The two most recent movies I have seen are Up and Gran Torino. These movies are in many ways polar opposites of each other, but they both touch on a cultural problem that is prevalent in our society- young men without a father or role model's guidance. Up is an animated film that is imaginative, fun, and even emotionally touching in places. In this movie the main character is an old man whose wife dies after many years of marriage. After her death he makes a trek to some scenic water falls in South America that they had always intended to visit, but he does it by traveling in his house, which he made into a hot air balloon. Along the way he begrudgingly befriends a boy who just happened to be on the porch when the house took off. By the end of the movie it is evident that the old man has taken his role in the boy's life seriously. He attends the boy's scout ceremony and the last scenes show them doing various activities together.
Gran Torino is gritty and violent and I was reminded of Clint Eastwood's character in the Dirty Harry movies. Gran Torino was not about a policeman, but Eastwood played a tough old dude who could kick butt and owned his own arsenal of weapons. In this movie the main character was also a widower after many years of marriage. Left alone in his home, which sat in the middle of a largely Asian neighborhood, the main character (played by Eastwood) ends up becoming friends with the young Asian man that lived next door to him. Along the way he teaches him how to fix things around the house, helps him get a job, shows him how to carry himself confidently, offers guidance in dealing with women, and generally encourages him to be a man of responsibility. The climax of this movie involves Eastwood taking down a gang in the neighborhood, but the ending has a twist (I want divulge here). I will admit that this movie has some bad language, which in many cases was unnecessary, but the story line is solid.
The common thread that ran through these movies was the importance of young men having strong male role models in their life. In both movies older men took the time to pour into the life of a younger man and helped get him on track; in both cases the younger man ended up more confident in who he was and able to accomplish things he would never even have tried before. Of course, this interaction between older and younger men is a biblical mandate too. 1 Peter 5:5 commands the younger men to be willing to listen to older men and follow their leadership, which assumes that the older men are setting a proper example. These movies also drive home the importance of fathers being active in the life of the family and especially of their sons. Studies have shown that the rate of incarceration is substantially higher for young men who had no father in the home (one issue among many that is affected by dads in the home). Churches benefit too when older, more experienced Christian men take the time to encourage younger men and engage them on an individual level by holding them accountable and inviting them to participate in ministry.
On some level and with a disclaimer for violence and language, I would recommend both movies, but I hope that dads in particular and men in general will anser the call on their lives to offer guidance and be the examples they should be to younger men.
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