Released a decade ago on Father’s Day, the 23-minute documentary short “Father Son Run” (“Run”) isn’t exactly what one might expect when looking for feel-good holiday-themed fare. Although it is low on production value and hits a number of bumps along the way, it turns out that “Run” is indeed, if not more, inspirational and uplifting than most big-budget, feature-length, assembly line Hollywood productions.
Directed by Erik Beck and Justin Johnson, “Run” chronicles the 1,890-mile motorcycle ride that Erik and his father, Wally, made three years earlier. This feat in and of itself isn’t such a big deal, as there are certainly other father-son pairs who have done the same thing, or something like it.
What makes Erik and Wally’s trip unique is that the two men spent very little time together during Erik’s formative years, they live in different states not close to each other, and Erik had never ridden a motorcycle prior to this journey. After spending less than five minutes in their company, it’s also clear that these guys have next to nothing in common. This makes for a great setup promising dramatic friction—and, boy, does it ever deliver on that front.
For every heartwarming and endearing passage shared between the two, there’s another where they clash and butt heads often over the most trivial and benign reasons. This is pretty much the same kind of relationship I had with my own father, and I would venture to guess, so did many other dads and their sons (and daughters, for that matter).
Other Dads and Sons
If the prospect of watching other similarly themed movies appeals to you, you’re in luck. Here are a few that avoid taking the path of least resistance. It is the conquering of adversity, getting beyond personal differences, and taking on unexpected parental duties that makes coming out on the other side all the more rewarding and memorable.In his first leading role, Michael Keaton stars in “Mr. Mom” (1983) as Jack, a recently fired Detroit automotive engineer. Out of necessity, Jack switches places with his wife, Caroline (Teri Garr), who returns to advertising—the career she gave up to become a stay-at-home mother. The dual fish-out-of-water plots are telling inasmuch as they point out the near impossibility of truly “having it all” while pointing out (without sledgehammer-style metaphoric bludgeoning) that earning the daily bread and taking care of children each come with equal amounts of setback and reward.
In “Field of Dreams” (1989), Kevin Costner stars as Ray, an Iowa farmer whose relationship with his long-gone father continues to gnaw at him. The only thing the two had in common was baseball. While tilling the corn, Ray hears a voice telling him “If you build it, he will come” and surmises that if he builds a baseball field, it will summon the ghost of disgraced player Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta). The second message, “ease his pain,” leads Ray to seek out a legendary retired writer (James Earl Jones), and yet another (“go the distance”) points toward a deceased physician (Burt Lancaster in his final performance). The final scene will melt the hearts of even the most cynical viewers.
The third installment of the still active franchise “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989) stars Harrison Ford as the title character and Sean Connery as his father, Henry, who recently went missing while searching for the Holy Grail. Chronologically the first in the series, “Crusade” is another example of pitch-perfect “oil and water” character development and displays two industry legends in peak form. As with “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” there is a subplot involving the Third Reich, which isn’t quite as foreboding—which is just as well. The prickly interplay between Connery and Ford is the main attraction, and it never disappoints.
“The Pursuit of Happyness” (2006) is based on the true story of Chris Gardner (Will Smith), a struggling medical device salesman living in San Francisco with barely enough resources to support himself. Things go from bad to worse when Gardner’s soon-to-be ex-wife Linda (Thandiwe Newton) leaves him in the lurch to care for their toddler son, Chris Jr. (Smith’s son Jaden). For over a year, Gardner and his child remain homeless until he gets the oh-so-small break that will eventually lift them up from demoralizing squalor.
