A Father's Son

Before my review, I just wanted to note that this film originally aired on CBS on May 23, 1999, under the title "Michael Landon: The Father I Knew".I saw this film when it first aired, and never lost respect for Michael "Mike" Landon or his son Michael Jr. As someone who has had a life long interest in film and television production, Michael Landon is sort of one of my "heros", largely because he's one of the only people in history to write, direct, produce, and act in three highly successful hit series with only one season of downtime between each (during which he was still busy developing the new show!), and during the height of the success of 'Little House', created, wrote, directed, and produced the series "Father Murphy" starring Merlin Olsen, which ran for two seasons concurrent with LHOP's seventh and eighth seasons during the same time period when he divorced and remarried (so he was producing two series concurrently and actively involved and wearing multiple hats with each...that HAD to be stressful!). He had started work on yet another series in the months immediately prior to his untimely passing in 1991 (the pilot for this series aired as a movie of the week posthumously, and was called "Us"). His talent was such that only a handful of people, including television pioneers Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, have ever paralleled his success, and nearly all such people also had unfortunate family issues as a result of their highly demanding careers.While there are many who "pan" this film because it was told only from Michael Jr.'s POV and some feel that it sheds Mike in a very bad (and "inaccurate") light, you do have to remember, the film was called "The Father I Knew" (and now "A Father's Son"), which gives it away that it is Michael Jr.'s take on the events as HE saw them, perhaps not in the way they actually happened. With that said, one VERY important aspect that was left out of the film was the day to day stresses and struggles of Mike's career--as I said, he had no less than quadruple credits on all his series, and there were even episodes of all his series that he "ghost wrote" but the credit went to someone else. He was a very controlling artist by design, and as such, unfortunately, in telling stories that touched the lives of so many millions of people and likely saved marriages and family relationships and even personal friendships and relationships with co-workers and also how we should treat those less fortunate than us, he sadly and inadvertently sacrificed the happiness of his own family. It is quite possible that if his work life hadn't been so demanding and hectic and he was able to balance things with his personal life better, he wouldn't have fell in love with the make up artist on his show as a result of spending more time with her and the rest of the "Little House on the Prairie" cast and crew than his own wife and family.It has been reported by multiple cast and crew members from 'Little House' that there was always a very strict 6PM wrap time because Landon DID want his cast and crew to have a life outside of the work, which is extremely rare in film and television, where oftentimes production runs continually around the clock, with early call times in the wee hours of the morning that extend to the wee hours of the morning the next day, day in and day out. Unfortunately for Mike, though, his own 6PM wrap was not often observed by him personally, as he would then leave the set to go work on editing film or working on a script for the next week's show.Again, Michael Landon is a man I admire from a career goal standpoint, but perhaps he taught us some important lessons off screen that sort of reveal his own hypocritical lifestyle. After watching this film, you can almost see that there were storylines for episodes of all his series that unfortunately mirrored his own real life shortcomings, and in retrospect add the unintended message of "Do as I say, Not as I Do". Although he did it subconsciously, he more or less sacrificed his own relationships to "save" ours, in an indirect way. As the "moral" of many 'Little House' storylines go, appreciate your friends, your family, and let them know you love them, not only by telling them, but by showing them and being there for them--like he ultimately wasn't for his own kids as he should have been. Michael Jr. really did a great job of telling his own emotional story of how he felt as a result of this, and this movie serves the purpose of reminding everyone that no one--not even the man who embodied Little Joe aka Charles Ingalls aka Jonathan Smith, and brought to life so many other hundreds of characters--is perfect or infallible. But he still created several bodies of respectable work though, which have touched the lives of millions. For that, I will always have respect for him.

Has feel of early works, (so it lacks sophistication, flow of later work, "Love Comes Softly") but I appreciate the honesty in ML Jr's portrayal of their family life. . Read a review that ML Jr. portrayed himself as a spoiled kid until his father got sick, and that ML Sr. was just a human with flaws like anyone else, but I saw something different. The movie shows several factors that contributed to ML Jr's maturation as a responsible, grounded man/husband/father. He chose to marry someone who understood and valued loving commitment in marriage. He learned work responsibility when the financial rug was pulled out and he had to function on his own. Lastly, finding true faith helped shape his new life, his chance to do things right (even as a flawed human.). Someone wrote about the need to sacrifice children of celebrities, in order to not lower the bar, but this was ML Jr's earlier work. It was an honest, multifaceted look at a complex situation, and he offered this honest look into their family life, in a way that an outsider could not do. The movie is not as polished and smooth as works from a much more accomplished filmmaker, but there actually is a lot there if it is accepted for what it is. Thank you, ML Jr, for this glimpse into your family's personal life. You took on a lot, and the overall balance of subjects addressed , and your portrayal of family members was nicely balanced.

I was a bit disappointed years ago when I watched this movie on tv. (only, it was the other title) Not disappointed in the movie, itself. But disappointed in the knowledge that the Real Michael Landon was so far off from living the character of Charles Ingalls. But my opinion has changed a lot. He may not have been the perfect family man Charles Ingalls was, but he was still a good man in many respects.He left his family and kids, but he didn't leave them to starve and go without. He wasn't abusive. He never touched his daughter in an inappropriate way. He wasn't a perfect man, but he wasn't a male version of "MOMMY DEAREST, either. I gave this movie a 4-star rating, but I still think Michael Landon was a 5-star star. VERY GOOD MOVIE

I'm 61 y.o. and always have a 'Prime" 'tab' up with a LHOP episode ready to hit 'play' again....After always having read about M. L. on Wiki ....and all the WIVES, and all the (poor!) KIDS!! well....my BRAIN couldn't relate the M.L. 'WRITER-PRODUCER-DIRECTOR-ACTOR' of such WHOLESOME episodes, for the most part. I've adored him from Bonanza....as a LOT of us have.After my finally getting up the GUTS to finally face the facade that I've had of Michael...knowing what I'd read on WiKi....Whether all 'technically' right or not--this movie gives me enough to know about Michael's life and what he was doing to people, his family.Makes me want to throw up. Okay...so DIVORCE the 'B.Hills-lovin' wife FIRST---THEN move on to your next......???What a totally SELFISH B**T**D through his personal life.These poor kids AND some wives, I think.I don't know if I can easily watch him 'ACT' now, on L.House. It is TOTALLY him ACTING, I see now.Update years later here…After watching his biographical movie, the loneliest runner, being raised with a psycho/witch mother like that well….maybe THAT’S why!

Eye opening. This is an interesting case study on how difficult circumstances at an early age in ones' life directly relates to our behavior and thinking as we get older - and in this case, for both Landons. Really enjoyed this movie!

Arrived promptly. Very good for price.