I got the impression father never had visited his childrens homes before

I found that kind of hard to believe. I just dont understand this. In 2009 as well. Are american families who have many kids in different places/states/cities like this? I just never understood that. Yes the film is kind of painting the picture that they usually came to visit the father during some holidays or what ever. But it seemed a lot like the father didnt know anything about his kids.

I understand one of the themes of the movie IS the fact that there are things which a parent doesnt know about his grown up children/close ones etc. But i dont know. It seemed like he NEVER had visited those places. Ok, some of them you can sort of understand, like the drummer dude, probably lived in some nearby rented flat. But the daughter played by Beckinsale. She had a teenage son and husband, seemed, had been living together for a while, and father never visited them in the last 10-15 years? I find that hard to believe. Ok the teenage son did recognize him but still, like the father didnt even know what her daughter work was and some other stuff like that.