Movies have been an important part of my life since I was a small child. Before the invention of VCR’s and DVD players, the thrill of going to the theater to see a new movie was incomparable to anything else I knew. There was no chance to see it again when it released on DVD in a few months. Every nuance, color, and musical score – every line spoken, every song sung was to be savored, gulped down whole and committed to memory. One of my earliest recollections was awakening at the age of four to the strains of the overture from Mary Poppins – the record being a surprise gift from my parents which I still own. I had seen it in the theater and like the rest of the world, been absorbed into the sooty world on the rooftops of London and the sidewalk drawings of Burt the chimney sweep. At four years old, having only seen that movie one time, the strains of that overture playing on my little 33 1/3 rpm record player were like attending the Boston Pops conducted by Arthur Fiedler would be for a concert enthusiast.
Movies continue to play prominently in my life. They entertain, to be sure. Sometimes they disappoint. More often they capture a moment or a feeling that touches me or makes me think. I have found inspiration in the characters on the big screen. I do not worship celebrity or fantasize about stars or the characters they play. But when a character leaps off the screen at me and I find myself thinking, ‘I’d like to be more like that’ or ‘is that how I would have handled that situation’, then for me, the movie has touched me.
I hope to share some of my insights, feelings and reviews of movies with you and hope you will feel free to comment.
