There was a time when my children and I attended two or three movies a week. We each loved them for various reasons. I loved escaping and following a good story. Ben loved plot and the ambient music. Josh enjoyed determining how the movie was made. Miriam was, is, and forever will be all about the acting. Duh! She is an actress.
I have to say that for a a couple of years, now, we haven't been attending movies very much...a few a year as opposed to a week. There just hasn't been anything that spectacular to see. On the big movie screen that is. Sitting at home in front of my HD TV suits me just fine. I have my own clean bathroom that works, just a few feet away, without a lineup. There are no noisy people yakking, coughing, sneezing, snoring, and crunching popcorn in my ears. No one is banging the back of my seat with their shoes. And you don't get one person saying, "Oh, why did that happen? I don't understand what's happening."
Seriously!
Small scale movies are great, but they don't deserve the money I fork out to take three young adults to the show. For a family of five to see an evening show costs nearly $80.00 thanks to Taxes. That doesn't include the popcorn, pop, etc. That kind of money for two hours of what is usually a mediocre attempt at a movie. Not gonna happen very much.
Will, my husband, refuses to go. He becomes insulted when the movie is stupid, the plot doesn't know the meaning of the word intelligent, and some Dingleberry without brains is the star.
Now, don't get me wrong. We used to go as a couple on a regular basis. Those were the days of films like Chinatown. Then, about fifteen years ago, he gave up. People in the theatre had taken a dramatic fall into that human abyss of rude and stupid. He hated them. Once every now and then I'd force him to go, especially if I thought he would like the film. Such as LA Confidential. Then even that became almost impossible. The last two successes that come to mind are The Insider with Russell Crowe and Al Pacino, and Saving Private Ryan.
He occasionally deigns to see a movie. For example, we travelled across the border to the Detroit suburbs to see the Japanese film, Departures this fall. A great film!
Yesterday, I saw a new film I am insisting that he see, AVATAR by James Cameron. I was in a packed theatre and after the first couple of minutes the audience was silent. The only other time I was in an audience that quiet was while watching Schindler's List.
Cameron is a master moviemaker. He has created this most wondrous, ethereal planet called Pandora. By using his gadgets, 3-D special effects, he manages to immerse you in this world until you are actually a part of it. It is done so subtly that you don't even realize how strongly Cameron has captured you in this new world of his; you don't realize how much your emotions have become entwined with the people who inhabit Pandora. You don't realize until the last forty-five minutes of the movie but by then you are well and truly captured in Cameron's beautiful web of imagination. You soar, and cry, and laugh. My son Ben said he found himself crying just from the sheer joy and thrill of watching such a beautifully made work of art. Then he found himself crying again from the horror of what happens and his heart beat so fast from the battle scenes he started to break out in a sweat.
And this is all in one lone movie!
What also amazed me was the reaction of the audience. They cheered during a battle scene for the good guys. At the end of the movie the entire audience stood up and applauded and cheered. Teenagers and university students. Tattoes and all. They turned to strangers and commented on what an amazing 'adventure' that was. Guys were wiping tears from their eyes.
The film is long, 2 hours and 42 minutes, but believe me, I could have stayed in that world for a very long time. And when I left the theatre I was actually feeling angry and petulant because I had to go. A word of warning here....It is not a film for kids. Definitely a PG 13. Me, I would have taken my kids if they were 8 and up but it definitely depends on your child. It's not so much the war that would upset kids, it's the despair and grief that is felt.
Ben and I have convinced Will to see AVATAR tonight. I hope it isn't sold out.
As far as Mr. Cameron goes....I get the feeling he wants all of us to remember what it was like to be awed by the magic and wonderment that only a first-rate, spare-no-expense movie gives you. And in this sick and depressed Christmas season, what a fabulous gift to receive. It makes your spirit soar!
And for that experience I would gladly pay money - over and over and over and over again!