A Father´s Legacy

This review is dedicated to my Grandfather Ingvar!

Having a father figure in your life is very important, especially if you come from a broken home or if your father isn´t around for some reason. In my case it was a bit special, because my father decided he wanted a different life and left his children behind. There are other things he did that i will not get into here because they are too personal, but let´s just say i needed to visit a psychiatrist to deal with a lot of the things he did towards me. I have forgiven my father for what he did since i felt that i can´t change the past, but i will always remember what happened. Things like that will never go away no matter how many years go by. So my real father figure became my Grandfather Ingvar who have always been there to support me. He didn´t know everything that happened between me and my father, i felt that i don´t need to tell him. I didn´t want him to feel more anger towards him than he already felt. What i especially appreciate with my Grandfather was that we spent a lot of time together, no matter if it was in his summer cabin, travelling in Europe or just travelling somewhere to meet family members. So i am grateful for a lot of great memories with Ingvar and will always cherish those memories. No matter who your father figure is in your life, it does help to have someone who you feel listen to you and want to spend time with you. You don´t have to do anything special always, it´s just hanging out together that makes a big difference. When it comes to films that takes on the subject of father figues i always think about one specific film. And that is the 2006 drama film The Pursuit Of Happyness, a very powerful film with Will Smith in the lead role as struggling salesman Chris Gardner who was homeless for a period of time while trying to make money selling portable-density scanners. This film is actually based on a period of time in the life of the real person known as Chris Gardner, who wrote a memoir on his life. A very sad story in many ways but also with a glimpse of hope, that no matter how far you sink there is always a way you can get back on track, no matter how long you have to fight back. I especially appreciate the message in this film where Chris try and teach his son Christopher Gardener, Jr ( played by Will Smith´s real son Jayden Smith ) that you have to work hard in life and never take anything for granted. Director Gabriele Muccino gave us a film that shows how important it is to have a father figure in your life, no matter how rough times are. The Pursuit Of Happyness is a powerful film that will touch your heart, and you should pick it up on DVD or Blu Ray and listen to the commentary track. If you hear the name Tobin Bell you probably think about the Saw franchise where he played the character John Kramer / Jigsaw in the Saw franchise. Tobin have done a lot of different films in his career and i have seen a lot of his work. One of the films i have not seen yet is a film called A Father´s Legacy, a film i was highly recommended. I decided to give this film a chance to see if Tobin Bell would surprise me, since this is drama film. Is this a film everyone should give a chance, or is A Father´s Legacy not as good as i was hoping it would be?

Billy Ford ( Tobin Bell ) is a Vietnam veteran living on his own at his cabin, since his wife Cynthia passed away years ago. One day Billy suddenly gets an unexpected visit from a young man named Nick Wolfe ( Jason Mac ), who basically threaten Billy with a gun. He forces himself into Billy´s home and it turns out he have been shot from an armed robbery. Nick demands that Billy help him find medical supplies for his gun shot wound. Police are looking for Nick so he tries to stay low. As Nick never had his real father present in his youth, he begin to feel drawn to Billy and learn that he´s a good man. Can Nick get out of this or is it too late?

If you are expecting any Saw influences in A Father´s Legacy i can tell you right now that this is a completely different film. This is more of a realistic drama that could happen anywhere in this world, where one unexpected meeting could change two people´s lives completely no matter what background we have. In this scenario you have an old man who have been living alone for a long time, and now he have an intruder in his home. The story of A Father´s Legacy may start off what seems to be some kind of thriller but eventually turns into a completely different story. A story where two men get to share life experiences and learn from each other, where one of them have no idea what the future holds while the other have faith and knows where he is going. This is a faith based film and if you have read my reviews in the past, you might have noticed that i have seen some terrible faith based films such as God´s Not Dead 2 and Faith Under Fire. The good news is that A Father´s Legacy is actually a great film and that is especially thanks to the main characters. The acting in this film is what especially works from legendary actor Tobin Bell as the old man Billy Ford. Tobin have such a natural way to find a way to play different characters, and even if this character is quite different from John Kramer in Saw, i feel that Tobin want´s to challenge himself and do something different. Actor Jason Mac ( that fans of NCIS: Los Angeles might recognize in Season 5 ) also deliver a solid performance as criminal Nick Wolfe. You can tell that Nick is a young man who is struggling with a lot of personal problems, so maybe his encounter with Billy may actually turn his life around. For the first time Nick might actually feel like he have a father figure in his life. This film is also directed by Jason Mac and i think he did a good job. The location where this film is shot is simple and works well with the storyline, and i also feel that the cinematography by John Carrington looks great. A Father´s Legacy is a film that will show you why having a father role model might help a lost man find some kind of meaning in life, to find his own path. It´s a film that everyone can watch just to see that it´s ok to be a man and show you´re in pain, and we should not have to hide those feelings. If you are looking for a film that will make you emotional look no further, A Father´s Legacy will definetely affect you.

Rating: DDD