“TAKE YOUR STINKING PAWS OFF ME, YOU DAMN, DIRTY APE” is an iconic quote from actor Charlton Heston in the movie Planet of the Apes. For many, that’s what comes to mind when they see his face on TV. For me, however, I was first introduced to him in his role as Moses in The Ten Commandments. 

 As far as movies go, it’s just another bible story retold time and time again. For my family, though, it is special. It symbolizes how a little boy growing up in Pico Rivera, California, living in a household that by today’s standards would be considered hostile and abusive, found an escape each year in the comfort of a friend’s home. It represents how he later would use that same movie to bring his own family together every year on Easter Sunday. 

Growing up, I never fully grasp the importance of how your parents chose to spend time with you. Learning to ride a bike, being forced to play baseball in the spring, or working alongside my dad all felt like things I had to do. Looking back, watching The Ten Commandments every Easter Sunday was exciting because it became a competition between my siblings and me to see who could stay awake the longest. 

Now, as a father myself, I understand what that night must have meant to my dad. It was a moment when he could sit with his wife, his kids bickering at his feet, everyone together, the weight of the world and the responsibility of caring for a family faded; if only for one night, everyone was simply together. Through this movie, I hope to pass that sense of togetherness and understanding down to my sons. 

– D.R

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