Edward, My Son

Year: 1949

Runtime: 112 mins

Language: English

Director: George Cukor

Drama

The film adapts the successful Broadway play, following a hard‑nosed businessman who, after the death of his only son, is forced to confront the choices that have defined his life. He reflects on his unhappy marriage, the impact of his ruthless approach to business, and the questionable parenting that left his family in turmoil, leading to a sobering journey of self‑examination.

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Timeline & Setting – Edward, My Son (1949)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Edward, My Son (1949). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Location

London, Switzerland, prep school, Boult's office building

London serves as the social and financial heart of Boult's world, where a comfortable home and elite circles shield secrets. Switzerland is a distant refuge where Boult confronts the consequences of his past and tries to protect his family from scandal. The story also moves through a prestigious prep school and a finance-office setting, illustrating Boult's rise and the cost of his predatory ambition.

🏙️ London 💼 Finance world 🏛️ Prestigious prep school 🏢 Office building

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:30

Main Characters – Edward, My Son (1949)

Meet the key characters of Edward, My Son (1949), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Arnold Boult (Spencer Tracy)

An ambitious patriarch who climbs from modest beginnings to wealth and status, Boult convinces himself that the ends justify the means when protecting his son Edward. He marries pragmatism to deception, orchestrating fraud and manipulation to shield their family. Over the years he becomes a powerful financier, yet his moral compass remains bent and brittle, enabling tragedy to unfold around him.

💼 Ambition 🏛️ Wealth & status ⚖️ Moral compromise 🕵️ Secrecy

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:30

Major Themes – Edward, My Son (1949)

Explore the central themes of Edward, My Son (1949), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:30

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Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about Obsessive Fathers like Edward, My Son

Stories of fathers whose love becomes a destructive, all-consuming force.If you were captivated by the tragic paternal obsession in Edward, My Son, explore these films with similar themes. This collection features dramatic stories of fathers whose love becomes destructive, leading to moral decay and family tragedy. Find movies about paternal control, sacrifice, and the heavy price of obsession.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a linear, often decades-spanning journey where a father's initial protective instinct gradually warps into control and manipulation. His actions, justified to himself as being for his child's benefit, systematically damage his marriage, his ethics, and his child's well-being, culminating in an inevitable and profound personal loss or isolation.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their central focus on a specific, powerful character arc: the downfall of a patriarch through his own distorted love. They share a heavy emotional weight, a steady, deliberate pacing that builds a sense of doom, and a consistently bleak or sad tone that explores the dark side of parental devotion.

Stories of Moral Decay like in Edward, My Son

Character studies of a steady, self-inflicted fall from grace.For viewers who appreciated the theme of self-inflicted ruin in Edward, My Son, this section highlights similar movies about moral decay. Discover character-driven dramas where protagonists make destructive choices that lead to their isolation. These films share a bleak tone, heavy emotional weight, and a focus on the consequences of unethical behavior.

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Narrative Summary

These stories typically follow a linear progression where a character's defining flaw initiates a chain reaction of poor decisions. Each choice, while seemingly logical to the character, sacrifices a piece of their morality or a key relationship. The pacing is steady, methodically building the consequences until the protagonist is left completely isolated, physically or emotionally, with no hope of redemption.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread are united by their core narrative pattern: a protagonist's journey into self-wrought isolation through moral failure. They share a high-intensity, heavy emotional vibe, a steady pacing that feels inevitable, and a consistently bleak or dark tone that leaves little room for hope, focusing instead on the grim outcomes of human failing.

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Edward, My Son Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Edward, My Son, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Edward, My Son Timeline

Track the full timeline of Edward, My Son with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Edward, My Son Spoiler-Free Summary

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More About Edward, My Son

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Edward, My Son: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

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Discover movies like Edward, My Son that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.