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Mac Ramsey

Prof. Arnold

ENGL- 1113

September 8, 2014

How Movies Make Memories

A perfect date to me is a night out at the movie theatre. The feeling of anticipation over

getting to see a movie youve been excited for months over, sitting down in that theatre with

your bag of popcorn in one hand and your coke in the other, all with a nice date sitting next to

you. After experiencing the plot and characters unfold in front of you on that big and bright

screen, you leave the theatre and cant stop talking about it the entire drive home. That to me is a

perfect night.

A movie date is actually where me and my current girlfriend went on our first date. At the

time we were just talking. Having met through a mutual friend, we went there with her and her

boyfriend. I dont personally remember what movie we were watching, but Im sure if you ask

her she would and then get mad at me for not remembering. I was too worried about if I was

being a good enough date. Do I hold her hand or not? I asked myself, Maybe just put my arm

around her...no, no, no thats too forward. The whole time I was thinking about this, I hadnt

realized the movie was over and I had missed my chance to make a move. Being so focused on
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being a perfect date, I ended up being the absent minded awkward kid Ive always been around

girls.

Now this was almost two years ago, and Im glad to say that shes still with me. Movie

dates are a regular thing for us; we go nearly any chance we get. Its a great way for us to have

something to talk about, and its an easy way to have fun! Being able to understand these movies

and what is happening in them has made me and her closer than I ever could have thought wed

be. Not only are the movies themselves a great way of bonding, sometimes the things that

happen there are! Theres the time we tried to sneak me into an R-rated movie when I was 16, or

when in a completely empty theatre a stranger comes and sits near us. All of these things bring

us closer together. Movie theatre trips havent only brought me close to her, but have also

brought me closer to family members in difficult times.

Just over two years ago, I lost my grandma to lung cancer. She was one of the nicest

women Ive ever met in my life, and it was one of the hardest things ever to say goodbye. While

she was battling this, the rest of the kids and me decided to take our grandpa out to the movies to

try and take his mind off it. This also gave my grandma time with her girls to talk and enjoy each

others company. Going out that day was something our family really needed. It helped us forget

our troubles and feel like everything was normal for a little while.
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The movie we went and saw was Ridley Scotts Prometheus, a movie about aliens and

stuff like that. I enjoyed it, not only for the movie itself, but because it was my first 3-D movie.

The ability of movies to drag you in and make you forget its a movie is what makes them so

special. Once we were in that theatre, all our other worries faded away. I got to watch my

grandpa laugh and trying to see everything with his 3-D glasses, my aunt and uncle both having

a good time, it felt like it was just a normal day. This is another reason why movies are so

important to me. They make people happy, even in times when its extremely hard to be. Even

though we knew wed have to leave and get back into the reality that waited outside the theatre,

we knew we could enjoy ourselves while we had the chance. After my grandma passed, our

family remained much closer. Most of it is due to being around each other more and sharing a

common sadness, but I like to think that the day at the movies helped out too.

There are probably more instances of movie literacy and experience have brought me

closer to people, but these two stand out more than anything. Being brought closer to family and

loved ones is an amazing thing, and having something that easy and simple do it is amazing. Its

also something most people can relate to, and that most people enjoy. Its great having something

that can be easily used as common ground and thats great at building relationships and bringing

you closer with someone. My girlfriend and I still go to the movies pretty regularly, and when

my family is in town we try and go too. Its something that we love to do, and since we all

understand the movie, we all share an experience. Whether its just gaining something to talk
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about, or having a shared experience that brings people closer, movie literacy is something key in

my life that Im extremely grateful for.