Mukilteo Musings

My Children Feel the Need to Enlighten Me

I hate to say this but my favorite movies tend to be light hearted romantic comedies. My philosophy is that I want to be entertained at the movies and not sent into some deep philosophical thought process that keeps me awake at night. By the way, when Dave and I were little kids in Helena, we had one old movie theater downtown called the "Marlowe." It was torn down during urban renewal in the 60's or 70's. I remember feeling sad because it was a magnificent theater built during the gold rush days and then turned into a movie theater in the 30's or 40's. Of course, we had the "Sunset" and the "Sky High" drive-in theaters on either side of town.

But, I have noticed that when we are discussing going to a movie with the kids, Dave and I always say "Do you want to go to the show?" or "Should we go to the show?" No longer is the expression "go to the show" used. Now, I do not know if this is a quirky expression Dave and I use from the old days in Helena, Montana where a trip to the Marlowe Theater was described as "going to the show" or if everyone who grew up in the 50's and 60's says this. My children tell me with condescension nobody says "going to the show" but they say they are "going to see a movie."

Anyway, my kids hate it that my favorite movies are romantic comedies. I am not fond of graphic sex or violence. When they are home, we are talked into watching things they like whether it be through DVD rentals, On Demand cable, or "going to the show" at an actual theater. Actually, oftentimes I have to admit I have enjoyed their choices. Last night, Lucas insisted that we watch "Pulp Fiction." I adore John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson so watching their performances made up for the bloodiness. I had to cover my face several times, however. Nobody but nobody can string together a whole bunch of mother f*&^ing this and that like Samuel L. Jackson. Speaking of "bad mother f*&^er" Samuel L. Jackson, we also watched "Snakes On a Plane" last week. Oh man, I do not know what to say about it especially after finding the partially eaten snake in my bird bath. Obviously, the entire movie was created around the one line spoken by Samuel L. Jackson and you are just waiting for it through a good share of the movie before he says it.

Kaley wanted me to see "Blood Diamond" with Leonardo DiCaprio. Leo is one of my favorite actors as well and I figured if I could make it through "The Departed," I could make it through this one. Several times I again had to cover my eyes to the violence but it was a good movie. It did cause me bad dreams; I am extremely susceptible. I just wish that for once, Leo would survive in one of his films. Since Dave's Dad was a jeweler specializing in diamonds, it kind of made me want to put some of our things in a drawer, including my wedding ring.

Lucas convinced us to watch "Casino Royale," James Bond's latest. Sorry, but I miss the orginal Bond, Sean Connery, and my favorite Bond, Pierce Brosnen. Sigh.... Pierce. I did like the movie since it was filmed in the Bahamas in spots where we had just been on our cruise stop last February and in Venice where we were last summer. It was great fun to say, "We were there. I remember that place!"

Kaley wanted to watch "Stranger Than Fiction" starring Will Ferrell and Emma Thompson. It was a weird dramatic film without Will being funny. Even though his character was a depressing real person, he was in actuality a character in Emma Thompson's novels. Strangely, I wonder if the kid who plays Harry Potter has the same feelings about his life and movie role as Will's character. I heard J. K. Rowling say in an interview on TV that the Harry Potter kid asked her if she was going to kill him off in this latest book. What a surreal question after seeing the movie, "Stranger Than Fiction!"

This summer we have seen two movies at my request. The first was "Bobby," a fictional account of the assassination of Bobby Kennedy. Shockingly, my kids were unaware of the details of how far along he was on the way to becoming the Democratic presidential candidate. Frankly, the movie was a tear jerker for me because it brought back the horrible "9/11-type" feelings I experienced as a child with the murders of President Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and then Bobby---boom, boom, boom---just like that.

Finally, at my request, Lucas and I went to "Sicko." Michael Moore actually succeeded in making himself endearing. I do not understand why anyone would criticize the film. It is what it is. The United States does not have universal accessible health care for everyone. Furthermore, a lot of folks who do have insurance have discovered their coverage stinks. Medical bills are the number one cause of bankruptcy in this country and people in France, Canada, and Great Britain are mystified about why we cannot seem to figure this out. Period! It is true. Lucas gets knocked off our insurance on August 31st because he has graduated and we are not quite sure what we are going to do about it. This would not even be a question if we lived in France.

Whoa! Enough of reality, blood, guts, war and death. Next up, Kaley loved "Hairspray" and wants to go again with me. Like I said, John Travolta is one of my faves. After seeing "Pulp Fiction" last night, it is hard to imagine him in "Hairspray," that's for sure. Lucas just saw "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" because he and his friends wanted to see some young woman they think is hot without her shirt. He said it fits my criteria of a light hearted romantic comedy. Yes! I do think Kevin James is hilarious. Adam Sandler--not so much but I am up for anything where I do not have to cover my face.