In our society it has become apparent that male friendships have suffered from the feminization of the word “friend.” “Friend” has taken on the connotation of weakness with men. Men, as a whole, have fewer friends than women and their friendships are often built out of loyalty more than love. It is an interesting dynamic to gender relationships in our society. In any relationship we look for commonalities and connections to our own lives. Male friendships are usually forged when there is a common cause. This could be sports, movies, or women. As men, we form brotherhoods that cannot be broken. In a lot of ways we value our male friendships more than our relationships with women. You see, there is a primitive bond that exists between men. These friendships are about the things that do not need to be said, but are understood. Loyalty is always a part of the male friendship and “love” is just implicit. There is the old cliché, “You are lucky to have one or two true friends in your life.” This is the one lesson we can take out of lives and it is very true. These are the friends that you count on and they count on you. These are the guys that would drop everything for you in a moments notice if that is what they thought you needed. These are the guys that do not have to get “wordy,” but their hand on your shoulder speaks volumes. These are the guys that look at you in your worst moments and yet, they still like you. They represent the confidence that resides in you and they are fiercely devoted to your cause.
Today’s “Roar” is a tribute to two of my very best male compatriots, Joe and Chris. I am listing movies that remind me of them and why the characters in these films are representation of our friendship.
Toy Story 2- Buzz Lightyear has to rescue Woody from selling himself out to be with his “kind.” Buzz puts together a team of toys to stop Woody from making a mistake and helps him realize that “friendship” is belonging. Neither of my friends would ever let me sell myself out. You’ve got a friend in me…
Star Wars-How many people do you know that would fly across the galaxy to save your ass from impending doom? Han Solo and Luke Skywalker are the truest friends. Luke risks everything, ignoring Yoda’s warning (…You will ruin all for which they fought and suffered), to help Han. He flies into Bespin, untrained and naïve. His purpose, to save his friends from Darth Vader. These guys would risk everything in the name of friendship and when things go wrong, I look to the stars for the Clarkinnium Falcon or an Ungaro-Wing Fighter.
Good Will Hunting-Well, this is the ultimate movie about friends and one of my all time favorite movies. The irony of the characters in this movie is that neither is threatened by the other. There is an unspoken bond on screen and is one of two movies in which I actually appreciate the acting of Ben Affleck.
And why does he hang out with those retarded gorillas, as you called them? Because any one of them, if he asked them to, would take a fucking bat to your head, okay? It's called loyalty. This is so true about Chris and Joe. If I were in pain there is no doubt that bats would be in hand and we’d deal with the consequences later.
No, no no no. Fuck you, you don't owe it to yourself man, you owe it to me, 'cause tomorrow I'm gonna wake up and I'll be 50, and I'll still be doin' this shit. And that's all right. That's fine. I mean, you're sittin' on a winnin' lottery ticket. You're too much of a pussy to cash it in, and that's bullshit. 'Cause I'd do fuckin' anything to have what you got. So would any of these fuckin' guys. It'd be an insult to us if you're still here in 20 years. Hangin' around here is a fuckin' waste of your time. Only true friends can talk to you this way. Not your wife, not your mother, only your best friends.
The Godfather- Why do you hurt me, Michael? I've always been loyal to you-Tom Hagen
Tom Hagen is the most loyal individual ever to grace a movie screen. The relationship between he and Michael epitomizes the primal nature of the male bond. Tom is the only character able to tell Michael where he truly stands.
Today’s “Roar” is a tribute to two of my very best male compatriots, Joe and Chris. I am listing movies that remind me of them and why the characters in these films are representation of our friendship.
Toy Story 2- Buzz Lightyear has to rescue Woody from selling himself out to be with his “kind.” Buzz puts together a team of toys to stop Woody from making a mistake and helps him realize that “friendship” is belonging. Neither of my friends would ever let me sell myself out. You’ve got a friend in me…
Star Wars-How many people do you know that would fly across the galaxy to save your ass from impending doom? Han Solo and Luke Skywalker are the truest friends. Luke risks everything, ignoring Yoda’s warning (…You will ruin all for which they fought and suffered), to help Han. He flies into Bespin, untrained and naïve. His purpose, to save his friends from Darth Vader. These guys would risk everything in the name of friendship and when things go wrong, I look to the stars for the Clarkinnium Falcon or an Ungaro-Wing Fighter.
