The Son (2022)

Sometimes, the sins of the father are visited on their children to the third and fourth generation, and sometimes they’re not. This film is an example of how the next generation always seeks to better itself but finds their way blocked by elements of the past, which are surprisingly revealed by circumstances.

Peter Miller is recently married to his second wife, Beth, and is raising their newborn baby. His ex-wife, Kate, unexpectedly shows up and says their 17-year-old son, Nicholas, is depressed and has dropped out of school.

Wikipedia

Nicholas has a difficult time articulating why he’s depressed, but it’s evident to the viewer that his ‘special’ relationship with his father has been upended by his parents’ divorce. Now he feels split into two: his mother is suffering which affects him, but he still idolizes his father. This makes him feel “off”.

As I’m watching, I feel I ‘know’ how this will play out, and all the signs are there for his parents to read, but they’re so caught up in their own lives that they miss the relevant clues. I won’t spoil the ending for you.

I Remember How It Feels to Be in His Shoes

The funny thing is, I been in both of their shoes. The 17-year-old son was a disappointment, at least to me, and the 25-year-old father decided that he needed to reinvent himself…

My Life’s a Lie

My life’s a lie; I’ve lived in vain,

As if I were a drop of rain

Amongst the waters of the sea,

As if I were the smallest flea,

That burrowed in a lion’s mane.

.

From joys of life I did refrain,

My only feelings were disdain

For those who came too close to me:

My life’s a lie.

.

So as the streetlights slowly wane,

I’m waiting for a lonely train,

To leave the love I feel for thee,

As I become forever free;

A thought-filled pain stabs at my brain,

My life’s a lie.

David Stewart Miller (1975)