The Power of the Movies
Last Friday, Lee and I thought we would try to get tickets to a sneak preview of Michael Moore's new movie, "Sicko". We got them. I was feeling sort of Hollywood or something - that we actually got tickets for a sneak preview - don't people dress up and have parties after? I may be getting my Sneak Previews mixed up with my Opening Nights. When i showed up at the theater in our Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis, I was absolutely certain this was not Hollywood and no one was dressed for a party, except the 40-something guy in the "Hustler" t-shirt (red, no less)with hair slicked back to within an inch of its life. The crowd looked so comfortably Minneapolis - more than a few were overweight, in casual - uber casual - clothing, neutral colors like denim and khaki and black and white. I didn't see a fake boob in the bunch. An occasional Hawaiian shirt and plenty of Birkenstocks - still.
I had to listen to my husband comment on all this, just in from his life in LA - same thing as Hollywood - where the "Beautiful People" live. I am always aware of the Minneapolis look when he first gets back - I see through his eyes. I don't always like what I see. But I DEFINITELY don't always like what I see in LA either. But, I mostly feel comfortable here, knowing I can throw on any old thing most of the time and no on will care. Even if all the denim jackets and dresses just won't die a graceful death.
So...to make a short story long....the movie knocked our socks off. But it is horribly disturbing and made us want to run screaming into the night to any other country that would take us - even if for only a few weeks. You will be your own judge, because everyone MUST see it! My husband is not a big MM fan and he was impressed. Now, that said, we came back to the apartment and could only soothe our massive depression about the state of our country and leadership by drinking. So we opened a bottle of wine and decided then and there that the movie was "telling" us to spend the time we have this summer out of the country. Not in Vermont like we thought we might (which was costing more than it seemed worth to us, anyway.) Not on the beach in California with dear, dear friends (though we have no reason for not wanting to do that!) Certainly not in this cramped apartment with two wonderful, but mostly grown children, two cats and the occasional cleaning person giving us no privacy - wink, wink.
We live apart and Lee's summer's off are, indeed, the payoff for the general poverty of a school teacher. It is the payoff for our time apart. So, we counted our pennies, found a cheap flight to Brussels and will make our way to Florence (yes, again) via Paris - which is the dream of my life - and for some reason, my dear, sweet husband, who once said he would never go there, is in a kind and conciliatory mood, saying things like, "You deserve it." Those are not words I have heard often in my life so I'm taking him up on it. Besides, when we looked at the moon tonight, he is predicting the moon will be full over Paris when we arrive. Auspicious. Will be there in a week.
I had to listen to my husband comment on all this, just in from his life in LA - same thing as Hollywood - where the "Beautiful People" live. I am always aware of the Minneapolis look when he first gets back - I see through his eyes. I don't always like what I see. But I DEFINITELY don't always like what I see in LA either. But, I mostly feel comfortable here, knowing I can throw on any old thing most of the time and no on will care. Even if all the denim jackets and dresses just won't die a graceful death.
So...to make a short story long....the movie knocked our socks off. But it is horribly disturbing and made us want to run screaming into the night to any other country that would take us - even if for only a few weeks. You will be your own judge, because everyone MUST see it! My husband is not a big MM fan and he was impressed. Now, that said, we came back to the apartment and could only soothe our massive depression about the state of our country and leadership by drinking. So we opened a bottle of wine and decided then and there that the movie was "telling" us to spend the time we have this summer out of the country. Not in Vermont like we thought we might (which was costing more than it seemed worth to us, anyway.) Not on the beach in California with dear, dear friends (though we have no reason for not wanting to do that!) Certainly not in this cramped apartment with two wonderful, but mostly grown children, two cats and the occasional cleaning person giving us no privacy - wink, wink.
We live apart and Lee's summer's off are, indeed, the payoff for the general poverty of a school teacher. It is the payoff for our time apart. So, we counted our pennies, found a cheap flight to Brussels and will make our way to Florence (yes, again) via Paris - which is the dream of my life - and for some reason, my dear, sweet husband, who once said he would never go there, is in a kind and conciliatory mood, saying things like, "You deserve it." Those are not words I have heard often in my life so I'm taking him up on it. Besides, when we looked at the moon tonight, he is predicting the moon will be full over Paris when we arrive. Auspicious. Will be there in a week.
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