This weekend I saw the movie Ant-Man. Cute show. But from what I’ve learned over recent years about fathers, divorce, family law and the feminist movement, there were numerous things that bothered me. These are such a part of main-stream media that most people I suspect are oblivious to the subtle messages.

Scott Lang is the hero of the movie, at least in the end. He is the Ant-Man, who comes back from a life of crime.

• Scott is a divorced man, portrayed as a dead-beat dad, unwilling to pay his alimony. Though this happens, this is not your standard divorced dad.
• Scott is hindered from seeing his daughter until he can catch up on child support. A father’s relationship with his children should not be held hostage for any reason except if the child is in danger by the father. (Don’t get me off on this one. Family law in many ways is unconstitutional, topics for other posts.)
• Scott is portrayed as a weakling, subservient to and controlled by his ex-wife. He is bumbling and clumsy (until of course later he becomes the hero). Even if done for effect and contrast, this perpetuates the common media bias that women are powerful and smart, and that men are stuck in their teen years.
• Scott is again portrayed as a weakling compared to Dr. Pym’s daughter. He has to be taught by her how to fight!
• The movie portrayed Scott’s daughter’s step dad as the one who really cared for and had a relationship with Scott’s daughter. She runs to her step dad and is protected by him—even when Scott is around. This portrays the father as not important once there has been divorce.
• The movie could have been done without divorce being part of main story line. Just as strong a story could have been created with an intact family. I’d much prefer my children be taught the example of a good, solid, loving and caring family, even if mine is broken. Must we perpetuate the feeling that divorce is normal and accepted? Why not portray the ideal of an intact family to give children a hope and vision of what’s possible? Must we bring in the tension of a broken family? It’s like saying that swearing, infidelity, and sin are part of life, so let’s portray them (promote them) in film.
• Why was Scott’s daughter always in her step-father’s arms, even when Scott was around? That’s odd. Where was the loving embraces of father and daughter?
• Only in one scene, when Scott secretly entered his daughter’s bedroom when she was asleep, did I have a sense for the love of Scott for his daughter. The hunger for her was not portrayed well, nor the anger he should have displayed for not being able to see his daughter.

This was a cute and overall fun show to watch, even with some touching moments, but like typical modern media, portrayed life far from the ideal, perpetuating evil.

Your brother, Carl