It was a tough week at work, which contributed to my posting lethargy. So to take my mind off of things I went to a movie Friday afternoon. Alone.
This was only the third movie I've attended alone. My first solo flick was during my watermelon days in Seattle, when I skipped work to see "Bob Roberts" - Tim Robbins' mockumentary lampooning a folk-singing, conservative politician. Walking out, I remember feeling quite smug about indulging in such irreverence on company time. Stickin' it to the man!
My second was "Miracle" - Minnesota boys taking on the Soviet Red Army. This was pure red meat for a Minnesota boy who always wanted to take on the Soviet Red Army.
Yesterday was different. It was a murky, sodden day, and after my week I was in dire need of some inspiration. So I trudged to the theater and bought a ticket to "Benchwarmers".
I did so hoping to witness a duplication of Jon Heder's rousing role as maladjusted hero; however, five minutes into the movie a sullen dread seeped into my conscience. Wasn't it too soon for another Heder "teenage outcast turned hero" film? What about Napoleon - what would he think of my attending this movie a mere two years after his triumph? Quickly overcome by feelings of betrayal and exploitation, I stood up, yelled "Not Now!" and marched out. The two stoners I shared the theater with must have shared my angst - they stumbled out and straight into "Scary Movie 4".
Lost, confused, but still yearning inspiration, I scanned the cineplex movie roster for something that would start shortly - "Larry the Cable Guy", "Failure to Launch"... Both seemed like strong candidates, but I just wanted something... more. I settled on "United 93", and stepped into the theater just as the opening credits were rolling.
There, I spent two of the most searing, agonizingly poignant hours of my life.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Because SUVs don't kill people -- the idiots who drive them do.
6 comments:
Much better choice. I don't think I could have watched it alone, though.
I kind of liked "Benchwarmers." For me, enough time had passed. I was ready. But you're not me. Give it time and try again.
Is it bad to say I can't make myself go to movies like "United 93"? I still haven't seen "The Passion of the Christ," "Hotel Rwanda," "The Pianist" or even the last Ernest movie (right after "Ernest Goes to Camp"), where Ernest dies at the end. Seriously, movies like that are just too much for me. Some might say this makes me simpy a frivolous person who doesn't want to face up the ugliness in the world. And that sounds about right.
Lastly, I assume you saw that Mamadala posted on the same subject today. You guys should hang out more.
I like the way you subtly wove the "too soon" controversy into your post. Nice writing. Although it IS too soon for me. A documentary I could handle, but entertainment feels weird.
MM, I'm not trying to persuade you to see it (not really), but I did want to say that "United 93" is much more like a documentary than other "historical" movies I have seen. Many of the characters are played by themselves, and none of the actors are well-known. They don't focus on individual people on the plane, their families, or their "back stories." It's as much like a documentary as you could get without having actual footage.
And Eric, I didn't realize you were such a wimp. You seem to have some strong feelings about protest songs, though. ;-)
I saw Richard Roeper on with Bill McCuddy giving commentary on the movie. McCuddy went first and said that people would not like the movie because it was too emotional and too hard for people to deal with because it brought back too many painful memories about that "fateful day"....McCuddy relayed how the movie put you right there with the doomed passengers, and how difficult it was to watch.
Roeper, who gave the movie thumbs up, sat there speechless for a moment after McCuddy's comments. Eventually, Roeper spoke up and muddled something, which translated into english was "MCCUDDY, YOU ARE THE BIGGEST PUSSY!"
Springtime for Hitler this is not.
However, to call it "entertainment" does not do this work justice.
Post a Comment