About ten days ago I learned from a Yahoo sports article about a UFC fighter, named Houston Alexander, who is a single dad with six kids. What Houston said in the article about how he is with his kids was incredibly poignant and something that needed to be in the film. The article also shared how Houston, a native Nebraskan, would be in Newark for the latest UFC bout on November 17th. Thus began a crazy process of trying to connect with Houston while he was in my general area – and boy was it worth it. Aside from being built like a tank, Houston is a thoughtful and eloquent man who who welcomed the idea of doing something for dads out there.
I keep talking about how the success/failure of the film will be whether it connects with dads who think this film isn’t about them – the dads that look at housework and childcare as emasculating – the dads who, if they could only see the bigger picture of fatherhood, might actually find ways to get more involved. Having Houston “The Assassin” Alexander onboard brings the project one step closer to reaching those dads.
