Life, Love and the Movies Blogathon

Today I am participating in the Life, Love and the Movies Blogathon, hosted by Nostra over at Myfilmviews. Basically, the idea is that you answer the following questions about how life and love and the movies all connect for you. It's a fun series of questions, and here are my answers!

Life

1. What was the first movie you saw in the cinema and what do you remember about that visit?

I mush together two early movie viewings in my life. I know I saw Beauty and the Beast in theaters, and I know I saw a re-release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I mostly remember thinking the screen was really big (we had a tiny little TV at home).

I also remember that before one of these movies, they played an ad for Hocus Pocus, which scared my little brother so much that my mom had to take him out of the theater. I'm not sure he ever even got to see whichever movie we were actually watching.

2. Are there any movies you have very strong memories of which are not because of the movie (for example something which happened at the time you were watching it)?

Oh, sure. I actually wrote a post about that here. To just choose one, let's go with... when I went and saw The Game Plan with a group of people I wasn't yet terribly good friends with. I was not enjoying the movie (because, well, it's not a very good one) and just couldn't help getting snarky about it and predicting what was going to happen next. One of the people with me thought it was hilarious and joined in... at which point our group made us go sit somewhere else because they were tired of us ruining the story for them. That snarky friend is now my best female friend and was the matron of honor at my wedding. I think of that day as being one of the milestones in our friendship.

3. Which movies had a big impact on you and changed a (small) part of your view on life?

Generally, the movies that impact me are not because they changed me so much as because they spoke to me about something I already believed. I do think one of the things movies does amazingly with changing people is instilling a sense of empathy. The movie Unforgiven isn't the one that impacted me the most, but it's what comes to mind - it builds up its character so carefully and lets you identify with him, and then suddenly when he starts making bad decisions, you see where it has come from and how he got to where he is.

This translates into real life in that even if I don't know someone's motivations for the mean/stupid/awful/annoying things they do, I am able to at least come up with one and put myself in their shoes for a minute. It's a lot harder to hate someone if you can imagine what it must be like from their point of view.

4. Do you have any comfort movies which you return to because you are in a specific mood (for example if you are feeling down/nursing a heartbreak)?

Singin' in the Rain is my I-need-to-feel-better movie.
The Angels in America miniseries is my I-need-to-feel-worse-before-I-can-feel-better movie.
And Lars and the Real Girl is my I-need-to-feel-goodness-exists movie.

5. If a movie would be made about your life, what type of movie would it be and who would you like to portray you?

I'm thinking indie comedy drama. There are plenty of quirky characters surrounding me, and that's the realm they'd fit into best. I want Anna Kendrick to play me, because she is awesome. Although, really, I don't know who would play me. I'm not awesome enough for Anna Kendrick. I'm terrible at these types of questions.

6. Which existing movie best represents you?

I've been asked this similar question before, and I always want to say Annie Hall. Its mix of cynicism and sentiment kind of perfectly captures how I think about things. There's a reason I like it so much. But I do think that the more I watch it, the more Lars and the Real Girl might be the right answer... specifically because it works so hard to make everyone the good guy. So maybe I'm Annie Hall but if I were a better person, I'd be Lars and the Real Girl.

7. If you knew you would die tomorrow, what would be the last movie you would want to see?

I think I'd want to watch Love Actually one last time and die happy.

8. If you can spend your life working in the film industry, what would you be and why? (you know, director, producer, actor, cinematographer, costume designer, sound designer etc?)

I'd love to be either a writer or a director. Maybe both. I love writing and I love directing. I think writing would be the way to go, because then I could mostly avoid the awkwardness of the spotlight while still knowing that something you created was out there for people to see.

Love

1. Did you ever have a first kiss with someone while at the cinema and if so which movie was playing?

I did not. I have only had one first kiss, and it was not at the movies.

2. What is your favorite movie relationship and why?

Oh, gosh. That's a tough one. I love Link and Tracy from Hairspray because it's so refreshing to see the traditionally "unattractive" girl get the guy. I love WALL-E and Eve because I love how they capture this incredible sense of romance between two characters who really never speak. I love Alvy and Annie in Annie Hall because... just because. I love all the relationships in Love Actually because they just make me so very happy. So... all of those?

3. When did your love for movies start and how has it grown?

I'm not even sure I can say when it started. I started really watching a lot of movies when I was 16 or so, but even then I'm not sure I'd say I loved them. I just thought I should see more of them. I've definitely grown into loving them, and now they're some of my very favorite things in the world.

4. If you have to choose one film to watch with your loved one, what would it be and why?

It should be something we both really enjoy. The first thing that comes to mind is Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, which we saw together and loved instantly even though most of our other friends didn't quite "get" it. The Cabin in the Woods would also be a fun choice.

5. If you can choose one character from a movie to be your significant other who would it be and why?

My fictional boyfriend has always been Cyrano de Bergerac, from virtually any movie version of the play. Or any stage version. Or the print version. Cyrano is the best.

6. What was the first movie that made you fall in in love with film and cinema?

Like I said in #3, I can't even remember when I started loving movies, so I definitely can't remember this one. It wasn't a sudden change, like one day I didn't love movies and then I watched American Beauty and I loved movies all of a sudden. It was... slow growth, as I read more about them and watched more of them and learned more how to communicate about them.

7. How did your passion for movies turn you into a movie blogger?

Well, I blog about everything else I love. Of course I'm going to blog about movies as well.

8. What is your favorite date from a movie?

Date Night! Just kidding, that one is not so successful. I don't know about this one either. I'm going to have to ponder it for awhile. This blog is being written slightly ahead of when it's published, so if this answer is still here as you're reading this... you'll know I didn't actually come up with an answer. And then you can judge me if you'd like.