Last night, my EC and I cuddled up to watch some TV. Since it is that time of year where the wasteland of television is even more barren than usual, we checked to see what we had saved up on the DVR for such occasions. We found a good one that we had seen years ago.
Back in 2000, there was a movie called “Frequency” starring Dennis Quaid and JIm Caviezel. (And André Braugher and Elizabeth Mitchell) All of whom we enjoy watching.
The basic premise is that due to some weird twist of physics involving the Aurora Borealis, a man was able to make contact with his son via ham radio – who was living 30 years in the future.
I guess you would call it a crime drama, and it has all of the sci-fi twists and turns that you would expect when someone starts changing things in the past, and it ripples into the present.
But what struck me last night was the tenderness of it. As the father and son were talking to each other across the years, and learning more about each other’s lives, I couldn’t help but think about how much I miss my own dad. He has been gone for ten years now.
Oh, how I would love to be able to talk to him for a few minutes.
*Deep breath. Composure.*
I would want him to know how much I love him, and miss him. As I get older I appreciate him more, and I see more of him in me. (Which can be downright frightening at times. ) When things happen, I still think, “I should call Dad,” or when I have gospel questions, I wish I could ask his opinion. I wish he had written a personal history.
I wish my youngest could have known him.
Thankfully, we know there will be a grand reunion, but until then, I plan to continue missing him, and wondering what he and my mom are up to. And hoping he is proud of me.
Two of my favorite movie dads are Cinderella Man and Pursuit of Happyness.
MMM, I’m sure your father is very very proud of the man you are. I can’t say I understand how it feels to be loved by an earthly father, but I’m glad you have a wonderful righteous man for a father and that you’re exactly the same type of role model for your children. Happy Father’s Day to you!
Frequency is a family favorite and I too love the relationship between the father and son across the time lapse.
I just hope our ward gives the dads as good a treat as they did the moms. I’d hate for them to get gypped
I stumbled on Frequency during college and loved it. I gave it to my dad for Christmas that year. It looked too “modern” to him and he wouldn’t watch it…till my mom watched it and made him join her. My dad is a long time HAM radio operator including the Morse Code portion. I woke up every Saturday morning to the beeps of Morse Code as he checked into the nets. Anytime I hear the distinctive beeps I’m swept back to my childhood. After watching it, he liked it (he was good about not pointing out the less than authentic parts) and was even more happy that there was a mainstream movie with HAM radio in it. My mom still watches it off and on and he always comes in and sits down. 🙂
Finding Nemo drives me crazy. Not the dad but the Dory character…I can’t handle her, so the whole movie is out.
I tried to convince my husband to name all 3 of our sons Atticus…never succeeded and don’t know that I’ll have any other chances at it. I’ll start brainwashing my kids now so I’ll have a grandson named Atticus!
Father of the Bride – makes us all teary-eyed 🙂 I’m grateful that my Father is still living and at the ripe old age of 80 still inspires me almost on a daily basis. I’m still certain there isn’t anything he can’t fix 🙂
Kristin
We, also, enjoyed Frequency. Happy Father’s Day to all those great men who sacrifice and give to their families everyday. Especially to mine 😉
Well, there is Parenthood…
Personally, I think Atticus is my favorite. I am much better at discussing books though. Have you read Papa Married a Mormon? Anyway, I am glad you brought up films because most of the time fathers are not celebrated enough in movies. It is nice to see the ones where they are.
What a great post! ‘frequency’ is one of those movies that gives grown men a license to cry freely. I empathize 100% about missing your dad. I miss my dad terribly. My mom still has his voice on the answering machine. It is both wonderful and sad at the same time.
As for father movies, I give you “The Simpsons Move.” Homer Simpon may be a train wreck but there’s a dad who loves his family.
Mrs.Doubtfire
Mrs.Doubtfire
count of Monte Cristo, and of course, Star Wars IV,
Darth: “I am your father!”
Luke: “no, no, that’s not true! That’s impossible.”
Darth: “search your feelings, you know it to be true.”
Luke: “NOOOOOOOOOOO!”
The Lion King
Father of the Bride
Star Wars
Back to the Future
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Mr. Mom
Great suggestions. To Kill A Mockingbird is absolutely the best.
The Incredibles has got a lot of great family moments as Dad learns the importance of his family and of working together with them.
The Sound of Music. Grieving widower learns not only that he can love again, but that his children are such a joy.
Field of Dreams-Kevin Costner finds out about his dad and what it takes to be a dad with his daughter. Also John Wayne in “The Cowboys”. His relationship with those kids was like a father’s.
Return to Me. Love the overprotective father and his group of overprotective friends.
LOVE Return to Me!
For once I love all of your movie selections! Especially Frequency…tender AND both main characters are gorgeous. Score. Finding Nemo only ranks because it was my husband and my first date movie. ..somehow we missed the first half of it.
Its rather recent, and there’s lots of silly in it, but I was surprised by how much I like “The Croods”, specifically because of the father. I say surprised, because 20 minutes into it, I was prepared to hate it: it looked like it was going to be Neanderthal dad ruins all our fun because he’s afraid of change, so we have to look to younger, new, “real” man to move forward. But in the long run, they did the right thing: the family survives and stays together *because* of the dad, because everything he does is to protect and provide for the family that he loves. He has strength (its literal in the movie of course, but the metaphor seems pretty clear) that the young man doesn’t have, and that strength combined with his willing self-sacrifice to protect his family are what saves them all.
Life is Beautiful. Sad but funny, and full of love.
My dad died when I was twenty, but I think about him every day. That’s 37 years of missing him.
Mr. Holland’s Opus.
Even with all its faults, the relationship between Mr. Holland and his deaf son hits very close to home.