Musings on Movies

Those of you who know me, know how much I looooooove movies. I grew up watching old movies with my grandmother. After my mother died, while things were still good between my step-father and my grandmother and I, we used to go out about every other week on Sunday nights and go to the movies and out to dinner.

Well, we went and saw a movie today, ("Dark Knight," second time we've seen it) and it got me thinking about something that popped into my mind a few weeks ago. At the time, we were leaving the theatre from seeing "Get Smart," and I was thinking about how at least some of the critics had ripped it to shreds. Now, I'll admit it wasn't "Casablanca" or "Citizen Kane," but it was exactly what I was expecting it to be. It wasn't meant to be extremely intelligent or an exact rehashing of the series. It was meant to be fun and silly. That's what it was. Sometimes I go to the theatre wanting to see something that's going to make me think or cry or scream or laugh. It depends on my mood.

I think I've stumbled upon the reason critics all seem to expect too much from some of these movies. They always seem so "disappointed" with whatever they're seeing. This is the problem as I see it: They've all forgotten how to enjoy going to the movies. I think it's inevitable whatever your job is. There are times I hate knitting or sewing or whatever project I'm working on. It's just the way that things happen. I think it's kind of sad that if your job is going to the movies, you end up hating to go to the movies.

When I was in high school, I considered majoring at college in theatre and journalism with the hopes of becoming a theatre or movie critic. I'm so glad now that I didn't persue that. Because, now I get to give my simple honest opinion to my friends and family. I've rarely seen a play or movie that I didn't enjoy at least on some level. Because we see just about every movie that comes out, people ask my husband and I for our opinions, and I love to give them, but no one is expecting me to analyze every element of every performance.

I'm just so glad that I can still have joy in going to the movies.