MovieChat Forums > The Accountant (2016) Discussion > So Was Ben's Father a Good Man or an Evi...

So Was Ben's Father a Good Man or an Evil Man?

posted 7 years ago by ecarle (14979)
16 replies | jump to latest

The film gives us a lot of flashbacks to Ben's father as a military man who elects to fight Ben's autism with tough tactics: if the kid cant stand bright light and loud noises..force him to withstand MORE bright light and loud noises. To fight back against bullies , the father has Ben (and his brother) beaten bloody in training fights.

And mom leaves dad.

And something happens.

So: Ben's dad -- good or bad?

[–] beauq81 (1085) 7 years ago

A hard man. But a good father.

[–] kenburke (2369) 2 years ago

A hard man who wanted to prepare his sons for a hard world.

[–] beauq81 (1085) 2 years ago

Exactly. And succeeded in making two loving brothers.

[–] StoneKeeper (26650) 2 years ago

Agreed!

[–] pablopsantos (2) 7 years ago

The ironic thing of this is that although he is a correct man, his two sons have become criminals who kill, directly or indirectly, for money.

[–] [deleted] a year ago

That's not ironic as that is also what his father did, as a soldier.

[–] liscarkat (18373) 5 months ago

This idiot actually can't tell the difference between a soldier and a hit man.

[–] kenburke (2369) 7 years ago

He is a good man who sees the world as a hard, unforgiving place where the weak are too easily exploited. He does not believe physical, mental, or emotional challenges should excuse a person's living a normal productive life.

[–] scannerdarkly (1376) 3 years ago

Its something they have to overcome, or learn to manage and live with, in order to live a succesful life. The autistic boys own momma left him! So how can we expect the world to treat the boy better than his own mom would? From this viewpoint it makes sense what the father did.

I agree with you.

[–] nmitrione (293) 7 years ago

I believe he was a good man. Taught by hard love but he had the best intentions to make his boys strong physically and mentally.

[–] MrCottonsParrot (29) 3 years ago

Bit late to the party, but here's my 2 cents...

I think his dad was tough and over-strict ONLY as a backstory to make Christian's character a successful fighter in adulthood.

At first I disliked his father's character for being so cruel, but by the end of the movie, I see that it was probably the best way to create the back story.

[–] ExTechOp (2770) 3 years ago

At first I disliked his father's character for being so cruel, but by the end of the movie, I see that it was probably the best way to create the back story.

You make it sound like it's JUST a plot device (I don't think that's your intent tho)

His dad was tough because that's all he knew how to be. And, as scannerdarkly points out below (which I'll admit hadn't occurred to me before), most of the training we see comes after the mom left.

So, way I see it, their father had to train them the only way he knew, because he also knew he wouldn't always be there for them and their mother was already gone.

It's the toughest of tough love, but it's also clear why he did it. However, as others point out, how "good" can he have been if both his sons grew up to become hired killers?

[–] scannerdarkly (1376) 3 years ago

The father didnt begin all this special training for his autistic son until the mom left the house.

The Father STAYED and did what he thought would help his son, and it did help. He was a good father.

[–] rushington (765) 2 years ago

He taught him how to survive his cruel environment. If only every family who has members with neurodevelopmetal disorders was taught how to survive their defects, there'd be less bullying.

[–] BKB (9881) a year ago

He's a very disciplined man from my gathering after watching this like 4 or 5 times..