Searching For Atticus

Following our conversation about the movie Big Fish, Blake reached to Troy Hill -  an Indigenous educator, a father and a son to a larger-than-life man whose stories, like those portrayed in the movie, seemed to defy authenticity. 

The conversation was supposed to be about how one reconciles such tall tales with reality. But Blake and Troy ended up talking about a different kind of truth and reconciliation – one that’s particularly relevant as Canadians mark the first national holiday dedicated to those goals.

In their conversation, Troy recounts how he learned of his father’s experiences at a residential school and the toll it has taken on his family. Just a few days later, news broke about the discovery of the remains of more than 200 children at the Kamloops Residential School.  

Today, in honour of this first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, we’re presenting their conversation again. Though the discoveries themselves are not discussed, we feel Troy's story is an important one. Please take the time to listen, and share it with a friend.

#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

Matt Damon's latest film is the thought-provoking story of Bill Baker, an Oklahoma oil rig worker who travels to France to visit his estranged daughter (Abigail Breslin), who's been convicted of killing her girlfriend. When she passes him a note with new information that might exonerate her, Bill begins to seek out the real killer.
Along the way, he enlists the help of a French woman (Camille Cottin). Befriending the woman  and her young daughter (Lilou Siauvaud) gives Bill a new lease on life, love and fatherhood. But old habits die hard.
The movie prompts Blake, Kofi & Rich to talk about the demons they fear in their own relationships, how their worries compare to dads of previous generations and the ways in which Bill Baker compares to another dad we've discussed - Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) in Taken. 

#stillwater #stillwaterfilm #mattdamon #tommccarthy #fatherhood #parenting #fatherdaughter 

#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

Brad Pitt, Craig Sheffer and Tom Skerritt star in Robert Redford's masterful screen adaptation of Norman Maclean's beloved short story about two brothers growing up in Montana in the early 20th century. A River Runs Through It poses some challenging questions, namely: How do we help those who don't want our help? And how do we love those whom we do not understand?
Join Blake, Kofi & Rich as they discuss a movie we think of as essential viewing for all men.

#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

Steve Carell & Tina Fey play suburban couple Phil & Claire Foster, whose special night out in New York City goes completely sideways when they impersonate another couple in order to snag a prized reservation at an exclusive restaurant.
The film's a crazy romp, but its underpinnings are good fodder for discussion. 
Kofi, Blake and Rich talk about the dangers of routines, the challenges of keeping things fresh and what qualifies as a "date night." 

#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

Matt Damon & Christian Bale star in James Mangold's rollicking tale of legendary designer Carroll Shelby & driver Ken Miles' effort to win the 24 Hours of LeMans car race in the 1960's. It's an odd feat to create a story in which the Ford Motor Co. is an underdog (up against the dominant Ferrari), but this movie pulls it off.
However, this is far more than a car movie or a sports flick. At its heart is a story of friendship between two renegades - one of whom (Miles) is more of an outcast!
Rich, Blake and Kofi talk about the awkwardness of realistic fistfights, the codes that men develop in order to communicate their feelings and the love that is given to those who are passionate - but difficult.

#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

Kevin Hart makes his dramatic debut as Matt Logelin, whose wife dies within days of giving birth to their first child. When his strong-willed mother-in-law (Alfre Woodard) insists that  Matt and his daughter Maddy move back home to Minnesota, Matt refuses - remaining in Boston to raise the baby on his own.
For Blake, Rich & Kofi, watching Matt struggle with sleepless nights, inconsolable crying and nasty diapers is a trip back to a time that makes us all  wonder if anyone is ever really prepared for fatherhood. We debate whether dads are still the "spare tire" on the parenting vehicle - capable of handling only low speeds and short distances.  We also look at the impact of casting one of the world's biggest black movie stars in a film based on the real-life story of a white man.

#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

When we discussed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, there was a question Blake posed that left all three of us a bit stumped for a comfortable answer: If Ego is wrong to impose his own ambition onto Peter, then is there anything we see in our own parenting for which we might be similarly criticized?
The ensuing conversation with Kofi & Rich doesn't lead entirely to a lot of answers, but the questions themselves - and the occasionally fumbling and grasping that they cause - are worth a listen. 

#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

In normal times, Blake, Kofi & Rich would be heading out  this weekend for the debut of Marvel's Black Widow. We're all vaxxed up, but the theatres in our part of the world (Ontario, Canada) aren't open just yet. Still, we're excited about the latest Marvel movie - Hello, Disney+ - and that got us thinking about all the other movies in the MCU. After all, they're rife with daddy issues and relationship drama. So this week, we're talking about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which Kofi claims is the "familiest" of all the Marvel films. We talk Ego and Yondu and their relationship with Peter Quill/Starlord, and we also reflect on the fierce sibling rivalry shared by Gamora and Nebula. It's a romp of a film, and a romp of a pod.

#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

Our conversation about Ron Howard's "Parenthood" continues with a look at the storylines and themes surrounding the extended Buckman family: single-mom Helen (Dianne Wiest), her son Garry (Joaquin Phoenix) & slacker Tod (Keanu Reeves);  hyper-parent Nathan (Rick Moranis); and patriarch Frank (Jason Robards) & deadbeat dad Larry (Tom Hulce). Rich, Kofi & Blake talk about the pain of being abandoned by your father and the healing possible when another role model steps in. We ask what relationship is most important in a family - the one you have with your spouse or the one you share with your kids? And we ponder whether - as Frank says - parenthood never ends.

#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

The Steve Martin/Ron Howard collaboration "Parenthood" is so full of themes and moments that resonate with fathers and sons (and really, kids and parents of all genders) that we couldn't possibly tackle it all in one podcast. Instead, we're talking this week about the storylines that surround Gil Buckman (Martin), his wife (Mary Steenburgen) and their kids. Next week, we'll discuss Gil's dad, his three siblings and their families. On this podcast, Blake, Kofi & Rich talk about the promises we made as boys to be better dads, the worry that you might do something that "breaks your kid" and the feeling that - as Gil says - "My whole life is have to."

#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