Life with Father – a bit like fika with stubborn relatives

You ever have that feeling when you’re at your grandma’s on a rainy sunday, and everybody’s talking at once about stuff that doesn’t totally matter but is somehow essential? That’s kinda the vibe I got watching “Life with Father” (1947). Directed by Michael Curtiz, you know the guy who did Casablanca – so, my expectations were like sky high. Starring William Powell as the grumpy-but-heart-of-gold dad, and Irene Dunne who manages to sparkle even in chaos, this flick is a slice of Americana that’s so shiny you wonder if someone just polished the entire century.

I gotta admit, the technicolor here slaps harder than my grandma’s sockerkaka, for real. Everything looks a bit too clean, like Karlaplan on a Sunday morning. The costumes! The sets! Even the kids are a bit too rosy-cheeked for my taste. Martin (one of the sons) basically looks like he stepped out of a Marabou ad.

But – and this is no liten sak – the chemistry between Powell and Dunne almost makes up for the sugar-cube script. There’s a scene where Powell’s character tries to get control over his household, and it reminded me of that summer in Västerbotten when my uncle went full dictator over the midsommar grillning, arguing about “system” and order – except, here everyone’s in starched collars and there’s no beer in sight.

Honestly, sometimes I just zoned out, like during confirmation class when the priest droned on about family values. I think some bits go overboard with the “wholesome”, but there’s actual warmth in there. The themes about dads not knowing best, and families just muddling through – that’s still spot on today, vare sig we’re in 1890s New York or an apartment in Bromma.

So, grab a kanelbulle, watch it for the nostalgia trip, and maybe call your folks after. Just… don’t expect fireworks.

watch the full movie on Mavshack Movies on YouTube

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