One of my favorite movies on the relationship between a father and a son is of course a movie that is so vital to understanding this blog. It is of course John Ford’s masterpiece Rio Grande.
I am sure you know the story. Lt. Colonel Kirby Yorke a hero of the Civil War (like our pal Custer) is commander of a post on the Texas border. Hostiles have been raiding and escaping across the border into Mexico. So it has become increasing frustrating as it is impossible to stop the attacks without breaking the law by following then raiders into sovereign territory of another country (Mexico).
There is an added complication as Col. Yorke’s estranged son Jeff has enlisted after flunking out of West Point. Col. Yorke accepts his enlistment but refuses to baby him and treats him even worse than the regular recruits even though his faithful Sergeant Quincannon looks after the boy. He allows his son the chance to find his way as a man without holding his hand and forcing others to kiss his ass which a lot of fucking yuppie parents could take a lesson from let me tell you.
To add to the mix, Yorkes true love his estranged wife Kathleen (Maureen O’Hara) comes to the post to plead to have her son released as he was under aged and she is too fearful that he will be hurt. So of like the yuppie moms who are afraid of their puppies playing on the freaking monkey bars in Carroll Park. But Col. Yorke let’s his son make up his own mind and he stays on to become a hero in action as he helps rescue some kidnapped children (OK Ford likes to load the dice).
Anyway, the conflict and competing tugs of the relationship of duty, family and honor are fascinating. The conflict that can occur between being a good husband and being a good father is laid bare for all to see. You can please your partner by giving in to their wishes, but that might not be the best thing for your child. Sometimes you have to break the rules if it’s the right thing to do.
Check out this film the next time you have a chance.
Oh by the way, when I first decided to comment and blog I decided to do it with a pseudonym for various reasons. I wanted to use the name the Duke used as a boxer in the Quiet Man. But I misremembered it as Trooper York. It actually was Trooper Thorn for Sean Thornton but once I figured that out I had already been commenting for months as Trooper York. So I stuck with it. You get the idea.
I am sure you know the story. Lt. Colonel Kirby Yorke a hero of the Civil War (like our pal Custer) is commander of a post on the Texas border. Hostiles have been raiding and escaping across the border into Mexico. So it has become increasing frustrating as it is impossible to stop the attacks without breaking the law by following then raiders into sovereign territory of another country (Mexico).
There is an added complication as Col. Yorke’s estranged son Jeff has enlisted after flunking out of West Point. Col. Yorke accepts his enlistment but refuses to baby him and treats him even worse than the regular recruits even though his faithful Sergeant Quincannon looks after the boy. He allows his son the chance to find his way as a man without holding his hand and forcing others to kiss his ass which a lot of fucking yuppie parents could take a lesson from let me tell you.
To add to the mix, Yorkes true love his estranged wife Kathleen (Maureen O’Hara) comes to the post to plead to have her son released as he was under aged and she is too fearful that he will be hurt. So of like the yuppie moms who are afraid of their puppies playing on the freaking monkey bars in Carroll Park. But Col. Yorke let’s his son make up his own mind and he stays on to become a hero in action as he helps rescue some kidnapped children (OK Ford likes to load the dice).
Anyway, the conflict and competing tugs of the relationship of duty, family and honor are fascinating. The conflict that can occur between being a good husband and being a good father is laid bare for all to see. You can please your partner by giving in to their wishes, but that might not be the best thing for your child. Sometimes you have to break the rules if it’s the right thing to do.
Check out this film the next time you have a chance.
Oh by the way, when I first decided to comment and blog I decided to do it with a pseudonym for various reasons. I wanted to use the name the Duke used as a boxer in the Quiet Man. But I misremembered it as Trooper York. It actually was Trooper Thorn for Sean Thornton but once I figured that out I had already been commenting for months as Trooper York. So I stuck with it. You get the idea.
2 comments:
A great father son movie is Road to Perdition. Even as much as I was tired of seeing Tom Hanks everytime I turned around, it was a fantastic movie.
Actually Troop I thought your nom de guerre was possibly an homage to Sgt. York.
I'll confess that my knowledge of Westerns doesn't extend to much beyond the Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns so I would have never picked up on the John Wayne reference.
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