Sometimes an “offer you can’t refuse” comes in many different forms.
Any self-respecting “Godfather” fan knows the central role those words play in the fictional Corleone family story.
I enjoyed such an offer recently with a special 45th anniversary screening of “The Godfather” in theaters, an occurrence that coincided with the 45th anniversary of my birth (not in theaters).
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With one of the screening days being on the day after my birthday, it made for the perfect self-indulgent treat — seeing one of my favorite films in an actual movie theater despite the fact it was released the same year in which I was born. It seemed the very definition of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
I chose this occasion to introduce our elder son to the film, not only one of the universally acclaimed greatest movies ever, but also a film with a quirky role in our own family story.
“I remember the time our then-toddler son inadvertently caught some inappropriate scenes in ‘The Godfather’ as I was watching it on the big screen in our basement/playroom,” I wrote in my first installment of this column more than two years ago.
“He didn’t seem fazed at the time, but the issue arose months later when he wouldn’t go anywhere near my cousin Justin — my son’s own godfather — at family gatherings. This went on for years, though I’m quite certain Justin has never been anything but kind to horses.”
This anecdote was a source of family amusement for years and still draws laughs when recounted today. The boy is now 131/2, an age by which most children are starting to make their own entertainment choices. The shows they watch, movies they see and music they listen to is increasingly more in their control and less something so closely managed and monitored by parents, especially in the age of iPhones, Netflix and other streaming services/devices.
When I saw that some of the special Turner Classic Movies screenings of “The Godfather” would be held at Regal Cantera Stadium 17 & RPX on Diehl Road, I asked myself if the time was right for the boy to finally see the film for real. Granted, the movie carries an “R” rating, for violence, strong language and adult themes, but that rating is informed at least in part by 1972 standards as much as by the actual content of the film. As my wife pointed out, the violence in “The Godfather” is comparatively tame compared to modern network TV shows the boy has watched, such as “The Blacklist.” Indeed.
So when I saw a listing for a matinee showing of the film, it was decided our son and I would attend. It would be a father-son event, another in a long line of those shared bonding experiences parents enjoy with their children on their paths to adulthood. We would take in Mario Puzo’s story, hear the famous lines oft-uttered in everyday life — “Leave the gun, take the cannoli” — and see themes of loyalty, family, betrayal and more played out on screen.
Admittedly, my wife and I may be a bit more progressive on this front than other parents. We take the approach that we’d rather our kids see such movies under our supervision than to see them without us or to pretend that they will never encounter them in life at all. That’s what we’ve decided is right for us and understand it may not be for all.
The memories of that toddler chilled by even glimpses of the film more than a decade ago are still fresh in my mind.
“In that one simple moment, a fairly new father’s want to rewatch a movie I’d probably already seen more than a dozen times, I’d risked adversely affecting my son’s attitudes on family, film and equine,” I wrote in that first column.
“Now, I look forward to watching ‘The Godfather’ films with all my children one day, when the time is right. When they are emotionally equipped to process and understand what they are seeing.”
And now that time had come, at least for the eldest.
We bought our tickets, chose our seats — recliners, nice touch! — and settled in for the next three hours.
With respect to those who somehow may not yet have seen the film and still would like to, there will be no spoilers here. Suffice to say, there were moments that gave me pause in the decision I had made, but none that made me feel as though I should not have arranged the co-viewing for my son and me.
When the film was done and we left the theater, I asked the boy what he thought, mindful he could say just about anything in that moment, perhaps even something that would convince me I should not have taken him to see it. Would he tell me he was too young? Would he tell me it was too violent? Would he indeed be scared of horses for life?
“I didn’t really understand it,but I liked the violence,” he said.
Thankfully, he expressed interest in watching it again at home with me before we move on to “The Godfather: Part II.”
An offer I can’t refuse.
Rob Manker is a freelance writer who lives and parents in Naperville.
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Twitter: @RobManker