The sins of the son
WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS SOME PLOT DETAILS FROM THE APRIL 30 EPISODE OF THE SOPRANOS.
I think last night's episode of "The Sopranos'' provides stunning evidence that James Gandofini is one the great actors of our time. Last night's scene in the police station parking lot, after Tony gets his son AJ out of jail, was stunning, real and true.
AJ had gone to visit Uncle Junior in the hospital and had planned to kill him in revenge for Junior shooting his father. But, Fredo-like, AJ dropped the knife and was hauled off to jail, rescued only by his father's connections and clout.
When Tony confronts his son, we get to see a wild kaleidoscope of emotions. First came the screaming rage, then the shock of having become violent with one's own child, and then a line delivered with such a sense of loss -- "You make me want to cry.''
Many of us have been there, that place where you want to throttle your kid and hug him at the same moment. Gandolfini seemed to inhabit that place perfectly last night.
That would be enough for one scene. But the writers and the actor keep going as Tony tells his son, "You have to grow up,'' and tells him again and again, almost mantra-like. He seems genuinely mystified by the fact that his son has not yet matured.
We parents spend so much time when our kids are young hoping that they never grow up and praying throughout their late adolescence that they do. It looks like Tony Soprano, of all people, has given voice to all the worry we parents have when our children become prodigal children, when their mistakes and sins become their own, and we are helpless to do anything but find new ways to love them.
I think last night's episode of "The Sopranos'' provides stunning evidence that James Gandofini is one the great actors of our time. Last night's scene in the police station parking lot, after Tony gets his son AJ out of jail, was stunning, real and true.
AJ had gone to visit Uncle Junior in the hospital and had planned to kill him in revenge for Junior shooting his father. But, Fredo-like, AJ dropped the knife and was hauled off to jail, rescued only by his father's connections and clout.
When Tony confronts his son, we get to see a wild kaleidoscope of emotions. First came the screaming rage, then the shock of having become violent with one's own child, and then a line delivered with such a sense of loss -- "You make me want to cry.''
Many of us have been there, that place where you want to throttle your kid and hug him at the same moment. Gandolfini seemed to inhabit that place perfectly last night.
That would be enough for one scene. But the writers and the actor keep going as Tony tells his son, "You have to grow up,'' and tells him again and again, almost mantra-like. He seems genuinely mystified by the fact that his son has not yet matured.
We parents spend so much time when our kids are young hoping that they never grow up and praying throughout their late adolescence that they do. It looks like Tony Soprano, of all people, has given voice to all the worry we parents have when our children become prodigal children, when their mistakes and sins become their own, and we are helpless to do anything but find new ways to love them.
posted by Michael Riley at 1:18 PM
1 Comments:
Our kids will be who THEY want to be no matter what WE may want them to be...so, fuhgettaboutit, awright?
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