My Review: Weekend Rebels

The two months since September, which were dizzyingly busy, have finally settled down, so I took a compensatory day off to make up for all the weekend work. I decided to go see a movie I had been wanting to watch for a while. For some reason, it started at 8:30 in the morning, which is earlier than my usual commute.

"Weekend Rebels"—it's a fitting title, but the original title is "Weekend Rebels" (Weekender). While the original title might be hard for Japanese people to understand, I really wish they would stop giving Japanese titles that are so far removed from the original. A title should be a very important part of a creative work.

Regardless of the Japanese title, the movie itself was wonderful.
It was worth going to the first showing of the day. I cried about four times. There were so many elements that tugged at my heartstrings.
The plot is about Jason, who has autism, being asked by a classmate which soccer team he supports and not being able to answer. He makes a promise with his father to find his favorite team—and to actually watch them at the stadium—leading them to visit a different stadium every weekend. It's a bit of a road movie where they visit all 56 Bundesliga teams in order.

There were two things that deeply moved me.

1. The wonder of raising a child
While I was shocked to see how difficult it is to raise a child with autism, I also empathized with the father-son relationship, realizing it's the same as any other. When raising children, there are many times when you inevitably get emotional or act in your own self-interest, only to regret it later. You realize you didn't put your child first after all. This movie depicts scenes that really hit home for parents currently raising children. It struck a chord with me, showing just how difficult and yet wonderful raising a child can be.

2. The wonder of watching a game at the stadium
And the other thing, of course, is the stadium itself.
The wonder of cheering for soccer at a stadium and having a team you support. The view that opens up when you enter the stadium. The excitement that makes the ground rumble when a goal is scored. The people who are a bit eccentric but passionate about soccer. And the child and myself caught in that whirlwind.
It was exactly the kind of emotion and excitement I always experience with my children at Yodoko, and that universal wonder really touched my heart. Personally, I was also happy that Borussia Dortmund, where Kagawa used to play, was featured.

In the journey of visiting soccer stadiums and searching for a favorite team, not only does Jason, who has autism, grow, but his father does as well.
And then, the end credits—I cried again here.
It hits even harder knowing it's based on a true story.

It had been a while since I watched a non-children's movie at a theater, and it reminded me once again that movies really must be seen in a theater. No smartphone, no one talking to you, and the screen and sound are huge.
I firmly vowed to skip work (?) again to go see another one.