While there is a lot of great dialogue in the screenplay, I want to focus on one short line Anthony…
Who exactly am I?
While there is a lot of great dialogue in the screenplay, I want to focus on one short line Anthony mutters at one point:
Who exactly am I?
I contend that all stories present this questions to Protagonist characters. Who am I? Who are you? This speaks to the larger issue the question points to, that of a character's self-identity. When a Protagonist goes on a journey, the events they experience and the characters with whom they intersect compel them to reflect on who they are. Because most stories feature Protagonists go through some sort of change, a psychological metamorphosis, the character's saga naturally involves confronting the question of their own identity.
In The Father which features a Protagonist dealing with the debilitating impact of dementia, the question of self identity is even more pronounced. Anthony cannot tell from moment to moment where he is, what time it is, and ultimately who he is.
Who exactly am I?
A question thst lies at the heart of Anthony's journey. A question that lies at the heart of all Protagonist journeys.