Nostalgia Movies

Thanks to an unexpected change in our evening plans, I wound up at the public library with my oldest who reminded me of their DVD collection. So I borrowed a couple.

Last night I watched Little Women. My husband played his game and would pause to watch me watch the movie. I sit and stare at the screen in really weird positions when I’m invested and feeling that soul harmony with art. He smiled at my quirkiness.

I miss the realness of older films. I miss the wild artistic energy. Stories that rely on an intelligent audience. An audience that can understand why those oranges are such a delightful treat. How unusual their upbringing was. That selling your hair used to be a way to make money quick.

It was wonderful to sink into the feel of a classic tale told by people in the 90’s. Winona Ryder, Christian Bale, Claire Danes, Kirsten Dunst, Susan Sarandon! The peaceful joy this story brings me is a balm to these crazy times.

Tonight I watched Dead Poets Society. Robin Williams is just amazing. The little gestures, small expressions, perfect tone. Robert Sean Leonard and Ethane Hawke quietly and powerfully create a deep friendship on screen. You can feel how trapped each of these boys find themselves. Josh Charles and Gale Hansen were embodying the wild dreamers of the time. The sweet and the rebellious.

This movie is special to me for so many reasons. I have had some of the best Literature teachers in grade school. Amazing professors during my short stint in college. Many of my parents friends, family members, and friends’ parents were inspiring like this teacher was.

My eighth grade teacher was one of them and was crucial in my transition to Pennsylvania. Everything was very different from what I had always known and she kept me grounded in my love of literature. She did a lesson on this movie and was my introduction to it.

Watching it again tonight, I could feel my roots soaking up the nourishment. Life was so very different and I’m grateful there’s so much access to physical items proving my memories are reliable.

I’m thinking of continuing to explore the library’s collection for more gems I haven’t watched in a while. Films that filled and shaped my youth. It helps remind me that there is more to life than just what’s on a tiny, hand-held screen and how much of my life was lived without this much speed and access.