Year – 1956
Directed by John Ford, this John Wayne classic is arguably the greatest Western ever made. (Calm down. I said “arguably”.) When Wayne’s niece is abducted by Indians he spends years searching for her…hence “The Searchers”. But wait; this is more than just another Western where the White man slaughters “injuns”. While the film can play that (and did for many people especially upon its initial release) it’s actually a meditation on the motivation behind the genocide of Native Americans. Wayne gives what is probably his finest performance. It’s easy to dismiss Wayne as a one-note actor; a cowboy action star and nothing more. But that does him a grave disservice.
His character here is the hero yet simultaneously a villain. What drives his need to rescue his niece? Racism? Vengeance? Loyalty? The longer his quest takes (and it takes a long time) the more questionable his motivations become.
Ok, that’s great but the list is about parents and children. Fine, I’ll get to it.
Patrick Wayne, son of John, plays Lt. Greenhill – a novice soldier. Unlike most other instances on this list he doesn’t actually play his father’s son. However, his role still serves as sort of an in-joke as a Colonel Greenhill is referred to implying that Lt. Greenhill somehow got his job via his family name. A fact that the older men won’t let him forget.
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