One day while shopping with the children, I saw a movie that I used to watch all the time when I was a kid. I thought they would like to watch a movie that I watched when I was around their ages, so I bought West Side Story. I watched this movie so much when I was younger that I memorized the words to every song.
When we got home, the kids did not seem as excited as I was. I put the movie in the DVD player, we all settled in and got comfy, and suddenly I was sitting all by myself. I guess the kids thought it was weird that boys were running and dancing around in very tight jeans, snapping their fingers, and looking for a fight. I heard them utter, “Mom, this movie is weird.” We didn’t even get to the part where Maria sings I Feel Pretty. Not only did the movie look funny to them, it started to look funny to me too. I decided that it wasn’t like I remembered. I used to think that Tony was so cute, and that he and Maria made such a cute couple. I was suddenly seeing through my children’s eyes, and I wondered what my fascination was. I switched off the movie, put the DVD away on the shelf, and got busy with something else.
That experience brought me back to the time when we rented Fiddler on the Roof. The kids sat down with me, and we got all comfy and ready to watch the movie. Then they wandered off one by one muttering, “Mom, this movie is really weird.” I sat by myself and watched the entire movie. I did not remember it being so long, yet I watched mostly because I loved the songs.
Isn’t it strange when we haven’t seen something for a long time, and we somehow build up how much we liked it in our minds? When we finally get around to watching an old favorite movie or show, it’s not what we remembered. Do you think it has something to do with how the movies are now? Do you think technology has made movie watching more fun or just the opposite?
I guess I will not even try to get the kids to watch Bye, Bye Birdie even though I think they would learn so much by watching my favorite part, the telephone scene! If you don’t remember the scene, here’s a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKhR8QtQ4do. Was it like you remembered?
My Reality Show 