“Which would you like to watch first, The Green Mile [1] or The English Patient [2]?” asked Spring [3]. What I heard was, “Which would you like to watch, The Green Mile or The English Patient?” Note the word I missed—first.
I had to think about it, not really wanting to watch either film before deciding upon The Green Mile (which ended up being much better than I expected). Now, that was a few days ago. Yesturday, Spring walked into the Computer Room to announce that we were watching The English Patient.
“Um … ” I said. “I thought you asked me which film I wanted to see, and I picked The Green Mile.”
“No,” she said. “I asked which film you wanted to see first,” she said. “Now it's time to watch The English Patient.”
Oh bloody hell, I thought. “I don't really like historical dramas—oh wait! I like Amadeus [4]. Um … ”
“What's wrong with The English Patient?” she asked. “I know you haven't seen it.”
“It's just … I'm not in the mood for it right now.” And that, right there, is the problem.
I'm almost always never in the mood for a movie.
And I don't know exactly why.
Oh sure, there are films I will almost always watch; Real Genius [5], Amadeus [6], Strictly Ballroom [7], Time Bandits [8], Raiders of the Lost Ark [9], Paper Moon [10] (but only if it's on broadcast TV and I come across it while channel surfing—I doubt I'll ever go out of my way to rent it), Sneakers [11]. But for any other film you'll have to twist my arm (some require more twisting than others).
And some films I have really enjoyed have required some very strong arm twisting on my part: Strictly Ballroom, Delicatessen [12] (a French film no less!), Hardware [13] (“So bad, it was well worth the six bucks,” as my friend Bill said, and yes, it is that bad), Enchanted April [14], The Green Mile.
But for the number of films I've been forced to watch and liked, there are an equal number (if not more) that I've been forced to watch and was either indifferent, bored or hated, like The Game [15], 8mm [16], The Iron Giant [17], Resident Evil [18], 28 Days Later [19], Breakfast at Tiffanies [20], The Graduate [21], Spies Like Us [22], The Matrix [23] (okay, I didn't exactly hate this, nor was I bored, but still, I don't know why all my friends think this is the greatest film ever made).
Generally speaking, I don't really care for movies all that much anymore. I'm not sure if it's because of the way they're being made these days, the subject matter, an overfondness of films I saw growing up, OD'ed on TV as a kid, or all of the above. But Spring has a hard time getting me to watch films (heck, let's be honest, most of my friends have a hard time getting me to watch films) and I have a hard time explaining why I just don't want to watch films.
I never did watch The English Patient, having hemmed and hawed and promised to chauffeur Spring to a meeting (today) and The Kids to a pool party (today). Also, The Older wanted to watch The English Patient so that made up for the fact that I didn't.
[1] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120689/
[2] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116209/
[4] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086879/
[5] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089886/
[6] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086879/
[7] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105488/
[8] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081633/
[9] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082971/
[10] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070510/
[11] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105435/
[12] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101700/
[13] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099740/
[14] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101811/
[15] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119174/
[16] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0134273/
[17] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0129167/
[18] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120804/
[19] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289043/
[20] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054698/
[21] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061722/
[22] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090056/