Monday, January 26, 2009

When you live 30 seconds from the theater

On only one other occasion in my life have I gone to the theater alone, and it wasn't planned. This was last year, when Doc was showing Almodóvar every Wednesday, and I was meeting a guy that I had met at the UChicago Folk Festival. He never showed up. I went in anyway. The film ended up being not one of my favorites. I think that it was La Ley del deseo or something, and the irony of watching it after being stood up was just enough to turn me off.

Really, though, there's something quite therapeutic about going to the movies alone. There's no talking, no passing of chocolate between friends, no "What did you think?" after it's over. You are silent. You are absorbed. 

I opted to see Milk again, and for two hours, I could have been anywhere in the world; all clues to my surroundings disappeared, along with the strangers sitting around me, in the darkness of the theater, all eyes fixed on the screen, not even a hush emitting from the audience. We followed the film with a devotion that I've observed during silent prayer in church. The worst part about seeing a movie alone, though, is when the lights come on. You take your time putting on your coat because there's no one waiting for you. You skip the discussion of "What's next?" because who's going to go to a bar by herself? Still, I liked it, especially after three hours of sleep last night and the nightmare that was my medieval history final--8 essays that I put off all semester.  

In other news, my flatmate, Robert, might be one of my favorite people in the world. 

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I really enjoy reading your blog entries. I could imagine reading a collection of essays or memoir written by you, Hannah.... and I can relate to this one a lot. I hope everything's going well. Miss you!

Maria said...

I love movies alone. I thought I was the only one.

I didn't know about the stand-up. Where is he so I can kick his ass?

Love,

Maria

Anonymous said...

I never really understood the awesomeness that is lone movie-watching---until I dated a lot of film majors. Now I feel like Ponyboy, always going in to the theater by myself in order to escape the outside world.