Have you called your dad today?
Indiana's real mission in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is to reunite with his father. Sure, there's a Holy Grail involved, but that's just a device to reunite father and son. It's the symbolic glue that sticks these two guys together: by forcing them to spend quality time with one another for the first time in, well, maybe ever, the Grail quest allows the two men finally to see each other for who they are.
Fortunately, they like what they see. Henry comes to see his son as the capable, vulnerable, intelligent adult that he is. Indiana, meanwhile, comes to see his dad as a human being, and he's able to let go of old resentments and forgive the guy for burying his head in his Grail diary for decades. The Jones boys may not leave Alexandretta with eternal life, but they do leave accepting each other for who they are.
Questions about Compassion and Forgiveness
- What does the prologue establish about Indiana and Henry's relationship?
- What's the biggest obstacle preventing Indiana from forgiving his dad?
- When they leave the temple, Henry says he's found illumination. What does that mean? And what do you think Indiana has found?
Chew on This
Grail, schmrail: Indiana's real quest is for a connection with his estranged father.
Before Indiana and Henry can reconcile, they have to set aside their egos.