I recently had a chance to get together with my girlfriends for a night out, and we decided that dinner and a movie were long overdue. We had our restaurant picked out, but weren’t quite sure what movie to see. I really don’t go to the movies that often, but I was eager to see the remake of Beauty and the Beast and, a little surprisingly, my friends agreed this was one they wanted to see as well.
As expected, the movie did not disappoint. If you grew up in the early 90s or had children who grew up then, you will be familiar with the original 1991 Disney classic. This remake is true to the original movie and, for me, it brought back a lot of wonderful memories of when my girls were little. I can still see my daughter, Stefanie, in her pretend high heels and her yellow “Belle” dress dancing in my living room. My girls watched that movie every day for what seemed like months. So, for a little over two hours, I was transported to another place and time--reliving all of the great music, noticing little things that I had forgotten about the original movie and, more importantly, escaping the problems of everyday life and the problems going on in our world today. That is the power of movies—they allow us to escape from reality if only for a couple of hours. They can take us to places we’ve never been, introduce us to people we may never get to meet and allow us to experience cultures we may never get to experience. Movies can also have a strong impact on our fashion choices and trends. Who can forget the slouchy sweatshirt inspired by the movie, Flashdance; or the tailored menswear style of Diane Keaton in Annie Hall; or the “thrift store” look made popular by Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan? Movies, and movie slang, can even influence our speech. The word “whatever” (with the emphasis on the second syllable) took on a whole new life after the Alicia Silverstone movie, Clueless. Let’s also not forget that for many young people growing up, that first kiss with a boyfriend or girlfriend took place in a darkened movie theater. These are just a few of the ways movies impact our lives. So make it a date—treat yourself if nothing else—and take some time to go see a movie. Sit back in that easy chair (they are incredibly comfy now-days), relax, forget your worries and allow yourself to be transported to another place and time and, most importantly, don’t forget the popcorn.
;)
