Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Nothing Else is Real

I went to go see Coraline this weekend and while the previews were playing a woman with her two young boys came in and sat in front of us.

About 30 minutes into the film her boys were crying, begging to leave the theatre. "No! I want to see this!"

Okay. I get it. You want to get the fuck out of the house. So you take your kids to go see a movie.

But you don't force your kids to sit during a scary movie. Hell, I took my 12-year old mentee from "church" (I still proclaim Unitarian Universalism is not real church and I've been going over a year) (also? someone chose me to mentor a kid? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, you're funny) (and deluded) (and obviously have not read my fucking blog) and she was rather scared through the whole thing.

And seriously, the boys were sobbing. Big fat crocodile tears. And they were calling her "Mommy," so it wasn't like a rogue babysitter or stepmother.

I just do. not. under. stand. people.

PS - Coraline was really good, and was closest to seeing an "art film" in the theatres in years. Not that there haven't been other art films, I just HAVEN'T SEEN THEM.

11 comments:

Unknown said...

Despite having read Coraline, my husband wants to take our three year old to see the movie. I will direct him to your post.

Thanks. ;)

Anonymous said...

I was so excited when I saw that Coraline had been made into a movie. I saw the beginning of the trailer and began to have a wonderful suspicion and then it was confirmed! Looking forward to seeing it.

By the way. Totally unrelated thing but I had never heard the song "West Coast" until you turned me on to it and now I Can't. Stop. Listening. I know it was like over a year ago for you, but seriously, I was hearing that shit in my DREAMS last night. Love it. Love it.

Ali said...

I want to see it, but am a notorious scaredy cat. Perhaps I need to take my own cushion to hide behind if it all gets a bit much.

I think I might have accidently spilled my drink on that woman.

montague said...

! I hate that! I felt the same way when I watched Harry Potter... this poor kid was SPOOKED out, and just way to young to be in there!

The Coffee Lady said...

It's easy to judge - I wouldn't show my children a lot of the films her cousins see, but they don't seem to have been harmed by the experience.

Maybe the woman was a selfish mother who put her enjoyment before her children. Or maybe she was a single mother with no support who never got to go see the damn films on her own. In which case I have a little more sympathy.

Anonymous said...

Nicky really wants to see Coraline. William is not so sure. (He's less into sitting still for 90 minutes, and less into scary movies.) I want to see it too, but haven't decided whether to go to the theater or just wait and watch it on the big ass TV.

Angelina said...

How awful! I can't imagine forcing my kid to keep watching a movie that is scaring him. Or making him uncomfortable or unhappy.

I mean, aside from being an angelic mother and all, selfishly speaking- I cannot enjoy a movie with my kid bitching at me.

Liz said...

We sat behind a three or four year old during X-Men. That poor little girl screamed bloody murder and they didn't remove her. Finally the manager had to ask them to leave...

Anonymous said...

Maybe her insistance was financial-having paid for tickets and concessions she was hesitant to leave. That said I am so tired of seeing adult films with children in the audience. I was never able to enjoy (years ago and it still bugs me) "Saving Private Ryan". I sat across the aisle from a young man about 10 years old. He was so upset, I was greatly disturbed. My friend's grandson at age 9 has seen far more R rated horror films than I will ever see. Just don't get it.

On a side note, I volunteer at the local library sale. I stock the children's section. I recently came across some story books illustrated with photographed scenes done with legos. Is that something you would like or are you well aware and have all those books in existance?

laura capello said...

lego book? i need to see this lego book!

Wendy said...

My sister and I took our kids (10 and 2) to see it. The 2 year old was freaked out by the Russian gymnast who lived upstairs (and covered his eyes whenever he came on screen), but didn't mind anything else about the movie. Weird. You just never know how they're going to react.

I LOVED it, though.