Directed by Deepa Mehta; Written by Frank Darabont, Matthew Jacobs, Jonathan Hales; Starring Corey Carrier, Lloyd Owen, Ruth de Sosa; Margaret Tyzack
Continuing the Travels With Father made-for-tv movie that aired after the cancellation of Young Indiana Jones, Indy, his parents, and Miss Seymour travel to Greece. However, Miss Seymour becomes indisposed with a migraine, and Anna leaves to visit her sister at a spa. She leaves Indy and his father alone to discuss Aristotle and logic and syllogisms in the Athens theater.
The professor explains that they’re standing in the birthplace of philosophy, and that the ideas of Plato and Aristotle endure today. He says, “Philosophy is a way by which we understand our existence and live in harmony with our world.” To illustrate what a syllogism is, he pretends to die in the middle of the theater, prompting concern from his son. But he hardly pauses his lecture, as he is in his element: “all men die; all men are mortal.” Indy finishes by saying, “You’re a man, ergo you’re mortal!”
Next, Professor Jones is scheduled to visit the library at a hanging monastery near Kalabaka, and he and Indy begin the journey. But the senior Jones speaks ancient Greek to their driver instead of modern Greek, and they are stranded until they’re able to hitch a ride in a cart full of chickens. That only gets them so far, though, and they are tired, hot, and dusty.
They jump into a pool of water to clean off and get cool, but goats begin eating their clothes that they left onshore. Forced to travel naked to a nearby village, they cover themselves with tree branches (and a briefcase for Senior) and borrow clothes from the villagers.
Then a driver named Aristotle picks them up with his donkey Plato. This causes plenty of confusion and misunderstanding as the professor continues his philosophy lessons with Indy, culminating in Aristotle kicking him out of the cart, forcing him to walk while Indy remains seated.
After their long trek, they finally arrive at the monastery, where they have to enter a wooden cage-like elevator while the monks use a pulley to bring them to the top of the cliff. When they reach the top, Indy and his father are warmly greeted and shown a monk’s cell where they can spend the night.
The next day, Indy and his father sit in the library, where his father is buried in books, but Indy is bored. So, Sr. gives him an assignment and as he studies, he encounters the writer Nikos Kazantzakis, who helps Indy with the essay his father assigned him.
When the time to depart arrives, father and son once again board the wooden elevator, but it stops halfway through their descent. Trying not to panic, they try to logic their way out of the situation. But as night falls and the temperature drops, Indy becomes increasingly cold. They build a fire in the floor, but wood burns. The “elevator” is made of wood. Ergo, the floor of the elevator burns. Things become increasingly worse when the rope holding the “elevator” begins to fray. Thinking quickly, they fasten a ladder out of the remaining wood and rope of the cage and manage to use it to make it back to the monastery, where they discover the operator must have been hit in the head by the pulley and was knocked unconscious.
He wakes up and realizes they are still alive and professes it a miracle.
Indy and his father agree not to share all the details of their journey with Anna, and for a brief time the Jones boys are on the same page. Another miracle.
Thoughts
This episode did a great job of focusing on the relationship between Indy and his dad, who honestly rarely interact one-on-one in the series. We usually only see Professor Jones scolding Indy, and deservedly so, since he always disobeys! But we can see the groundwork of what will become their relationship leading up to and culminating in The Last Crusade.
And Lloyd Owen really did an outstanding performance. I’ve never seen anyone so “giddy as a schoolboy” discussing philosophy. Even when stern, he looked like he was really enjoying the experience. My one complaint is that every sentence seemed to start with “Junior!” or “Father.” And when did Indy switch from “Father” to “Dad,” as in Crusade? Overall a really cute and enjoyable episode.
Related DVD Documentaries
- Aristotle – Creating Foundations
- Ancient Questions – Philosophy and Our Search for Meaning
History
Nikos Kazantzakis (1883–1957) Greek writer, author of Zorba the Greek and The Last Temptation of Christ. Also translated works like The Iliad and The Odyssey into modern Greek.
Fun Facts
Writer Jonathan Hales worked on several Young Indy episodes, as well as Star Wars: Attack of the Clones.
Writer Frank Darabont wrote and directed The Green Mile, The Mist, and The Shawshank Redemption, as well as developing The Walking Dead television series.
Director Deepa Mehta also directed the Benares (Journey of Radiance) episode of Young Indy, and more recently directed an episode of Yellowjackets.