My son will be fourteen soon. He and I have been talking about what it means to be a man.
For those who say (by your words or by the way you live) that manliness is defined by sexual conquests, ability to hold alcohol, swearing, stunts, or sporting exploits, I say quit fooling yourself. Try responsibility, leadership, integrity, and confidence.
I've been reading about Slumdog Millionaire. It's the kind of film I wouldn't have taken my son to a year or two ago--violent, dark, with bad language and some sexual situations (probably mild by Hollywood standards). The "dirty" parts are by no means gratuitous; they add weight to the physically dirty lives the characters lead.
I saw Slumdog as an opportunity to teach my boy about the way most of the world lives. Americans of every age are far too insulated about the desperate conditions that plague hundreds of millions, and our media are too myopic, too uninterested in anything beyond our still-wealthy shores. This film takes us to the foreign depths of despair in a sometimes heart-breaking but ultimately exhilarating way.
I also wanted to remind my son that we rich Americans can do something to help children like Jamal and Salim. A dollar goes far in Third World economies. My favorite channels to bless poor children are here, here, and here (my wife and I are friends with the leaders of the first two, and I am the editor of the third's email reports).
My son surprised me as we left the theater this evening. He said this was an awesome movie, even "better than The Dark Knight". I agree.
Update: During the Academy Awards buzz about Slumdogs, I learned that the children in the movie were not trained actors--they were plucked from the slums of Mumbai, India. I'm so happy that their future is brighter now that they're famous. For more rags-to-riches stories, please support one of the charities I linked above!
