Searching For Atticus

Kofi, Blake & Rich take their first look at an animated movie with 1995 Toy Story - the first collaboration between Pixar and Disney. Aside from its pure entertainment and keen storytelling, Toy Story is a surprisingly profound film that raises questions about purpose, isolation and abandonment - concerns that are relevant to both children and parents alike.

Clips contained in this podcast are ©Disney Enterprises Inc. 

#toystory #fatherhood #buzzlightyear #fatherdaughter #fatherson #growingup #searchingforatticus #raisingstrongdaughters #raisingsons

#fatherhood #motherhood #parenting #dadlife #parenthood #family #dad #love #father #fathersday #dadsofinstagram #kids #fatherandson #daddy #fathers #dads #familytime #parents #children #parentlife #friendship #marriage #fatherdaughter #fatherson #fatheranddaughter #parentingtips

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On the morning after an historic election in Northern Ireland, we discuss Kenneth Branagh's childhood remembrance of the start of The Troubles - with filmmaker and professor Cahal McLaughlin of Queen's University, Belfast. As a child, Dr. McLaughlin lived only a few streets away from the street portrayed in the film. As an adult he works to bridge the divide between Northern Ireland's communities as Director of the Prisons Memory Archive.

"Belfast" challenges us to consider a number of themes: from intimate concerns about debts, secrets and safety within the home, to larger issues of tolerance and understanding across tribal lines. Rich, Blake and Kofi ponder a variety of questions - drawing on Cahal's childhood observations and his experience as a lifelong activist working for social justice.

We encourage you to check out Cahal's work with the Prisons Memory Archive and his portrayals of violence at the hands of UN Peacekeepers in Haiti and Police and Army personnel in Brazil.

#belfast #kennethbranagh #fatherhood #family #fathersandsons #love #belfastmovie #searchingforatticus #parenting #buzzsprout 

#fatherhood #motherhood #parenting #dadlife #parenthood #family #dad #love #father #fathersday #dadsofinstagram #kids #fatherandson #daddy #fathers #dads #familytime #parents #children #parentlife #friendship #marriage #fatherdaughter #fatherson #fatheranddaughter #parentingtips

#searchingforatticus #buzzsprout

Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman star in Florian Zeller's masterful drama about the struggles of a man suffering from Alzheimer's disease and the daughter who cares for him.
The film earned five Oscar nominations and two awards - including Best Actor for Hopkins and Best Adapted Screenplay for Zeller and Christopher Hampton).
Blake, Kofi & Rich wrestle with the film's many difficult issues: How do we best understand those suffering from brain disease and dementia? How do we  balance our obligations as care givers with our responsibility to care for ourselves? How do we broach conversations about planning for incapacity and end-of-life care with our loved ones?

RESOURCES FOR SUPPORT:

Canada:

If you have Alzheimer's and wish to support family and friends:

Resources

Help guide for those caring for someone with Alzheimer's
Help for Family Caregivers
I'm Caring for a Person Living with Dementia

Support Groups
Toronto
Dementia Support Services
Ontario Caregiver Organization
Vancouver
BC Support Groups through Alzheimer's.ca
Montreal
CareDove

US:
Support for those with Alzheimer's
Caregiver Support
National Institute on Aging: Help with Alzheimer's Caregiving 

#alzheimers #dementia #alzheimersawareness #caregiver #endoflifecare
#fatherhood #motherhood #parenting #dadlife #parenthood #family #dad #love #father #fathersday  #kids #fatherandson 

#searchingforatticus #buzzsprout

#fatherhood #motherhood #parenting #dadlife #parenthood #family #dad #love #father #fathersday #dadsofinstagram #kids #fatherandson #daddy #fathers #dads #familytime #parents #children #parentlife #friendship #marriage #fatherdaughter #fatherson #fatheranddaughter #parentingtips

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For this conversation about the latest big-screen take on the Dark Knight, we've called in a bit of an expert. Dr. Brandon Bosch teaches in the Sociology and Political Science Departments at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He's published scholarly works looking at authoritarianism and the role of women in the Batman films. 

