Seems appropriate for Father’s Day don’t you think? And since we devoted articles for the International women’s day (check it out here) and even for Mother’s Day… It seems only fair to celebrate fatherhood with a separate article.
And yes. We also have the most perfect movie to go with this particular day. The Father. It’s a fairly recent release, and it has a star-studded cast. But I’ll get to that in a minute. First, let me just mention that we intend to celebrate Father’s Day with two of our best assets. Video games and movies. And Father’s Day is this Sunday, so you’d better hurry up and call/visit/hug/kiss/gift your dad. Tell him how much you love him. Your dad will certainly appreciate it. But I can’t really go any further without a word or two about the day itself. Why is Father’s Day so special and how it is celebrated around the world?
What Is So Special About Father’s Day?
Well much like the name suggests, it’s a day that celebrates fatherhood and father figures. But did you know that in the US, Father’s Day was founded by a woman? Indeed. Sonora Smart Dodd founded Father’s Day in 1910, and it’s celebrated on the third Sunday of June since. But while in some countries it’s a national holiday, in most countries is just a day of celebration and observance. Oh, and in addition to Father’s Day, International Men’s Day is celebrated in many countries on November 19. In honor of both men and boys of course.
Father’s Day And Video Games
While we don’t have an abundance of father-related video games we do have some that we’re proud of. Games like Hollow Girl: Fathers v2 for instance (available here). But I can’t help but mention some of the fathers in our video games too. For instance, here’s the ever devoted Harry Mason from Silent Hill (available here). Not to mention, Big Daddy from Bioshock (available here). Yup. Some of them are cool, while some of them are… Not so much. Heck, big Daddy has even a kick-ass drill arm, but Dr. Light from Mega Man (available here) is quite special as well. He’s not a biological father per se, but he does have a fabulous surrogate son (Mega Man). I did enjoy Mega Man quite a lot. And you can read about my experience here.
And what about The Father? Our cinematic pick for this occasion? Well, it does have a solitary father in the middle of the story, but the movie has layers upon layers to tell.
The Father Is Heartbreaking
You know… When I watched the Oscars a couple of months ago, I too thought that Chadwick Boseman was robbed out of his Oscar. I too thought that the man deserved a posthumous Oscar, but that’s only because I only saw Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Don’t get me wrong I adored Chadwick and his performance was incredible. But after I saw The Father, I no longer share that sentiment. Sir Anthony Hopkins deserved his Oscar no question about it. The veteran actor gives a truly riveting, powerhouse performance in The Father. And the rest of the cast is not that shabby either. But I’ll get to them in a second.
Let me just state that Anthony Hopkins is just incredible in the role of Anthony. A widower who’s struggling with memory loss. He’s suffering from dementia, and he’s been a handful for everyone around him. His carers, and especially his daughter Anne (Olivia Colman). However, his daughter is about to relocate to France and is trying to make him as comfortable as possible. It’s safe to say that things will not go smoothly as he’s deteriorating rapidly and it’s a really painful process to witness.
An Emphatic View Of Dementia
I must applaud Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton for their attempt to make The Father an emphatic tale of suffering. We witness the suffering from both sides, but with a different perception. And The Father is all about perception. We see the effects of dementia from Anthony’s side, and Anne as well. As he’s losing the grasp of reality (and time of course) everything around him changes. Anne is played by a different actress in several scenes because Anthony can’t even remember how his daughter looks like. Let alone remember the details about her. Did you notice that even the kitchen changed in the different scenes? The cabinets, tiles and even appliances were with earthy tones when Anthony was in the kitchen. And then they changed in blue tones when Anne was in the kitchen.
Seriously, the production design and the art direction are on point here, and you can clearly see the effect of their work in almost every scene.
It Has A Fine Script Too!
And why wouldn’t it have a fine script? After all, Zeller adapted it from his own play. So, he’s in control of his own work, and of course his own words. But over here he and Christopher Hampton are holding us on a tight emotional leach, and you can’t help but feel a sigh of relief at the end. Even if you want to cry and cry along with Tony. I did anyway. Of course, you’re a total wreck by the end, but you also get a weird sense of relief. You know people always say the weight of an illness is equally hard on the career as it is on the person that’s sick. And I couldn’t agree more, but that emotional, heartbreaking weight is carried equally here by these two fine actors. Sure, the tearjerker moments repeat several times until the 90-minutes mark, and you have these two to thank for that. Tony and Olivia, but damn… He’s just incredible, and that last scene in the nursing home will break you emotionally. I guarantee it. I did the job for me anyway.
Fine Supporting Actors In The Mix
Yes, Hopkins is incredible in the titular role. But the truth is, so is Colman, and my 90’s crush. The one and only….Rufus Sewell. He’s amazing in the angrier version of Paul, and I thought this role suited him just fine. But that’s what’s great about The Father. It’s fantastic in almost every aspect. Everything is as it should, both visually and structurally. And I must say… It’s a true rarity these days.
What Are Your Plans For Father’s Day?
Let us know in the comment section. How are you going to celebrate Father’s Day this Sunday? Hit that comment section and let us know.
