Preview Screening of The Road

Went last night to an advance screening of Cormac McCarthy's The Road. I hadn't read the book so had nothing to compare it to. Basically, I saw the film as a metaphor for McCarthy's own relationship with his young son. (He's now in his 70s and has a son in his adolescent years). Perhaps the fear that he won't be around to protect and guide his child into adulthood and what is gained from the father-son relationship. I.e. in the film, the father speaks of being a "good guy" but has lost connection to some of that compassion as the survival instinct kicks in to protect himself and his kid from cannibals. It is the boy that represents god and purity, who reminds the father to share valuable resources with others and to show mercy to those also suffering. This movie was two hours long. Two hours through ashen landscapes. Women had a tiny and unsympathetic role in the film. Casting did a great job with finding an Australian child actor who looked quite a bit like South African Charlize Theron.