McLemore W.

The relationship between Bush and his father is one of the most, if not the most important recurring theme in the film. As we established in class, Bush was constantly trying to make his father proud. There is one scene that shows the dynamic between the two, and foreshadows what their relation would be like in the future
Early on in the film George Bush lands himself in jail after tearing down a goal post at a Yale football game. He then talks to his father, and in their conversation many things are established. It is very obvious that Junior looks up to his father. He glorifies his father's baseball days as if there were his own. Bush Sr. on the other hand seems completely uninterested, and seems to be more concerned with the family's political image. This would be the relationship between these two until near the end of the film when Junior wants to surpass Senior.
Almost every father-son scene after this point has this same sort of dynamic. Senior is always somewhat disappointed in his son’s actions, and Junior tries to impress and glorify his father. In the very next scene we see Junior calling his father for help again. This dynamic does change later in the movie when Senior calls on Junior for help. This is when Junior’s goal to be better than his father began. For the first time he was called on for help. When Junior’s presidency fails we go back to the relationship that took place in the jail cell. Senior tells Junior that he ruined the family name, a main concern from the jail scene. In the end Junior is left at the same place he was after the football game, still trying to impress his father.