Friday Five

I Saw It in the Movies

1. In Citizen Kane, the main character’s last word before dying is “Rosebud,” which is discovered later to be the name of a favorite childhood sled. The idea is that this rich, powerful, hated man, in his last moment, finds himself thinking of happy, innocent times. If the film were about your life, what word might you utter in similar sentiment?

If we take my kids’ names (duh) out of the running, I’d probably say something about Walt Disney World. It’s no secret I am a WDW freak (56 days til our next visit – wooo), but the reason I am is that they are right when they say it’s the happiest place on earth (for me, at least). I have many happy memories of being there as a child, not only with my parents but with extended family. I can remember riding on my uncle’s shoulders, or sitting on my nana’s lap while she was pushed around in a wheelchair. I remember my first visit without my parents in high school. I remember jumping up and down in my seat when we drove through the gates on our honeymoon. And I remember the joy in my kids’ faces when they had their first visit two years ago. Good, happy, sweet memories, all.


2. In Groundhog Day, the main character is forced to live the same day again and again until he has learned to love others and to love himself. If you found yourself in an endless loop, living one day repeatedly until you learned the lesson that was holding you back, what would that lesson be?

That it’s not always worth the fight.


3. In Freaky Friday, a mother and daughter who have difficulty understanding each other find themselves each living the other’s life (occupying the other’s body and everything!). If this were to happen to you for similar reasons, whose body would you wake up in?

Mr b, for sure. Most of our arguments are based simply on the fact that we are just different – we think differently, we have different ideas about many things. But let’s be honest – I’d want it less for experiencing his point of view and more for him to experience mine – to be the one to find the underwear on the floor and the water all over the sink and the spill on the counter and the bread that never gets closed back up.


4. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones has to jump into an underground room filmed with the one thing that freaks him out: snakes. “Why did it have to be snakes?” he asks. If the movie were about you, what would you see in the underground room?

Spiders. I can’t even talk about it because I may have a seizure. Otherwise, it would be a high cliff. But mostly spiders. I’m scared of both, but spiders terrify me – I would throw up and cry ans scream and then die. But height, while they terrify me – are different. I woulnd’t scream or run – it would be more paralyzing and I’d hyperventilate. But the fear of spiders is just that – I am afraid of the spiders. The fear of heights is more of a fear that I will lose my mind and throw myself over. Yes, I’m crazy.


5. In Sideways, the main character is asked to explain his love for wine made from a certain grape. As he describes the grape, we realizes he is also describing himself, saying that it must be carefully tended and that it is easily damaged. If the film were about you, what passion (hobby, food, collectible, or activity, for example) would you describe and how would you describe it so that you were also describing yourself?

Reading. It can be happy and sad and boring and exciting. It’s mostly a solitary thing, but it can be shared with others. Sometimes it’s easy and sometimes it takes a lot of effort to appreciate, but it’s worth it.