Movies that Honor Fathers

“Most people catch their presuppositions from their family and surrounding society, the way that a child catches the measles.” ~ Francis A. Schaeffer, How Should We Then Live?: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture

Culture matters. A lot. And if Francis Schaeffer was right about how most people form their world view, popular culture matters most of all.

The contempt for fathers that generations of children (now adults) absorbed through popular culture is one major reason that families are crumbling in the US and throughout the West. Families are the foundation of civilization. If the foundation crumbles, what happens to the civilization?

Fortunately, there are still movies that portray married fathers as heroes, and Fathers' Day is the perfect time to highlight them. This is a non-exhaustive list, so if you know of others, please feel free leave a comment below.



Cinderella Man



James J. Braddock was a real life Rocky Balboa, an aging, has been, washed up, working class boxer with far more heart than talent who got a shot at the world championship. Unlike Rocky, Braddock was a married, devoted father of three who lived during the Great Depression. He fractured his right hand (his only weapon in the ring) in a fight he lost and was forced to retire from boxing. He lost everything during the Depression - except his family.

This is a story about the lengths to which a father will go to support his wife and children. If you haven't watched it, do so. Better yet, read the book.

We Were Soldiers




Hal Moore is one of the great American combat commanders of the Vietnam War. He commanded the 1st Battalion of the 7th Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of Ia Drang in 1965. He is also a married (now widowed) father of five (now grandfather of 12). The first act of the movie focuses on the Soldiers and families of the 1-7 as they prepare for the deployment. I posted one of my favorite scenes above, in which then-LTC Moore mentors one of his young LTs on balancing soldiering with fatherhood.

Watch the movie and read the book!

American Sniper



I reviewed this movie previously, so I won't write much about it here. Chris Kyle was not only a heroic Navy SEAL sniper, he was a devoted married father of two. Read the book!

The Impossible




If you have kids, this movie will scare you more than any horror movie ever could. It's based on a true story (are you starting to see a trend?) about Enrique Álvarez, María Belón and their three sons Lucas, Simón and Tomás Álvarez, who were on vacation in Thailand during the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. The movie changes the names and nationality of the characters from Spanish to English, but the main theme remains intact - the lengths to which a father will go to reunite his family after a natural disaster tears them apart.

Soul Surfer 



When, in real life, a shark bit Bethany Hamilton's left arm off just below the shoulder, it was her dad who trained her to surf again. Since then, she's placed first in six international surfing competitions and competed in many more.


Apocalypto



This one really surprised me. Though set in a completely alien (now extinct) culture, the primary subject matter is entirely familiar. It's a story of the lengths to which a father will go to protect his family. Whether intentionally or not, this movie makes the point that marriage is God's idea, and therefore transcends culture and time. Jaguar Paw and his wife, Seven, obviously weren't married in a church, nor do they hold a marriage license, yet we recognize them as husband and wife.

Act of Valor 




A fictional story portrayed by real-life Navy SEALS, it begins and ends with a letter written by one of the SEALS to his battle buddy's son. Yes, I know that's an Army term that the SEALS don't use. Sue me.


Avengers: Age of Ultron




When the Avengers need a place to recuperate after a mission goes disastrously wrong, they take refuge at Hawkeye's house, the only member of their team who is a married father.

Man of Steel



Though flawed, Man of Steel portrays Superman's natural father (Jor El) and his adoptive father (Jonathan Kent) as honorable men doing what they believe is best for their families and their people.

That's all I have for now. Surely there are more. My tastes obviously gravitate towards action, adventure and war movies, and I haven't watched all of those, much less every other genre. If you're a dad, I hope you had a happy Fathers' Day. Enjoy a good movie with your kids!

American Sniper Movie Review (Sort Of)

I watched the movie American Sniper almost a week ago, so if you've been living under a rock and haven't heard of it, or are somehow on the fence about the most controversial film in years, allow me to make things clear as mud.  You're welcome!

American Sniper brought to mind two movies.  The first is fairly obvious - Lone Survivor.  Unlike Lone Survivor, I haven't read the book on which American Sniper is based, thereby violating my own rule (I'll get to it, dammit!), so I can't say how closely the movie follows the book.

The second movie American Sniper brings to mind is - shockingly - The Deer Hunter, minus the anti-war, anti-American propaganda.  It left me wondering what movie American Sniper's "Liberal" critics saw, because the movie I watched is a realistically brutal portrayal of the price war exacts from the people involved in it.  Obviously, the movie deals with the price Chris Kyle paid fighting in Iraq, but it also portrays the damage done to his family (especially his wife, Taya), his friends, his brother, fellow servicemen and - to a lesser, but dramatic degree - Iraqi non-combatants.

In fact, I'd say it's the most personal and realistic portrayal of one human cost of war - the price paid by the living - that I've ever seen.  This is truly a great movie.  It was also very difficult for me to watch.

