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Quick Answer: In Bob Nelson’s The Confirmation, the title takes on multiple meanings. On the most literal level, it references the Catholic rite of passage through which a young adult becomes a member of the Church. The word “confirmation” also takes on a more subtle meaning as eight-year-old Anthony tries to reconnect with his dad Walt, confirming their bond as father and son. Walt, a down-on-his-luck alcoholic carpenter, also needs to reconfirm his own sense of value and self-respect. Although Anthony begins to take on some of his father’s morally dubious behavior, these acts come from a place of love and concern. Anthony spiritually redeems and reaffirms the familial relationship.

The Confirmation (2016) is the directorial debut from Oscar-nominated screenwriter Bob Nelson. Much like his screenplay for Nebraska (2013), which dealt with the strained relationship between a cantankerous septuagenarian and his estranged son, The Confirmation is another father-son tale. This time, however, the story focuses on a younger set – a down-on-his-luck carpenter (Clive Owen) and his eight-year-old son (Jaeden Lieberher).

In Nelson’s film, the title takes on a dual meaning. The Confirmation has significant religious overtones, and the title’s Christian connotation reinforces this. A confirmation is the rite of passage in which a baptized person affirms his faith and is admitted as a full member of the Church. The word confirmation also takes on a more subtle register; in the film, Anthony tries to reconnect with his dad Walt, thus confirming their bond as father and son. Additionally, Walt needs to reconfirm his own sense of value and self-respect.

The Confirmation’s religious themes become apparent in the opening scene. We see Anthony stumbling in his church’s dark confessional booth, innocently struggling to think of any sins he’s committed before his upcoming confirmation ceremony. His mother, Bonnie (Maria Bello), has recently undergone her own reaffirmation of faith following her divorce from Anthony’s alcoholic father. She is pushing the church-going on her son as part of her newly found religious commitment.

Clive Owen and Jaeden Lieberher in The Confirmation (2016)

When Bonnie and her new husband, Kyle (Matthew Modine), go away on a Catholic retreat, Walt agrees to take Anthony for the weekend. The father and son’s time together gets off to a rocky start. Walt is a freelance carpenter who, much like the other citizens in his blue collar Washington town, has been hit hard by the Great Recession. After finding out he’s been evicted, Walt gets Anthony to break into the building to retrieve some of his things, including a bottle of whiskey. Fearing for his father’s self-destructive relationship with alcohol, Anthony lies and says he cannot find the bottle. Walt wanders into a bar under the pretenses of looking for work, an alibi that Anthony is skeptical of. When they return to Walt’s dilapidated car, his beloved toolbox has been stolen. The pair’s quest to retrieve the toolbox becomes the film’s central narrative. This quest narrative also serves as an unlikely opportunity for father-son bonding.

Like any good quest narrative, the duo’s journey leads them across a series of down-and-out characters. There’s Drake (Patton Oswalt), for example, a well-intentioned meth addict who provides streaks of black humor to his otherwise dour characterization. Walt and Anthony also discover the thief, whose family lives in destitute. Rather than anger, Walt feels compassion and empathy for their shared economic plight.

Clive Owen and Jaeden Lieberher in The Confirmation (2016)

As the pair’s journey unfolds, we see Anthony divulge in the exact sort of sinful behavior that he struggled to think of in confessional. He breaks into a building, attempts to steal tools from a pawnbroker and consorts with lowlifes and drug addicts, all while helping his father go through alcohol withdrawal. Although these acts could be perceived as sinful, they come from a place of love and concern for Walt’s well being. Walt sees that if his son believes in him, maybe he can start to believe in himself again. While staying at Bonnie’s house, Walt fixes woodwork that Kyle has botched. He also repairs the brakes on Bonnie’s car. These acts can be viewed not just as helpful chores, but also as symbolic attempts at self-repair. As he talks of the need for pride in one’s workmanship, Walt regains a satisfaction for his work and revels in Anthony’s admiration.

Although Anthony has arguably become a more sinful person throughout the film, he is able to spiritually redeem and reaffirm the relationship with his father. So, despite his legally dubious behavior, Anthony has in a sense recommitted to the vows of his religion even before his confirmation ceremony. In this way, the theme of confirmation is twofold.