A Movie Worth Seeing

Over the course of our married life, Pam and I have been relatively frequent visitors to the movie theater. We’re not movie snobs, but we are fairly selective when it comes to Hollywood productions and we don’t shy away from watching “obscure” or independent films when they catch our eye. L’s arrival has, of course, kept us away from the theater, so when we want to watch a movie, it involves renting a movie online or in-store.

I’ve become somewhat of a pessimist when it comes to movies. Even after being fairly picky in the selection process, some movies make you regret that you took the time to watch them. Others amount to little more than an agreeable means of passing the time. Only a few leave enough of a positive impression on you for you to recommend them to friends. I’ve learned to keep my expectations low. What you want from a movie is a memorable experience, but only a few ever deliver.

Well, Pam and I lucked out on a movie this weekend. We were looking for something to do on Saturday evening, so we went to Blockbuster. As happens fairly often these days, we walked around the entire store looking at all the newest releases and, having finished the walk, were left wondering if there was anything that had caught our attention enough bother renting. With the we’re-here-so-we-may-as-well-get-one attitude, we decided to rent Away From Her. It’s a Canadian-made movie about a late-middle-aged couple living through the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

I don’t know if I’ve ever been as emotionally impacted by a movie as I was with this one. (I’m not sure if it’s okay for a man to endorse a movie for this reason, but I’ll do it anyway: I may have cried more than Pam did.) Few things are as genuinely good and meaningful as long-lasting, intimate relationships between human beings. And only a few things are as genuinely evil as the things that bring those relationships to an end. This movie will remain with me for a long time.