Bradley Cooper, by the way, was outstanding in the lead role.  He put on a lot of weight, grew a beard, changed his voice and mimicked Kyle's accent.  He pretty much disappeared into the role.  I never once thought, "oh yeah, that's the dude from The Hangover".

Like most books made into movies, I suspect some of American Sniper is embellished.  For example, Mustafa, the sniper, was a real person.  You can probably still find - in the darker corners of the internet - the videos he and his associates made of Mustafa shooting American servicemen.  I doubt, however, that there was a snipers' duel (like Zaytsev vs. König in Stalingrad, or Carlos "The White Feather" Hathcock vs. "The Cobra" in Vietnam) between Mustafa and Kyle in real life.  Unfortunately, embellishment is always a part of Hollywood movies.

If you want to read two great, real life stories about Chris Kyle, by the way, check out this article.

Anti-war protesters in San Francisco, 2003.

The controversy:

As I stated in my Lone Survivor review, Leftists can only abide portrayals of American servicemen as either victims or monsters, often simultaneously.  American Sniper, presents us with a deeply flawed - but undoubtedly heroic - Chris Kyle making split second, life and death moral choices in the worst possible circumstances.  That is unacceptable to the Left.  American servicemen must only be portrayed positively when killing their superiors, deserting their units or committing treason.

That's why this movie is controversial.

Why American Sniper Is Important:

You've probably heard of ISIS/ISIL/Daesh.  You may not know that they've been around a lot longer than the talking heads on TV let on.

The enemy portrayed in the movie is Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.  Later in the war, they began calling themselves The Islamic State in Iraq.  Their stated goal was to create an Islamic caliphate in the Middle East, starting with Iraq.  AQI/ISI members that survived the war in Iraq went to Syria to fight in that civil war and began calling themselves The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (or the Levant, depending on whom you believe).

Apparently, they hate the name Daesh, so that's what I'll call them from now on.

Daesh is nothing new.  Any defense, intelligence or diplomatic official who "didn't see [Daesh] coming" is either lying or incompetent.

AQI Torture Manual

The movie portrays their brutality accurately.  The mutilations, the use of power tools in torture, the murder of children, the use of children as cannon fodder - it all happened.

Such a lead brought soldiers earlier this month to the hidden room in Muqdadiyah, about 60 miles north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said Thursday. Graffiti on the building proclaimed "Long Live the Islamic State" - a reference to the Islamic governance, or caliphate, sought in Iraq by Sunni extremist groups that include al-Qaida. 

Scrawled in white paint above a bed in the torture area was a Quranic phrase in Arabic normally used to welcome a guest. But the context suggested only sadistic mockery: "Come in, you are safe." 

The floor was littered with food wrappers, plastic soda bottles and electric cables that snaked to a metal bed frame, presumably where detainees were shocked, according to the U.S. account of the discovery during a Dec. 8-11 mission. 

The rooms "had chains, a bed - an iron bed that was still connected to a battery - knives and swords that were still covered in blood," said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Mark P. Hertling, the top U.S. commander in northern Iraq. 

Nearby were nine mass graves containing the remains of 26 people, he said.

Elsewhere in Diyala...

Soldiers from 5th IA said al Qaeda had cut the heads off the children. Had al Qaeda murdered the children in front of their parents? Maybe it had been the other way around: maybe they had murdered the parents in front of the children. Maybe they had forced the father to dig the graves of his children.

In Baghdad...

A raid on a major al-Qaida hideout north of Baghdad has uncovered evidence of a network of child suicide bombers who have been coerced into launching terror attacks across Iraq. 

... 

The use of children had been seen as a way to bypass security checks that have gradually become more stringent nationwide.

And it's all happening again.  Because it's the same people doing it all over again.

In reference to Iraq, at least, the U.N. report found that the terrorist group is resorting more and more to brutal acts such as enslaving, raping, beheading, crucifying and burying people alive. Some of those affected are children. 

"We have had reports of children, especially children that are mentally challenged, who have been used as suicide bombers, most probably without them even understanding what has happened or what they have to expect," said Renate Winter, an expert with the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child. 

Some as young as age 8 are getting training to become soldiers, she said.  

Son of Australian Muslim, Khaled Sharrouf, holds the decapitated head of a soldier in the Syrian city of Raqqa.

"Children of minorities have been captured in places where the so-called ISIL has its strength, have been sold in market with tags, price tags on them, have been sold as slaves," Winter said. 

People of the Yazidi faith -- which draws from Christianity, Judaism and the ancient monotheistic religion of Zoroastrianism, and which some Muslims consider devil worship -- have long faced persecution, though by comparison ISIS' cruelty to them has been extraordinary. Kurdistan Regional Government adviser Nazand Begikhani, for instance, has said Yazidi "women have been treated like cattle, ... subjected to physical and sexual violence, including systematic rape and sex slavery." 