Good Will Hunting-Well, this is the ultimate movie about friends and one of my all time favorite movies. The irony of the characters in this movie is that neither is threatened by the other. There is an unspoken bond on screen and is one of two movies in which I actually appreciate the acting of Ben Affleck.
And why does he hang out with those retarded gorillas, as you called them? Because any one of them, if he asked them to, would take a fucking bat to your head, okay? It's called loyalty. This is so true about Chris and Joe. If I were in pain there is no doubt that bats would be in hand and we’d deal with the consequences later.
No, no no no. Fuck you, you don't owe it to yourself man, you owe it to me, 'cause tomorrow I'm gonna wake up and I'll be 50, and I'll still be doin' this shit. And that's all right. That's fine. I mean, you're sittin' on a winnin' lottery ticket. You're too much of a pussy to cash it in, and that's bullshit. 'Cause I'd do fuckin' anything to have what you got. So would any of these fuckin' guys. It'd be an insult to us if you're still here in 20 years. Hangin' around here is a fuckin' waste of your time. Only true friends can talk to you this way. Not your wife, not your mother, only your best friends.
The Godfather- Why do you hurt me, Michael? I've always been loyal to you-Tom Hagen
Tom Hagen is the most loyal individual ever to grace a movie screen. The relationship between he and Michael epitomizes the primal nature of the male bond. Tom is the only character able to tell Michael where he truly stands.
11 comments:
This post was a day maker Dan. I am at a loss for words. Everyday, at some point or another, I am filled with gratitude for the friends I have been blessed with, an all they have put up with. I only hope I can return one one hundredth of the friendship, kindness, and love that you guys have shown me over the years. Not only are you great friends, but some of the finest humans I've ever been privileged enough to know. Thank you for this post, but more importantly, thank you for you.
Hey,
I wrote the post because you and Joe are my two loyal readers. It all goes without saying.
What are your favorite "buddy movies?"
GOONIES
Is the top friendship movie that comes to mind. I love how they mock Chunk but he's still in the gang. That's real. And it's a bonding journey. It reminds me of long-ass bike rides to the comic book store with they guys. Or late night joyrides to nowhere. However, they're way too conscious of their friendship. Do you think we all walked around talking about being friends back in the day?
Chris H.
Heck No! It didn't become apparent until adulthood. Hey, you know what was cool? Watching you guys at John's Bachelor Party...I was just taking it in.
Dan
Great topic Dan-o. I don't know where to begin, so I am just going to jump right in.
Tombstone. Doc Holiday and Wyatt Earp. The two forged such an unlikely bond because of their vast differences. Doc's sense of humor draws Wyatt Earp in, but his unbelievable bravery in the heat of the moment and facing a terminal illness earns Wyatt's friendship. Wyatt liked Doc and treated him like a normal person, not a criminal or a dying man. Perhaps Doc summed up friendship best when he explained why he was helping Wyatt:
Creek Johnson: Why you doin this Doc?
Doc: Wyatt Earp is my friend.
Creek Johnson: Friend? Hell, I got lots of friends.
Doc: I don't.
Their loyalty to one another always reminded me of my friendship with Wayne. I would run through a wall for him as he would would for me, even when we know the other is wrong.
One of my favorite movies of all time, Jaws, has a great friendship dynamic. You have the angry bitter man in Quint,(Wayne) the person driven by fear in Cheif Brody (me) and the intellectual driven by his love of sharks in Matt Hooper (Hatton).
Quint and Hooper hate each other from the start because of their different backgrounds and their approach to the same problem. As the movie progresses they develop an understanding and appreciation for each other's views.
When Quint tells about his experience on the U.S.S. Indianapolis, there is not a better moment in the movie. That speech is not only the best moment in the movie, but perhaps the best 2 minutes in cinematic history.
John K.
Jaws is quite possibly Spielbergs greatest achievment
I have always felt that Laurel and Hardy were the consummate film "buddies".Their movie "Blockheads" is a fucking gem!
Chris as usual, you are right on with Laurel and Hardy
I have to add Beautiful Girls to the list of movies about true friendship. When push comes to shove, ram a car with a snow plow!
"So you're the neighborhood Lolita?"
very cool post dan
there are so many cool friends movies and i think you nailed most of my favorite ones.
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