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Movies And Memories

Movies And Memories

movies and memoriesMovies make powerful memories partly because they make us feel understood. They make loneliness, love, embarrassment, disappointment, fear, sadness, joy and weirdness real, universal and okay. They give us words for our emotions and permission to feel them (or escape them), often in good company. And movies bring us back. In a Back to the Future way, sure, transporting us from ancient Rome to the suburban mall to ‘some time in the distant future.’ But they also bring us back to ourselves, to some of our most vivid memories. popcornHow old were you when you saw The Wizard of Oz? We can remember our family room couch and the potato chips. Who were you with the first time (or the 3rd time) you saw Return of the Jedi,Say Anything and Titanic? Bet you can call up images of Darth, Lloyd Dobler’s boombox and the moment when Rose fell for Jack Dawson. How many times have you seen Elf and laughed at the same parts (‘Did you hearrrr that?’)? You’ve been swept off your feet, double-crossed, called into battle, utterly heartbroken, blissful, betrayed and inspired. You’ve been the hero, the villain, the comedian, the underdog, the love interest and the girl next door. All from the comfort of your couch or for the price of admission. As Roger Ebert said: “We feel the same emotions for our ideas as we do for the real world, which is why we can cry while reading a book, or fall in love with movie stars.” When was your last movie night? If you had to think, well, all work and no play makes no sense whatsoever. May we suggest watching Harry Potter from your homemade fort, having a midnight Twilight trifecta or cuddling up to watch West Side Story for the first time or after all these years? enter the Movie Night Sweepstakes Check out the Rotten Tomatoes Top Movies list (you can sort by genre, release year or go for all-time best), slip into pajama pants and don’t forget the popcorn.
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