How to fight loneliness (smile all the time)
Written from the back row of the second theatre at Regal Downtown West Cinemas on Saturday, June 23, 2007.
I sit in a crowd of closely cuddled couples. Unbelievable. This is supposed to be an art house theatre, a place where intelligent, lonely cinephiles can come and watch indie movies in the company of no one but other intelligent, lonely cinephiles. Okay, granted, the word “love” is in the title of the film…in French. But come on….seriously? Is it too much to ask for ONE MORE single person? Just one. Oh look, those old people are sharing a soda. Two straws. That’s just adorable. Ah, these two appear to be newlyweds…gag. Ah! Finally! Two guys without significant others, just going to the movies together to…oh…nevermind. Oh Lord, can this movie start already!
Written later that night…in my room
Tonight, I felt like I was a character in a movie about a pathetic single guy in his 20′s. And tonight, I felt like the movie started. The moment I stepped into that theatre, the credits rolled, the lights went out, and my name came up on the screen. It’s down and to the left…white letters on a black background…very classy, if you ask me. So, how does the story end, you ask? Where does the story begin, even? All we have is a sad and lonely man complaining from the back row of a moviehouse because he’s the only one without someone else? That’s not a good movie…that’s a cry for help. I begin to wonder where the story will take us in the movie. Will our hero meet a woman? Will his awkward charm sweep her off her feet from the start, or will he have to fight to win her? Will there be music? Oh, I hope there’s music. No, I don’t want to hear about his tortured past and criminal history…please, that’s so cliche. What is this, some distorted male version of a Lifetime movie? Let’s get on with it. Hmm. Maybe I should get on with it. Maybe I should stop going to movies alone. Maybe I should stop sitting up in my room writing lame anecdotes that don’t really make sense. Maybe I need to get the story going. I wonder where it will take me….
To be continued…hopefully