Coming Of Age Night: The Love Between A Son And His Father

Tonight's marathon is specifically a one that pertains to the theme of coming of age. This one deals with a young boy or gentlemen trying to find his purpose in the world but need some guidance from his father. Either the father and son relationships in these films are troubled, wanting acceptance from one side, wanting to reestablish what means most while going on an adventure together, and fulfilling one's destiny after the father passes on. This is not just a great dramatic marathon, it's a moving experience: We have on our menu for this evening:

The Lion King 1994, October Sky 1999, Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade 1989, and Life As A House 2000

We begin the evening with the first coming of age film that deals with the father and son dynamic with the 1994 epic blockbuster The Lion King. Boosting an epic cast among the likes of Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Nathan Lane, Whoopi Goldberg, and Cheech Marin, the story places the character Simba as the young lion whose destined to take the throne as ruler of the animals once his father Mufasa passes on. What follows is a personal tragedy that leaves Simba filled with guilt and abandonment, but also represents the beginning of his rebirth as the future king who strives to become the destined king of Pride Rock. Lion King is not only one of the best animated films ever, but one of the best movies of all time. It's father and son dynamic along with the theme of growing up and becoming a man is the perfect setup for the next films. The second movie in the lineup maintains the father and son relationship as being the heart of the film, but this time deals with the wanting of acceptance. The film October Sky, deals with the true story of a young boy named Homer Hickam, a coal miners son played by Jake Gyllenhaal who takes up rocketry against the wishes of his father played by Chris Cooper. This film is absolutely perfect as the follow up to Lion King because not only does it bring the theme of acceptance and following your destiny to a more realistic level, it really hits home in the end. The third film in the marathon goes back to the heights of The Lion King in terms of being an incredible adventure and an emotional father and son film. Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade, is not only the best Indiana Jones film in the franchises history but also feels the most real. This one shows us a young Indiana Jones whose slowly morphing into the archaeologist he's well known for but also showing us the relationship with his father that leaves a lot to be desired for Indy. Their relationship is a troubled one because ever since Indy was a kid, he felt that his father placed more emphasis on archaeology than on him, and deep down wants to have a relationship with his father while enduring the quest to find the Holy Grail. Sean Connery's performance in this film is so dynamic and powerful, he really drives home the emotions especially in the scene where the tank goes over the cliff and he finally admits regret for not telling his son how he feels. The final movie of the marathon ties it all together with Life As a House starring Kevin Kline and Hayden Christensen. Kevin Kline plays a father diagnosed with terminal cancer who takes custody of his troubled drug addict teenage son who specializes in getting high, small time prostitution, and avoiding his father. The mission of the father in this film is to get the son to help him build a house together, while also reestablishing their relationship and reminding them that no matter what happens, they will always be father and son. A great parallel between this and Last Crusade is Indy is able to save his father from death in that film but the son in Life As A House isn't able to, and must cherish what time they have left. This film still remains Hayden Christensen's finest hour as an actor, and makes one wonder how he did such a great job in this movie but fumbled the ball as Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels.

So what are these movies ultimately trying to say? The Lion King says you can run from your past or learn from it. No one can escape their destiny. October Sky says to follow your conscience and your dreams, even if it means bucking tradition, fighting authority, and withstanding disapproval from those closest to you. The Last Crusade says to tell your loved one how you feel before it's too late, and to not place more emphasis on something that isn't as important as your child. Life As A House says that sometimes you don't get what you wish for, and something bad can be an excuse to force something good to happen.

Our father and sons for this evening: