When my eldest son was about six years old, I sat down with him and we watched the Star Wars double trilogies together. This was a key moment in the father-son relationship. My son showed the event the respect it deserved by dressing up in his Darth Vader costume and fiercely clutching his toy light sabre for the duration of the show.

You can think of Star Wars as the ultimate father-son relationship story. I’m talking about Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker of course.

Vader: Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father.
Luke: He told me enough! He told me you killed him!
Vader: No. I am your father.

Admittedly perhaps this isn’t the best role model to present to a six year old, but it seemed to work out OK for my family. No long-term harm done, I think.

The Star Wars movies work because they’re exactly what both boys and dads are happy to watch. ('I’m just going to watch The Empire Strikes Back with the boys again, honey. Yeah, I know I’m supposed to be cooking the dinner / mowing the grass / collecting your mother from the hospital but the kids really want me to watch it with them.')

There are more thoughtful and tender movies dedicated to exploring the father-son relationship in greater emotional depth. But you know what’s wrong with these movies? Boys don’t want to watch them.

Besides, watching Star Wars is a rite of passage. It’s an essential cultural reference point, up there with Homer’s Odyssey and Dante’s Divine Comedy. That’s how I explained it to my wife, anyway.