Blake, Kofi & Rich talk with Brandon about the enduring appeal of the Batman character, the similarities between Paul Dano's portrayal of the Riddler and the QAnon and Incel crowds, and the lack of trust of authority on both sides of the political spectrum.  We also look at how Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) struggles with his family's legacy in this movie - and consider what sorts of legacies each of us deals with in our own lives.

If you want to read some of Brandon Bosch's articles on Batman, follow these links:

"Why so serious?" Threat, Authoritarianism and Depictions of Crime, Law and Order in Batman Films
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1296&context=sociologyfacpub

Bat Meets Girl: Adapting the Dark Knight's Love Life to the Big Screen
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1644&context=sociologyfacpub

The Batman Trailer is ©Warner Bros. Pictures

#fatherhood #motherhood #parenting #dadlife #parenthood #family #dad #love #father #fathersday #dadsofinstagram #kids #fatherandson #daddy #fathers #dads #familytime #parents #children #parentlife #friendship #marriage #fatherdaughter #fatherson #fatheranddaughter #parentingtips

#searchingforatticus #buzzsprout

Benedict Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons, Kirsten Dunst and Kodi Smit-McPhee star in Jane Campion's much-lauded slow-burn thriller set in the American West. 
Kofi, Blake & Rich wade through the story's themes of loneliness, isolation, toxic masculinity and damage. We talk about bullying and being bullied, about the savage criticism levelled at both the film and the filmmaker, and we have a little fun with the Benedict Cumberbatch Name Generator.

Clips in this podcast are ©Netflix

#powerofthedog #netflix #Oscars2022 #benedictcumberbatch #toxicmasculinity 

#fatherhood #motherhood #parenting #dadlife #parenthood #family #dad #love #father #fathersday #dadsofinstagram #kids #fatherandson #daddy #fathers #dads #familytime #parents #children #parentlife #friendship #marriage #fatherdaughter #fatherson #fatheranddaughter #parentingtips

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It's Spring Break, so we're taking a little respite from our full-length episodes and sharing two smaller conversations this week. 
In the first, Kofi poses a provocative question.
While discussing the Oscar-nominated "King Richard," Kofi asked Rich  and Blake if race had ever factored into a decision they've made while parenting. The answers are both simple and complicated. 
We'll return next week with a look at another Oscar nominee: The Power of the Dog, directed by Jane Campion and starring Benedict Cumberbatch.

#fatherhood #motherhood #parenting #dadlife #parenthood #family #dad #love #father #fathersday #dadsofinstagram #kids #fatherandson #daddy #fathers #dads #familytime #parents #children #parentlife #friendship #marriage #fatherdaughter #fatherson #fatheranddaughter #parentingtips

#searchingforatticus #buzzsprout

George Clooney and Brad Pitt head up a band of lovable rogues in Steven Soderburgh's master class in "cool." 
Blake, Kofi & Rich talk about what makes this movie so rewatchable, why law-abiding citizens such as us love a good heist movie and why George Clooney is such an icon of modern manhood. 
Rich also shares a bunch of trivia and inside info surrounding the film. After all, he's seen it more than a hundred times. 
And Blake looks into whether the "pinch" portrayed in the movie would really set off the temporary blackout the gang needs to pull off the heist. For a more detailed answer on that, check out this article from American Physical Society:
https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200203/oceans-eleven.cfm 

Clips contained in this podcast are ©Warner Bros. Pictures

#fatherhood #motherhood #parenting #dadlife #parenthood #family #dad #love #father #fathersday #dadsofinstagram #kids #fatherandson #daddy #fathers #dads #familytime #parents #children #parentlife #friendship #marriage #fatherdaughter #fatherson #fatheranddaughter #parentingtips

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Will Smith turns in a sensitive and nuanced performance as the ambitious and complicated Richard Williams - father to not one, but two of the greatest players in the history of women's tennis. 
The movie follows the remarkable rise of Venus and Serena Williams from the gang-infested hard courts of Compton, California to Venus's debut on the pro tour. But the focus is on Richard  and the challenges he both overcomes and creates with his 78-page plan for his girls' success. 
Rich, Kofi & Blake discuss the ambitions we envision for our kids and whether audiences will see this movie as a source of inspiration, a cautionary tale - or perhaps, a bit of both.

