The Road by Cormac McCarthy

What a bummer apocalypse.  Cormac McCarthy's The Road forces us to look at what it will really be like when civilization collapses; cold, dark, lonely, frightening.  There will be no sweet clubs of vigilantes to join (unless you enjoy eating people), there will be no new dystopian society to rage against, there will be no knowledge of what disaster caused the end, there will be nothing but endless, empty darkness.  Well great, thanks a lot Cormac. 
But you know what, the guy has a point.  Imagining that the post apocalyptic world will be all cool weapons and star crossed lovers searching for each other is like watching Girl, Interrupted and thinking the psych ward will be chock full of dramatic meltdowns with Angelina Jolie and sneaking off to have awesome bowling parties when the most excitement you really get is hoping your schizophrenic roommate doesn't kill you in your sleep because you changed the channel from Wheel of Fortune. But I digress.



One of the more cheerful backdrops in the movie adaptation of The Road

The Road is depressing yet uplifting, horrific yet oddly beautiful.  It is a hero's journey of sorts that would make Joseph Campbell proud and celebrates the love of a father and son who are battling the odds that can never be in their favor.  The movie follows the book well considering that the novel is written like a stream of consciousness with no quotation marks to keep track of who's speaking.  And Viggo Mortensen as the downtrodden father, trying to carry the agonizing burden of fruitless survival sells it in this adaptation.  So if you don't mind feeling really, really hopeless for awhile, check it out.  You will find some small hope again for humanity by the end I promise you.