Thanks to My Movie Loving Father

Thanks to my movie loving Father.

Inspired by a family friend, my 14 year old daughter and I have embarked on a task to see the American Film Institute's (AFI.com) top 50 movies of all time.  This seems like a great exercise to 1) spend time with my teenage daughter and 2) give her a leg up on annoying her friends with useless movie quotes applicable to any situation for decades to come.  

Win-Win!

Concerning the latter, it has been suggested on occasion in the course of regular conversation I will, to a somewhat annoying degree, quote movie lines and draw parallels using arcane film references. I submit the complaints are exaggerated but after you hear the same observation a few thousand times you begin to lend it some credence. If it is true then the only person to blame is my father.  So, why wouldn’t I want to pass along such a glorious trait to my daughter?  It is a family tradition.

Growing up in the dark ages of the 70’s and 80’s with no internet, heck we didn't even have cable tv. So, my father was a boiled-down, human version of IMDB.com.  He was notorious for picking out actors in old movies and tv shows and pointing out all the other movies where they appeared. He was particularly adept at cast members of old westerns but he loved musicals, dramas and comedies equally. Daddy was also prone to break into songs that related to whatever subject he happened to be discussing at the time but that is a story for another day.  Regardless, when he talked about movies it usually led to stories about what was going on in his life at the time. “Oh, I saw that in college" or "Your Mother was pregnant with your sister when we saw this.” It would lead to other tales and stories and the next thing you know we had a conversation and I had learned something about my Dad I didn't know before. Films acted as a time line and mental post-it notes for our family history.

Now this isn’t necessarily a project I could do with my 12 year old son.  He cannot stand B&W films and is suspicious of my “old movies” in general. My daughter on the other hand likes to humor her old man and even loves classic movies. Charlie Chaplin is a particular favorite. Now, because of Chaplin’s movies my daughter has new appreciation and points of reference to help her understand things like the Great Depression (The Kid) or industrialization (Modern Times) or fascism (The Great Dictator). It has also given us another line of conversation and anyone with teenagers knows you don’t take those opportunities lightly.  But hey, I had a good teacher.

I just got off the phone with my Father. I told him about this little project with his granddaughter and then spent an hour listening to him talk about films he remembered from when he was young.  He is 78 and can still remember going with his older sister to see Wuthering Heights when he was 6 or 7. As a boy of 9 or 10 he would go see serial westerns at the Strand on Main St. in our hometown. The small college he attended in the mountains of North Carolina would have a movie night in the auditorium and he vividly remember seeing Martin Luther and in his words it really “…dug into me.”  I asked him if he remembered the family going to see Star Wars when I was 6 and if he remembered falling asleep about an hour into it. He just laughed.  Then I recalled us going to see Pete’s Dragon and having to keep it a secret from my Grandmother for some reason.  Then he reminded me it was because we skipped a church event to go see it and that was a BIG NO NO. Then we actually couldn't remember which movie we skipped church to go see but we are certain about skipping! HA!

Movies are and have always been more than my entertainment. They are topics for conversation. They encompass and reinforce life lessons. They give me a sense of time and historical reference for different eras and places. They are escapism. They are educational and even though I didn’t always realize it at the time they have been a way for me to bond with both of my parents but especially my Dad. I want to open that same line of connection with both my children and in doing so connect them a little more with their grandfather. I’m just thankful I kept an open mind, listened to my Old Man and watched a bunch of “dumb old” movies even the black and white ones.

In honor of Father’s Day here is a list of 11 movies I first watched on the recommendation of my father.  Thanks a ton Old Man.  I love you!

11 Movies I'm Grateful My Dad Got Me to Watch!  (in no particular order)

Inherit the Wind - No other film describes the relationship with my Dad and films as this one. It led to conversations about faith, science, truth and principle. It led to a life long interest in the career of Clarence Darrow. So much so that my son's middle name is Darrow. It is deep, thoughtful and poignant. Spencer Tracy and Fredrick March chew up the screen and I might never have watched it if it weren't for my Dad.
"As long as the prerequisite of that shining paradise is ignorance, bigotry and hate, I say the hell with it." Henry Drummond

Yankee Doodle Dandy – Single favorite scene of any movie ever. James Cagney tap dancing down the steps of the White House is as satisfying of an ending I’ve ever watched on film.  Anytime you mention this scene my Dad still smiles.

Lilies of the Field – My father is as kind and gentle a person as I have ever known. He has always tried to do what is right to the best of his ability and often to his detriment.  I think about him and my mother every time I see acts of decency in movies and in life.

The Big Country – My Dad was a huge Charlton Heston fan. Me, not so much but he is great in this movie in a supporting role.  Gregory Peck stars and Burl Ives won his Oscar. Dad is also sucker for a brunette and Jean Simmons was no slouch.

Mister Roberts – Daddy reveres this movie. He constantly misquotes Ensign Pulver’s last line but never the less it was one of his favorites.  WWII was such a huge part of Dad’s childhood and all the great war movies from the 40’s were popular.

“What’s all this crud about no movie tonight?”  

The Cowboys – “We’re burning daylight!”

Daddy was a true fan of the Duke. “The Alamo”, “Chisum”, “Rio Bravo”, “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”, “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”, “The Searchers” and on and on and on.  Dad would say “Of all the movies John Wayne walked through the Cowboys was the best.” ha!

Brigadoon – Dad is a sucker for musicals, which was great because so was my Mom. He was also a fan of Van Johnson.  I think he was just enamored with big guy who could tap dance.  This may be my favorite Gene Kelly movie. 

Blazing Saddles – My mother used to tell the story of going to the theater with Dad to see this movie. My father laughed so hard during the “Campfire Beans” scene that he was leaning over the edge of his seat slapping the floor in the aisle.  The visual of my father laughing that hard always makes me happy.

To Kill a Mockingbird – If Daddy said it once he said it a thousand times, “How great it would be if more people viewed the world like Atticus Finch.”  Amen!

The Quiet Man – 
Just an epic fight scene.

Dad used to laugh at how silly movie fights were.  “Dear Lord” he would say.  They beat on each other for an hour and nobody even has a bruise.

No Time for Sergeants - Being from NC we were huge Andy Griffith fans. I remembered being shocked to find out Andy did more than just the TV show. I watched it for first time 35 years ago and it still makes me belly laugh every time I see it.  

                    “Ah, listen there.  Somebody must have brung their bugle.”

I will never be able to say thank you enough!