A Return to the Movie Theater

I followed closely behind my brother. When he stopped and picked a row, I sat in the seat next to him. I didn’t argue, and I didn’t nitpick. My brother was only three years older, but at twelve, he was in charge. I don’t remember our parents or our older brother being there; I remember just the two of us.

I sat down and sank deep into the red velvet cushion of the movie theater seat. My feet didn’t even touch the floor. We each had our own small soda and shared a bag of buttery popcorn. The popcorn smelled so good, but he warned me not to eat it all at once. I knew what a rare treat it was to see a movie, so I made sure to take only a single popcorn kernel at a time. I didn’t want to get him mad at me.

A Buzz In The Air

The theater was dark, but I was full of expectation and excitement. First came the previews, and then the lights went out completely. The lone lights left in the building were over the exit signs. The movie was finally going to start.

Then, that iconic John Williams introduction—Dunnn! Da-da-da dunnn!—blared from the speakers. The opening words, “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….” rolled across the screen. I could read the crawl fine on my own, but I remember my big brother, who most times paid me no heed, whispering it to me in the dark. In that moment, we were both completely hooked.

Of course, I’m talking about the opening of Star Wars (1977), later re-titled in 1981 as Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. I was lucky enough to see other movies in the theater before that, but most of those were of the Disney variety, like Bambi (1942), Robin Hood (1973), or even The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975). Going to see Star Wars was a special kind of magic.

A Long Dry Spell

The movie theater experience has changed immensely in the nearly five decades since Star Wars was released. In fact, I can count on one hand the number of movies I’ve seen in a theater in recent years. I saw F1 with Brad Pitt last summer. And then this month, I’ve been to the theater twice in the span in the past two weeks.

First, we saw Young Washington. The movie focuses on the early life of George Washington, following the ambitious 22-year-old militiaman as he navigates the dangerous Ohio Valley and inadvertently sparks the French and Indian War. A week later, we saw Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, the gritty adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek poem. It follows the weary warrior Odysseus (played by Matt Damon) on a decade-long voyage home after the Trojan War as he battles monsters and his own hubris to reach his wife, Penelope, and defend his kingdom.

Oh, I’ve seen plenty of movies over the years, but most of them have been at home. The pandemic played a big part in keeping us on the couch, but I’ve also just been disappointed by Hollywood’s choices lately. Even so, there’s still something uniquely fun about getting out and going to the theater.

Tell Me A Story

Like Star Wars long ago, I didn’t really know what to expect with The Odyssey. But it turned out to be a great experience—and not just because of the buttery popcorn.

I’m a tough critic of the movie industry. I tire easily of the endless stream of horror films and superhero sequels. The movies that actually get me to put up my hard-earned money and leave the house tend to be ones with a real plot. A real soul.

For me, storytelling still wins. It doesn’t matter if it’s a blog, a book, a piece of music, or a movie. I want a story that genuinely entertains and interests me. Yeah, I like CGI and things getting blown up as much as anyone else, but I still need a leading man or woman with a compelling journey. Hello, Hollywood? Are you listening?

We need fewer empty explosions and more of the magic that makes a kid sit on the edge of a velvet seat, savoring one kernel of popcorn at a time.

What about you? What gets you out of the house and into a theater seat these days?

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