[Nerdspresso] My Son Studied The Odyssey. I Bought the Twizzlers.

By Jeff Stanford, Special to Southpoint Access

I know it’s a cherished classic and all, but I didn’t read The Odyssey in high school. Maybe I skimmed CliffsNotes, but I don’t remember ever studying it. Now I kind of want to learn more about it because the Oppenheimer half of Barbenheimer has turned The Odyssey into a movie starring Good Will Hunting. Batman, Spider-Man, and the Punisher are in this flick, too, so that’s pretty cool.

Christopher Nolan makes movies I sometimes don’t understand, so I thought seeing The Odyssey in the theater might make me look smart. Like when I bring a book to Starbucks. Since the movie is based on mythology, I wanted someone to join me who could explain things if I got confused. My 16-year-old studied The Odyssey at school last year, so he came with me. He was curious to see how the movie turned out. He also knew I’d buy snacks.

We settled into our seats, and he agreed to act as my Sherpa on this cinematic expedition. But it’s not like I came in cold. The story’s influence on storytelling is hard to miss. In many ways, The Odyssey is the granddaddy of all adventures.

So pass the Twizzlers, and let’s get into it.