With a newborn, heightened emotions, and some unexpected downtime, Travis M. Andrews embarks on a bleary-eyed movie marathon. Watching with his daughter sleeping on his chest, he starts to find small epiphanies in the unlikeliest of films—from Final Destination to The Hustle. In this funny and tender essay, Andrews shows how welcoming a new life can quietly alter the way you see the world.
You learn about the power of headspace when watching something. If you are, say, rating every movie immediately upon completion, you may rate the experience with it more so than the actual quality of the film. This is how the genuinely funny but ultimately fine “Babes” (11/28, when sleep deprivation made everything 10x funnier) received the same distinguished four-star rating as the stunning “Tár” (11/30), which was just long enough to invite restlessly while waiting for that iconic closing shot. Maestro Lydia would be ashamed.
You learn that a lot of movies wouldn’t exist if the characters would just, like, talk to each other in Act 1. You realize you can use this fact to teach your daughter about the power of communication.
More picks on fatherhood
A Strange Continent
“An English expat returns home and unfolds his Brompton bike.”
All My Dad’s Sons
“At a very young age, I learned a lot about how life can go wrong. It put things into perspective, even if that perspective was a little warped.”
The Camps Promising to Turn You—or Your Son—Into an Alpha Male
“At the Men of War Crucible, you bear-crawl through rivers. At Warrior Week, you dig your own grave. At the Squire Program, your teen-ager can take part, too.”
The Boy Who Came Back: The Near-Death, and Changed Life, of My Son Max
“It was, we were told, a case of sudden infant death syndrome interrupted. What followed would transform my understanding of parenting, disability and the breadth of what makes a meaningful life.”
The Gospel of Change
“Traveling in an RV empowers a seeker to make peace with an ever-evolving world.”
The Making of Dwyane Wade
“The Hall of Famer reached the highest heights of the basketball world. Now he’s figuring out the type of man and father he wants to be.”
