Friday, September 17, 2010

Movies - They Keep Us Connected


I am not the kind of person to quote a movie very often. And if I do, it is probably a line from one of the movies my family loved when I was a kid. I'm talking about movies like The Princess Bride, Groundhog's Day, or Overboard. Here are a few of my favorites--you may or may not know them:

"Don't drive angry. Don't drive angry!"

"There's a shortage of perfect breasts in this world, t'would be a pitty to damage yours."

"You are the devil and my children are the spawn of hell!"

"I make the weather."

The next two are from a movie I didn't mention:

"These potatoes are so creamy." and "Do I like jello?" (If you like While You Were Sleeping, you'll know why these are so great!)

There are plenty of lines from films like these that are more popular and that I know you know...but these are the ones that I can say to any member of my family and I know they will laugh. These are the lines we have repeated time and time again, at just the right moment, to communicate something else not actually said--to recall a shared experience that somehow links us together and helps us understand each other better. (Okay, the one about perfect breasts is not one that we really say unless we're rattling off favorite movie lines--but you know what I mean.) :)

I didn't realize how much I loved movies until the other day when I finally stuck in a "mommy movie" for me to watch instead of a kid movie for my girls to watch. It was amazing how I went from feeling like a task-driven tethered-to-my-kitchen mom, to a young vibrant member of society again. I'm not sure exactly how it works, but just by watching a movie I heard good music, saw cool parts of the world, witnessed humor and love and human interaction that made me happy. I took part in a world outside myself for a while, and I didn't realize what a difference that could make.

 


Sometimes I feel like sitting down to watch a good movie is wasted time. But I'm beginning to recognize that there is more to movies and really great films than just entertainment. We live in a world and a culture connected by things like this--the commonalities of life portrayed in such a way that we can all relate to each other. It's the wit and genius of people we would otherwise never get to enjoy without this cinematic link. I love it!

There is nothing wrong with a date night of dinner and a movie--whether it is out on the town or in your own home--that can be just the right way to stay connected and enjoy a little piece of life. :)

So, as you select the right movies for you and your family (because there are just as many bad ones as there are good ones...), might I just say, "May the force be with you," my friends. ( he, he, giggle, giggle, you know that one, right?)

What will you watch this weekend?



1 comment: