I was playing Chrono Trigger with my 12yo son last night, and we were playing the scene for the second trial, where the conniving chancellor holds the King on trial in the present, falsely accusing him of selling a treasure in the basement. The king argues there never was a treasure to sell! But the king didn't realize we went back in time in the middle ages and hid our treasure in the basement, because the princess was in our party and had a good relationship with her ancestor queen who looks exactly like her, and we asked that queen to stow it for us. Anyway.
We go to the basement and fetch a piece of the treasure to break into the trial room with the evidence and prove the king's innocence. The king and the princess reunite, and up to now they've had a pretty bad relationship in the story. The queen/princess' mom died when she was little, and it seemed like the king was too busy for his daughter all the time. But while they're hugging, she tells him she never says it, but she loves him very much. He says he has the same problem.
She says "Well Father, we'll have lots of time to talk tonight, about my friends, adventures, mother..."
The king says "Ah, now I finally understand your mother's last words. 'One day she'll grow up and bring a boy she loves to you. Welcome him warmly.'"
She says "You were there when she died?"
He says "Yes. You were there too, but you were so little, and running around blissfully ignorant and happy, saying 'Daddy, it's so great to be surrounded by everyone I love!' Your mother passed peacefully knowing you were happy."
She says "Really? And... I used to call you 'Daddy?'"
He says "Yes."
She hugs him again and says "I'm really sorry I doubted you all these years...daddy."
So I'm starting to hold back a tear because I've got my boy here next to me. Then he says "Is that really what it's like to be a parent, dad? Hard to talk to your kids, but happy to see them happy?" And then my eyes got wet, and he starts BAWLING and we just hugged on the couch.
I'm a fuck up in plenty of ways, but I think I'm pulling off this father shit.
I watched both these movies the past two days and what sticks out about them is even though they aren't groundbreaking in any way, they're solid thrillers, they're political (without an agenda in the modern sense), great characters, real stunts that feel much better than CG crap, the camera work and lighting just feels nicer without that weird overly saturated feel thats in modern movies, it has great characters that are diverse without trying to be diverse, it's only interested in the story and characters and being solidly entertaining
Just a really great pair of movies that in the 90s were considered average fair and in modern times Hollywood is absolutely incapable of making something so simple and so good. Give them a watch they're both brilliant
(watch Patriot Games then Clear in Present danger)
