“The Son” with Hugh Jackman and Anthony Hopkins, and Laura Dern as the divorced wife, and Vanessa Kirby as the new, younger wife and new mother, is one not to be missed, — unless it’s too close to your reality. There’s an added plus to this one, besides great and familiar actors. This is from the male’s point of view (instead as usual, the woman’s) left to carry the awful burden of a story such as this.
Anthony Hopkins. And why we love his acting so much….What can be said about him except he is always spectacular in whatever he tackles. A somewhat slow and predictable movie is sparked up by his work in this film.
When his estranged son, (Hugh Jackman) comes for a visit and dinner, it erupts into a riveting 15 minutes of the film which finally and once for all tells his son where he stands. While sitting at the dining room table and being served, I will paraphrase the dialogue as Hopkins asks his son, “What did you come here for? Money. No? Well, then to show off how you took time with your son, raised a proper family while I did not.’
Jackman, of course, is shocked. He came to obviously attempt to make a real connection, confused and needing the support of his father. Accepting finally that he will never get it, Jackman, talks about how he took care of his mother when she was dieing while his father was down the street eating at a business, dinner meeting.
“Oh, poor boy,” Hopkins begins (I was waiting for the shish) “Is this what you came to tell me? Now back to forty years ago where you were trying to show me what a model son you were?
“And my not showing up? Get over it.”