The Rules of Movie Day

Approximately every two weeks, my sister and I declare a “MOVIE DAY!”

We might go to a theatre on the rare occasion there’s actually something playing of interest to us. But usually she comes to my house, arriving mid- to late morning. Which brings me to the first rule of Movie Day…

WE ARE NOT REQUIRED TO GET UP EARLY!

In fact, we may not actually start our movie(s) before lunch, depending on how late a start we get, how much catching up we need to do first, and how long it takes us to decide what we’re going to watch.

Movie selection is critical, of course. Unless I have a DVD borrowed from the library for us to watch or something in mind we can stream, we normally pick from my personal collection (which is separate and distinct from my husband’s collection, btw). The question is, what are we in the mood for? Rom-com (i.e. While You Were Sleeping, You’ve Got Mail). Period drama (Jane Austen Adaptations top the list, naturally). Something quirky and fun (like Strictly Ballroom). A musical we can sing along with (The Sound of Music, Mama Mia). It doesn’t matter that we’ve seen some of them a dozen+ times before. The only overriding principle when choosing is that…

THE MOVIE MUST HAVE A CLASSICLY HAPPY ENDING!

This is something my sister is especially adamant about. I can accept an ambiguous ending occasionally, if it’s well done (I Capture the Castle, Before We Go) but she cannot. If in doubt about an intended film, I pre-watch it to be sure it will measure up. That’s part of my job description as movie day hostess.

When we got together last week, we watched The Black Stallion (which I knew would have an acceptable ending). We were both horse crazy as kids, and I had just reread that favorite book from my youth. But somehow neither of us had ever seen the movie. So it was a good choice. Loved all the beautiful scenes of the horse running on the beach, with or without the boy on his back, usually at sunset. Visually stunning in addition to the classic story by Walter Farley

A GORMET LUNCH, INCLUDING DESSERT, WILL BE PROVIDED.

That another important part of our arrangement. My sister does the driving; I do the cooking. That’s the deal. Quiche is preferred, but panini, tuna/chicken melts, or taco salad are other acceptable choices. Dessert? Oreo blizzards are a perennial favorite, although birthday cake is available by prior arrangement (always chocolate with Grandma’s white fluffy frosting). If anyone in the family has a birthday within a couple of weeks one way or another, that’s enough of an excuse. Our most recent Movie Day was on what would have been our dad’s 99th birthday, so we ate cake in his honor.

Which brings me to our final rule. THE MOVIE IS TOTALLY INTERRUPTABLE.

…interruptable for lunch and dessert, of course, but also for a myriad of other and sundry excuses. We’ll be going along nicely, and then one of us says, “Pause!” Need to check a newly arrived text. Need to ask a question or tell the other person something before we forget it. Time for a bathroom break. Or one of us (actually, always my sister) has drifted off to sleep.

This is when the advantage of selecting movies we’ve seen before becomes apparent; full concentration isn’t necessary. Because in the end, despite the name, our “movie days” aren’t primarily about the movies. It’s just a good excuse for us to get together. I guess we should really change the name to “SISTER DAY!”

A week or ten days rolled quietly away after this visit before any new bustle arose to interrupt even for half a day the tranquil and affectionate intercourse of the two sisters, whose mutual regard was increasing with the intimate knowledge of each other which such intercourse produced. (The Watsons)

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