There may be a lot of people that will dismiss this movie as just another example of John Wayne's typical western persona. If they do, they really didn't pay attention to what was being said throughout the film.
In the 150+ hours of John Wayne movies on TV this week in honor of what would be his 100th birthday, this one is an excellent example, not only of his range as an actor, but also of his personal philosophy.
You can dismiss John Wayne as just a cowboy actor, but you really don't know him if you do. He played a lot of different characters and showed variation in each one, even if it was just another western.
In Cahill, he shows the struggle many fathers have gone through to raise their children and fulfill their responsibilities at the same time. Sometimes, it is difficult to appreciate how much of a struggle that is. Those of us who grew up with Depression-era fathers know that they just wanted to make sure that their children did not suffer as they did. Sometimes, that meant we felt fatherless as they were working all the time. This is very evident in this film.
But one thing our fathers did manage to impart was duty and responsibility. You see that evident in every thing that Cahill does. He showed respect for women, regardless of race, he treated everyone the same. He emphasized the need to finish the job you agreed to do even if it caused you pain or hardship.
There are many lessons in the film that would speak to all of us today. It is not done in a preachy way - it is just a natural part of the story.
Sure, it's just another John Wayne western, but it is so much more if you take the time to really watch it. AMC and Encore Westerns, and TCM would all be doing us a favor to show this film every Father's Day.
In the 150+ hours of John Wayne movies on TV this week in honor of what would be his 100th birthday, this one is an excellent example, not only of his range as an actor, but also of his personal philosophy.
You can dismiss John Wayne as just a cowboy actor, but you really don't know him if you do. He played a lot of different characters and showed variation in each one, even if it was just another western.
In Cahill, he shows the struggle many fathers have gone through to raise their children and fulfill their responsibilities at the same time. Sometimes, it is difficult to appreciate how much of a struggle that is. Those of us who grew up with Depression-era fathers know that they just wanted to make sure that their children did not suffer as they did. Sometimes, that meant we felt fatherless as they were working all the time. This is very evident in this film.
But one thing our fathers did manage to impart was duty and responsibility. You see that evident in every thing that Cahill does. He showed respect for women, regardless of race, he treated everyone the same. He emphasized the need to finish the job you agreed to do even if it caused you pain or hardship.
There are many lessons in the film that would speak to all of us today. It is not done in a preachy way - it is just a natural part of the story.
Sure, it's just another John Wayne western, but it is so much more if you take the time to really watch it. AMC and Encore Westerns, and TCM would all be doing us a favor to show this film every Father's Day.