Fatherhood Amid Zombies

Zombie movies are not my typical fare.

I prefer Doctor Who to the Walking Dead, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to its recent Warm Bodies reincarnation.  Characters with a pulse are a plus, in my book.

However, we watched World War Z this Father’s Day, and among the half-dead-with-chattering-teeth, I found it filled with a surprising volume of positive content on fatherhood in the modern world.

Picture this.

In a matter of minutes, Brad Pitt and his family are hurled into the chaos of a sickness-torn world, nearing the brink of total collapse.  Many are fighting alone, resorting to some crude state of nature for a few hours’ survival.  However, Pitt’s character puts priority on his family–getting medication for his daughter, protecting his wife, moving them to safety, and travelling the globe in search of a cure.  Hope-filled motifs of self-sacrifice and service are apparent throughout, even amid the widespread scenes of terror and despair.

While Pitt’s character can be seen as a sort of secular archetype for fathers, this same, ennobled spirit is often hidden beneath the unassuming form of relentless nine-to-five jobs and bill payments, living room chess games and leading the family to Church on Sundays.  Fatherhood’s protective, nurturing nature may shine brightly in the fray of zombie apocalypses, yet such examples should really serve to highlight those subtle moments of the everyday.

So, happy belated Father’s Day.

Fight your zombies.