Yazidi children haven't fared much better at the hands of ISIS. An earlier U.N. report described how militants rounded up all Yazidi males "older than 10 years of age at the local school, took them outside the village by pickup trucks, and shot them."

In light of current events, American Sniper serves as a stark reminder of what happens when we knock an enemy down, then fail to follow through.

I highly recommend American Sniper, although I don't know if I'll ever watch it again.  Be warned, it's tough to watch, especially if you fought in Iraq or Afghanistan.  If you have loved ones there now, you may want to wait until they're home safe.  Or, like my wife, refuse to watch it... ever!

Exodus: Gods and Kings

Christian Bale is one of my favorite actors right now, and Ridley Scott directed some of my favorite movies (Alien, Black Hawk Down, Gladiator), but I have a really hard time seeing anyone other than Charlton Heston as Moses.

Lone Survivor Movie Review

This review is very late.  I watched the movie about three weeks ago.  I read the book during my first tour in Afghanistan.  I recommend reading the book somewhere other than Afghanistan.

The real deal (above) and the actors (below)

I waited to write about it because I wanted to mull it over.  It's that important.

First, it's one of the top three war movies I've watched.  The other two are "Band of Brothers" (actually a miniseries, but I think it counts, and based on another true story and far better book) and "Saving Private Ryan" (fiction inspired by several real stories).

I loved the realism:

1. Telecommunications are the bane of every combat unit. 
2. No shooting from the hip.  Even the Taliban aimed, though not nearly as skillfully as the SEALs, which is realistic.
3. Grenades do not make giant fire balls.
4. Finite ammo: fighters on both sides employ fire discipline, change magazines and even (gasp!) run out of ammo.
5. Shooting, moving and communicating between teammates, and I don't just mean the SEALs. 
6. Referring to each other by call sign over TACSAT. 
7. The silly names Servicemen give serious matters - and the gallows humor between friends at war. 

Other stuff I loved: 

1. Mark Wahlberg as Marcus Luttrell, the actual Lone Survivor.  This is the same dude who starred in movies as disparate as "The Fighter" and "Ted", for goodness' sake!  If you would've told me during his "Marky Mark" days that he'd grow into such a talented, versatile actor, I'd have said you were crazy.  As if that wasn't enough, he seems to genuinely respect and honor the people whose story he tells. 
2. Taylor Kitsch as Medal of Honor recipient Michael "Murph" Murphy.  Yes, that Murph.  The man is a legend, and Mr Kitsch honored Murph's memory with his performance.
3. Ben Foster as Matt "Axe" Axelson.  
4. Eric Bana as Erik Kristensen.  It was a relatively small role for a big name actor, but Mr Bana brought a dignity and details (see the link) to the role that prove the people who made this movie really cared about the subjects of the story.  
5. Marcus Luttrell's cameos.  Look for them. 
6. They left intact Marcus' belief - expressed in the book - that the fact he lost his rifle, and it kept its zero, was a genuine miracle. 
7. The people portrayed as the most heroic are Afghans. 

What disappointed me:

1. As with most books adapted to film (not "The Hobbit"!), time constraints forced the film makers to leave many details out.  Read the book! 
2. The film makers embellished the ending in typical Hollywood fashion.  I understand why they did it, but I think the real ending is more compelling.  No, I won't explain.  Read the book! 

Why this movie is important: 

First, civilians, from the low-information non-voter on the street to policy makers in DC, have a concept of special operations troops as techno-magical ninjas that can accomplish impossible missions with minimum political risk.  Stories like "Lone Survivor", "Black Hawk Down" (read the freaking book!) and "Bravo Two Zero" remind us that these men, though far from normal (yes, I mean exactly that), are still human.  They screw up.  Or, they don't, and circumstances conspire to screw them up.  If war is "policy by other means", then there is no such thing as a politically safe way to engage in it.  Furthermore, these men are real people with real families who face real, deadly consequences.  Those consequences - because of the nature of their missions - often affect entire countries.  Politicians need to be a lot more careful about what missions they assign these men, and why. 

By the way, Hollywood is really into remakes right now, even remaking all kinds of movies that should never be remade.  If there's on movie that desperately requires a remake, it's Bravo Two Zero.  But, even if they do, read the freaking book!

Second, the training these men go through to become special operators is brutal, some would say sadistic.  If you haven't watched the Discovery Channel series "Surviving the Cut", do so.  You can find in on Netflix, and I'm sure elsewhere.  If you haven't experienced combat, you may be tempted to think that kind of brutality unnecessary, but "Lone Survivor" demonstrates why it's essential.  The kind of man who did what those four SEALs did is not common.  He isn't average.  He isn't even normal.  And one can't identify that kind of man with psychological profiles or any method other than making their "training" (it's not really training; it's testing) so hellaciously painful, that the many who lack the ability, the will, or both simply quit.  They self-identify.  The few who survive the cut never even consider quitting.  Ever.  You see that attitude dramatized more effectively in "Lone Survivor" than in any other movie I've watched. 

