence keep the game going.

In the chaos of closing the camp in the last scene as the Americans approach, Guido makes Joshua hide in a sweatbox and goes looking for his wife. He gets caught by the guards, but even as he is dragged away to be executed, Guido forges an exaggerated march past the sweatbox.

When Joshua emerges from hiding, the Americans take him to safety on a tank and he thinks he has won, and he is reunited with his mother.

A highly sensitive subject matter, a touching tale, and sparks of heartwarming humor, this movie is a real masterpiece. The movie went on to win three Academy Awards – for Actor in Leading Role (to Robert Benigni who played Guido), Best Original Dramatic Score, and Best Foreign Film.

2)      Taare Zameen Par

Translated as “Like Stars on Earth” in a reissue of the movie by Disney, Taare Zameen Par is a Hindi language film and was the brainchild of husband-wife duo Amole Gupte and Deepa Bhatia. Drawing inspiration from the life of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, the movie questions the conventional education system and explores the trials and tribulations of a young boy (played by Darsheel Safary) who cannot keep up with school. Unknown to his family and peers, the boy suffers from dyslexia and this becomes the central plot of the film. He soon finds solace in his art teacher (played by Amir Khan) who sees potential in the boy and their friendship changes his life for good.

Taare Zameen Par hit the screens at a time when Bollywood was churning out its usual run of the mill romances, and given its rather unconventional storyline, it was a risky subject to present onscreen. Amir Khan’s perfectionism shines through both as an actor and director in this beautifully portrayed piece. The film has since won many accolades and has a fan following the world over. It was also screened in the International Dyslexia Association in Seattle, Washington and was honored with a standing ovation.

A sensitive issue brought to light in a beautifully simple storyline, exceptional actors and great background scores, this movies hits home at all the right spots. A must-see if you haven’t already.  

3)      The Pursuit of Happyness

Based on the real life struggles of business tycoon Chris Gardner who faced a year of homelessness with a toddler son in tow, this movie saw Will Smith with his real life son Jaden Smith on screen together as father and son.

The plot follows Gardner whose estranged wife leaves him and their son after his medical career takes a downturn and he struggles to sell the portable bone density scanners he had invested in. Gardner faces a very dire financial crisis, is forced onto the streets with his toddler son. He lands an internship and the movie follows his struggles to keep up with the job while struggling with life as a homeless father.

The title of the movie with the misspelled ‘happyness’ was taken from a graffiti sign Gardner had seen near his son’s daycare.

A pursuit for happiness with a real-life happy ending sums up the American dream and altruistic belief that hard work and struggle pay off in the end.

4)      About Schmidt

Loosely based on a novel by the same name, Jack Nicholson plays the main protagonist in this moving, close-to-life drama of a man coming of age. Schmidt is frustrated with life. He has recently retired from his mundane career, and is soon widowed to a wife he had lost interest in years ago. His estranged daughter is marrying a man he disapproves of, and the only thing he has to look forward to in life is his brand new Winnebago Adventurer motor home.

Schmidt decides to travel to Denver to his daughter’s wedding in his new vehicle, and makes pit stops on the way to places that remind him of his past. He adopts a child called Ndugu in Africa, and writes to him about his life and loneliness.

Heart-wrenching and sadly true to life on the loneliness of growing old alone, ‘About Schmidt’ must be one of Jack Nicholson’s finest performances to date.

 

- Big Sis.