Credits
Synopsis
“Ode to Pops” is a Western Family Drama that follows William McCabe as he returns home after receiving news of his father’s passing. Haunted by guilt, he faces the difficult realization that his family concealed his father’s terminal illness, allowing him to chase a career shaped by his father’s ideals. Struggling with the weight of missed opportunities, William misconstrues how to honor his father’s legacy, embracing the rugged cowboy spirit his father represented in an attempt to make peace with the man he was and the man he has yet to become.
Director’s Statement
When I started working on Ode to Pops, I aimed to create a film my grandfather would have loved. After his passing, I revisited the classic westerns by John Ford and Sergio Leone that he watched often, hoping to make up for lost time while I was away. Watching those films helped me understand why he connected with them—strong, relentless characters who never showed weakness. I initially tried to cope with grief the same way, but eventually learned that true healing came from letting my emotions out rather than suppressing them.