The controversy:

Screw the controversy.  The only reason there is any controversy (and there are oodles) is that "Liberals" demand American Servicemen be portrayed in only two roles - monster and victim - often both, especially we who've fought from Vietnam until now.  If you hold no such belief, you'll find "Lone Survivor" a gut-wrenching experience that pays fitting tribute to the people it portrays, and (importantly) does so with artistry worthy of recognition it will never receive from "Liberals".

Sounds familiar.

If you haven't already, watch these trailers.

Man of Steel Review

Stop me if you've heard this one.  A wise, celestial being sends his only begotten son to Earth, telling him, "You will give them an ideal to strive towards.  They'll race behind you.  They will stumble.  They will fall.  But in time, they will join you in the sun", and "You can save them all".  The son is raised by an ordinary, yet noble, hard working man.  At the age of 33, the son reveals his identity and origin to the world, performing works of wonder to save humanity from an enemy they couldn't possibly fight themselves.

Sound familiar?  Of course it does!  I'm referring to Superman!



I don't want to give too much away, but a few things really stood out to me.  First, the writers changed some details of Superman's origin, though not the overall story.  It should still satisfy most comic book nerds.

Second, Superman's Kryptonian parents play a much bigger role in this movie than in previous iterations of the story.  Russell Crowe did a great job as Jor-El, Superman's father.  He was back in "Gladiator" mode.  Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, as his Earthly parents, didn't have as much to do, so they really didn't have an opportunity to shine.

Third, there's a strong theme about the influence fathers have on their sons running through the script.  I've noticed a lot of that in superhero movies lately.  Batman, Spider-man, Iron Man and Wolverine all have "daddy issues" in their current movie incarnations.  Some are straight out of the source material, some are new.  I don't know if that is a case of lazy writing, or a real reflection of current cultural issues.

Fourth, Superman's Kryptonian enemy, General Zod, is far superior in this movie to his previous appearance in Superman II.  His motivations are clearer and make more sense, and Michael Shannon was excellent.  He was intense and menacing without being cheesy.


Zod and his henchmen are the perfect foils for Superman.  Together, they're more powerful than he is.  They can actually threaten him.  I really don't see how other villains will stack up (with one exception I'll discuss later).

That brings me to another point.  This Superman is less powerful than previous ones.  He gets fatigued, hurt, even injured.  He strains against huge weights to the point of exhaustion.  I see that positively.  Previous Superman stories make him too powerful.  Nothing can hurt or threaten him (except for Kryptonite).  Where's the drama in that?

The one theme that runs most prominently through the story, however, is that of Superman as a Christ figure, as I detailed at the beginning of this post.  I read one review that claimed this wasn't so, since Superman does not sacrifice himself in this movie.  However, Christopher Nolan, who produced "Man of Steel", directed the latest Batman trilogy with a clear story arc linking all three films.  I suspect this will be a similar case.  I predict the next movie will feature Lex Luthor, and the last will feature Doomsday.

Speaking of directing, the special effects were astounding, the fight scenes were exciting and the story never really let up, all of which we expect from director Zack Snyder.

What's not to like?  Well, the excessive amounts of unnecessary shaky cam and weird close-ups.  Also, Aimee and I both thought Amy Adams was miscast as Lois Lane.  She's an outstanding actress, but she just didn't pull off the part of a hard-nosed, tenacious reporter.  Other than that, not much.

"Man of Steel" is a fun, exciting, entertaining, intergalactic slug-fest.  But it's much more than that.  The best superhero movies use the outlandish fantasy inherent to them to convey universal themes found in the best stories, from Homer to today.  The "Dark Knight" trilogy did that better than any other, but I suspect a "Man of Steel" trilogy may surpass it.

Prometheus

If this looks a lot like Alien to you, that's because Ridley Scott directed Alien and now Prometheus.  Alien is one of my all time favorites, and a classic of both the sci-fi and horror genres, so I'm looking forward to this one.  Ridley Scott also directed Blade Runner, which is also a classic, but is so weird I couldn't get into it the one time I watched it.  Maybe I should try watching it again.  I've found that as I get older and my tastes change I see all kinds of things in a different light.

Build Your Own Bat Pod

Apparently, this guy did.  I don't know that for sure - the website doesn't say - but how else would he obtain such a rolling tribute to geekdom?

Act of Valor: Trailer 3

The acting will probably be terrible - the main characters are played by actual SEALs, not professional actors - but I'm still looking forward to this!  Besides, not every movie needs to be "Citizen Kane", and this looks exciting.  Only one problem: I'm afraid they put all the best scenes in the trailer.