"I love you, Dad"

America has an obsession with it's dad. Many of the US movies and TV programmes I have seen over years now have convinced me of this. I have to wonder where this mass paternal conflict syndrome has sprung from, but the evidence is legion:

• Luke Skywalker (Star Wars trilogy). Just wanted his dad to love him, even though he was a telekinetic despot in a big helmet. Got to achieve closure shortly before his dad snuffed it.
  
• Indiana Jones (Indiana Jones trilogy). Just wanted his dad to love him, though his dad was aloof, seemingly uncaring and disciplinarian. Gets to share his feelings with his dad after his dad gets shot.
  
• Neil Perry (Dead Poet's Society). So spectacularly failed in getting the love of his dad he shot himself.
  
• The Hulk (Hulk). This guy has such utterly buggered up issues with his dad, he keeps turning green and throwing nuclear powered tantrums.
• Superman (Superman). His real father incinerated by an exploding planet, he is resentful of his adopted father for forcing him to conceal his supernatural abilities.
• Martin Q Blank (Gross Point Blank). Goes back to his old home town to pour whisky onto the grave of his dead dad, signalling some history of alcohol-fuelled abuse.
  
• Fox Mulder (X-Files). Never quite forgave his dad for giving his sister to some aliens.
• Dr David Marcus (son of Captain Kirk) (Star Trek III - The Search For Spock). Alienated from his father, who only gets upset about this when David is killed by Klingons.
• Nemo (Finding Nemo). Small fish defies wishes of his overprotective father and ends up captured by divers, necessitating a rescue mission by father, ending in father and son making up.

Freud would have something to say about this.