The Book Of Me: Prompt 55 --Movies

If you are not familiar with this wonderful project that was created by Julie Goucher of the Angler's Rest blog, please refer to this link: http://www.anglers-rest.net/book-of-me-written-by-you.html.

This week's prompt is - Movies

What is your feel good movie?
Can you remember the first time you went to the cinema?
What did you see?
Can you remember the price?
Who did you go with?
Recall those magical movie moments?
What is your favorite movie or favorite genre?

What is your feel good movie?

My feel good movie would be Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Now the movie came out in 1971, the year before I was born so I never saw it in a theater. As a child, I enjoyed watching it when it was rerun on TV. For a while, I had actually forgotton about how much I really enjoyed it until two summers ago. That's when I purchased a copy of it to watch with my kids.  Seeing the joy on their faces as they enjoyed it for the first time was truly something special. Then as kids do, they kept playing it over and over again over the course of that summer, sometimes twice in one day. Somehow, I didn't become tired of it. It just made me smile. 

Can you remember the first time you went to the cinema?
What did you see?

I don't remember the very first time I went to the cinema. I think I was about three years old just tagging along with the family.  I think the first movie that I saw in a theater that really made an impression was Star Wars which came out in 1977. I was fascinated with the idea of space travel and all the different alien characters. And then there were those light sabers. That was it! I had to have one and for a short spell I actually did. My mother bought my brother and I light sabers to play with and I think I had mine all of one day and then I broke it. Oh I was so sad.

Can you remember the price?

No

Who did you go with?

I went with my brother and I think it was my paternal grandmother who took us to see it. I remember when we finally got in the theater it was already in progress.  I think it was during the segment  with the trash compactor. That scene had a big impact on my five year old mind. I didn't like the idea of the walls closing in and then there was that whole thing with them being submerged in muck and some creature pulls Luke down. I think I may have had a nightmare or two due to that scene.

Recall those magical movie moments?

There are some movie moments that stick out in my mind. There's that scene in The Wizard of Oz that takes place after the tornado and Dorothy opens the door to her house to see Oz for the first time in vivid color. Willy Wonka has the moment when we first see inside of the Chocolate Factory. 

One of my favorite movies is The Color Purple. That movie is chock full of magical moments for me. I love it when Shug and Celie are walking through a field of purple wildflowers and Shug says, "I think it pisses God off when you walk by the color purple in a field and don't notice it."

Then there's a quieter scene when Sofia is newly released from jail and is doing the shopping for her boss, Miss Millie. Ceelie sees that Sophia is much changed from prison and goes about helping her with finding the things on Miss Millie's list. When Sophia leaves the store she looks back at Ceelie and with no words Ceelie just gestures for her to keep her chin up. This scene gets me every time I see it. It reminds me that whenever you see someone who has been hit hard by life's troubles even the smallest gesture can be ever so helpful. Do something to lift their spirits.

Oh you have to love the whole segment when Shug returns home to the church and into her daddy's arms.

And then Nettie and Ceelie's reunion at the end always brings tears to my eyes.

What is your favorite movie or favorite genre?
I like all genres of movies. It just matters that the movie speaks to me in some way. Here's a list of a few of my favorites.

The Color Purple
The Shawshank Redemption
The Thin Red Line
The Wizard of Oz
Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory
Raising Arizona
The Sound of Music
Star Wars
Pulp Fiction
The Piano
Field of Dreams