Clips contained in this podcast are ©Warner Bros. Pictures

#kingrichard #venuswilliams #serenawilliams #raisingyoungathletes #coachingyoungathletes #parenting #parenthood #fatherhood #motherhood #fatherdaughter #sports #tennis

#fatherhood #motherhood #parenting #dadlife #parenthood #family #dad #love #father #fathersday #dadsofinstagram #kids #fatherandson #daddy #fathers #dads #familytime #parents #children #parentlife #friendship #marriage #fatherdaughter #fatherson #fatheranddaughter #parentingtips

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Rich talks with former World Cup ski racer Allison Forsyth about how to coach athletes and hold them accountable without crossing the line into outdated abusive behaviour.

The conversation sprouts from our podcast on the movie "Miracle" - based on the true story of the US Olympic hockey team's upset victory over the USSR and subsequent gold medal at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. 

In the film, coach Herb Brooks (played by Kurt Russell) employs some old-school tactics that are just not acceptable by today's standards - including "bag skating" his team until they puke, and publicly challenging a player to continue with an injured thigh.

How should modern-day coaches approach incidents of inattention and poor play? Does punishment or sanction have a role in today's coaching culture?

Allison Forsyth is uniquely positioned to answer these questions. As an athlete, she reached the very top of her sport while surviving sexual abuse at the hands of a coach. 

These days, Forsyth is Partner and Chief Operating Officer for ITP Sport and Recreation (www.itpsport.ca), where she consults with sports organizations on how to create and maintain a safe environment for athletes and coaches. 

#coaching #raisingyoungathletes #safesport #miracle #miracleonice #hockeycanada #coachinghockey #coachingbaseball #coachingbasketball #alpinecanada #football #soccer #fifa #olympics #beijing2022 #winterolympics

#fatherhood #motherhood #parenting #dadlife #parenthood #family #dad #love #father #fathersday #dadsofinstagram #kids #fatherandson #daddy #fathers #dads #familytime #parents #children #parentlife #friendship #marriage #fatherdaughter #fatherson #fatheranddaughter #parentingtips

#searchingforatticus #buzzsprout

With the Winter Olympics underway, Blake, Kofi & Rich take a look at Miracle - the story of the greatest upset in sports history, when an unsung team of American college hockey players beat the mighty Soviet Union at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, NY on their way to winning the gold medal.

The movie features the best hockey cinematography ever. It also does a superb job of capturing both the malaise of the late 70's and the thrill of the Miracle on Ice. 

As inspiring as the story itself is, the idea of modern coaches (and bosses) taking inspiration from head coach Herb Brooks (played by Kurt Russell) is not as cut-and-dry. 
 
We discuss how Brooks is haunted the fact that he was a late cut from the 1960 gold medal USA hockey team. We take a hard look at the way he disciplines - or even bullies - his players. We also ask whether his technique of casting himself as a villain can actually work as a means of bringing his players together. (The answer: yes, for a short time, anyway.)

Clips in this podcast are ©Walt Disney Pictures

#miracle #miracleonice #olympics #winterolympics #beijing2022 #parenthood #fatherhood #dadmovies #searchingforatticus #doyoubelieveinmiracles #usahockey #growingup #safesport #parenting #coachingyoungathletes 

#fatherhood #motherhood #parenting #dadlife #parenthood #family #dad #love #father #fathersday #dadsofinstagram #kids #fatherandson #daddy #fathers #dads #familytime #parents #children #parentlife #friendship #marriage #fatherdaughter #fatherson #fatheranddaughter #parentingtips

#searchingforatticus #buzzsprout