Our local theater has been having a $5.00 movie deal - once a week, EVERY showing of EVERY movie (except any 3-D showings,) is just $5.00 per person, including brand new releases. Problem though - it's a week-night, so parents aren't going to take kids/let kids go see the late showings, and it's on the day a lot of churches and organizations have their youth groups, Scouts, 4-H, etc. in the afternoon and evening - this is probably why the theater chose that day/night to drum up more business for.
But this week there was no regular night youth group so Michael, Nathan, and I went to see Captain America. A LOT of other teens must have had the same idea. The theater nearly filled up and I had to be the oldest person there by at least 15 years. They RESPONDED to the film (which was pretty good - not the world's greatest, real corny in places, but a good movie). They laughed when it was funny - out loud! and they clapped at the end. (And we all let out an exasperated quizzical grunt sound the first time Captain America goes running "sneaking" into the bad guys' lair with that BRIGHT red, white, and blue shield.) And these were a bunch of other teenagers, not old people like me, laughing and cheering.
I'm always trying to tell my children this is the correct movie behavior - this is what makes the movie fun to go see - they need to see more live theater, and they need to attend movies when there's more than just us and a sprinkling of other people who they are just sure I am humiliating them in front of (or in back of, or to the side of). It's good that they are polite and not wanting to disturb others in a theater, but Nathan particularly seems to think we're not supposed to respond to the presentation in any way. What did the people make the movie for if not for people to go see it and respond to it?
Although, when you are the ONLY person in the room who suddenly (finally - way after everyone else) makes the connection between the dark haired brilliant engineer character who experiments with alternate energy in this film which is set in the 1940's, with the dark haired brilliant engineer character who creates a new energy source for his own heart in the film set in modern day, AND both characters have the same last name, AND this connection doesn't even pop into your head until the movie's nearly over, AND at that point you choose to suddenly turn and mention this brilliant connection you've made to your teenage sons OUT LOUD, I can see how that would be embarrassing - sorry. (Todd must be shaking his head with disappointment, his own sister so Comic illiterate.)
Jessica got to go see live theater with Aunt Marcia - lots of singing and dancing and costumes (and some time away from brothers with Aunt Marcia all to herself) - thank you Marcia!
