Let's Go To The Movies

Cowboy heroes,
cops and robbers,
glamour and strife,
bigger than life!
Sitting in the darkness,
what a world to see!
Let's go to the movies,
Annie, wait and see.

- from the most played CD in our household, Annie

Yesterday, Lucy and I headed to the movies for her friend Leeloo's birthday party. Even though we were meeting up with a group of people, it was a special outing for me and Lu. It's rare that just the two of us get to do something together and I haven't taken either Evie or Lucy to the movies in a theater since Noni was born.

We didn't head to your run-of-the-mill movie theater, but rather to El Capitan in Hollywood, a beautifully restored 1920s theater that used to feature plays with the old Hollywood stars (Clark Gable, Henry Fonda). The scene around the theater is quite different from the way I imagine it back in the day, as it is now just a madhouse of tourists and men on stilts handing out Hollywood Star maps. (And what is up with all the Spidermen and Darth Vaders walking around Hollywood on the weekend?!?), but once inside Lucy enjoyed pointing out the ornate ceilings and velvet curtains. Singers and dancers came on stage for a pre-movie show, at which point Lucy whispered to me that this was her "best weekend ever!" Then we put on our 3-D glasses (Lu's came off whenever things got scary) and sat back to enjoy the movie.

I had pretty low expectations for Up. I'm not a big kid movie fan and am not sure I've ever even sat down to watch a movie with the girls. If a movie is on, it generally means it's time to clean the house while the girls are occupied. I was completely surprised to find myself watching a beautiful piece of art. And really, that's what Up is. It is beautiful, poignant (I cried at least three times), funny, action-filled, heart-warming. It is a commentary on relationships, old age, how life goes by too fast, and the importance of keeping the spirit of adventure alive at any age. It's probably not appropriate for the under-five-year-old crowd and I'm not even sure how Evie would fare watching some of the scenes, since Lucy tends to be more willing to endure tense scenes in movies. But Lucy and I both loved it. Whether you have kids or not, I highly recommend checking it out - and don't wait until it leaves the theater. The animation is beautifully done and much better to see on a big screen.