American Playhouse Season 7 Episode 13 I Never Sang for My Father
- June 15, 1988
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7.8 (26)
I Never Sang for My Father is the 13th episode of the seventh season of American Playhouse. This powerful drama tells the story of Gene Garrison, a middle-aged man living in New York City who struggles to come to terms with his complicated relationship with his father. Gene is an unsuccessful writer who has always felt overshadowed by his successful and domineering father, Tom, a retired college professor who expects perfection from everyone around him.
As the episode opens, Gene is desperately trying to convince his aging parents to move from their home in New York to California, where he believes they will be happier and safer. But Tom is unwilling to leave his familiar surroundings and the routine he has established, and the tension between father and son begins to escalate.
As Gene struggles to come to terms with his own insecurities and his inability to establish a true connection with his father, he is forced to confront painful memories from the past, including the death of his mother and the emotional distance that has always separated him from Tom. Along the way, he is supported by his wife, Joanne, and his sister, Alice, but ultimately the decision about what to do with their parents falls to him alone.
I Never Sang for My Father is a powerful exploration of the complex emotions that can exist between parents and children, and the difficulties that arise when families become trapped in old patterns of behavior and communication. With its raw honesty and unflinching portrayal of a family in crisis, this episode of American Playhouse is a must-watch for anyone who has ever struggled to connect with a parent or come to terms with unresolved issues from the past.