A Slower, Gentler Time

          Last week, I took myself off to the local cinema complex to enjoy a good movie.  I was nearly knocked over by the countless number of young folk elbowing their way into two separate theatres to see the latest offering in the blood and guts department.  The favorite for the young people that week was a movie featuring children hunting other children while adults looked on and cheered.  The concept made me shudder.  Talk about stepping backwards into history and the days of Rome and the gladiators.

          These days it seems that people attend movies not so much to be transported by their imaginations into beautiful places or to enjoy a tender love story or amusing comedy, but to have their ears bashed with extremely loud noise that passes for music, to have people being shot, stabbed, dismembered or otherwise disposed of, and to watch scene after scene of either car crashes, car chases or car explosions.  This is entertainment for today’s youth.

          And that of course, had me remembering…

          Prior to taking my granddaughter on a long promised vacation to New York and Europe last year, I asked her to watch two movies with me.  I explained that, since we’d be playing tourist while in New York and visiting the Empire State Building, I wanted her to see how it had been featured in so many great movies.  I guess I wanted her to be impressed with actually standing on the same spot as some famous people.  The two movies were: An Affair to Remember and Sleepless in Seattle. 

          Now, An Affair to Remember is one of my all-time favorites.  I’ve watched it so many times I can practically mouth every line of dialogue along with the stars.  For me, it has all the elements a terrific movie needs…wonderful actors, gorgeous scenery, brilliant writing, tender love scenes and a good cry before the end.  And since ‘Affair’ is delightfully referred to in Sleepless in Seattle, and also features the Empire State Building as an important part of the movie, I thought it a perfect follow-up to ‘Affair.’

 Tasha and the Empire State Building

          So there we were in my daughter’s living room, DVR remote on hand... Three generations of movie goers ready to be swept off into celluloid heaven by the debonair charm of Cary Grant and the subtle humor of the beautiful script.  At least that’s what I thought would happen.

          I was stunned therefore, and admittedly a little miffed, when, at a most poignant part in the film…a scene where the two would be lovers are making plans to meet in six months time at the top of the Empire State Building, my daughter sighed and said: ‘Can we fast forward through this Mum?  It’s kinda boring.’

          Huh?  One of the sweetest, most touching scenes in the whole movie was considered boring?  I was not amused.  And, although I insisted we persevere with watching all the movie to the end, it did make me realize that in this hurry, hurry, hurry world we live in today, there is no place for something as gentle, as simple as a cinematic love story.  And that makes me very sad.