What is it with me and movies? There are so many movies it's taken me years to get around to seeing. The worst was Arsenic and Old Lace. It took over 20 years and two failed attempts to see it all the way through just once. I have never forgotten those two attempts. The first was when I was just a kid. It was on a Sunday and I cut my Sunday skating short in order to be home in time to watch it with my mother who had been talking about it with great anticipation all the preceeding week. We got to see the first part before my father and brother demanded another channel. I was furious, but couldn't do much about it. That was back in the days when having one TV was still a luxury. I filed that movie as a must see in the dark recesses of my mind. My next chance to see it was here in Israel, several months after we got here. It was on fairly late at night and I was babysitting for friend's kids at my place. I settled in to watch it but fell asleep before the end. That quite infuriated me. Twice I'd missed the ending. The 3rd time (3rd time lucky) was a few years ago. I finally got to not only watch it through to the end, I even managed to get it on video and see it at least 4 more times. Yes, it was well worth the wait.
Moving right along, another movie I've been wanting to watch was Pretty in Pink. So many of my friends told me about it that it got moved pretty high up on my 'to see' list. Last night it was on TV here and I stayed up really really late to see it. It was ok for a girly tear jerker, but I kept comparing the movie to my own high school years and it made me realize yet again what a wonderful town I grew up in. My real life high school was completely different to the movie high school. It was much less cliquey even though were probably more 'rich kids' in my school. Never ever was anyone snubbed for their parents economic status. There wasn't a parent among them who would have stood for that kind of discrimination. I'm not saying that it was 100% ideal, but no one was ever left out of anything because of money. Like minded kids did hang out together but it was never based on social standing or money. How things changed in just a few short years is amazing. I don't think I'd have liked that school or town one little bit. Strange how so many didn't understand that kids are just kids. Ok, one guy got it, but the others just went their elite way. I'll have to ask Dem Der how it was in Bangor. I suspect that it was pretty much the same there as it was in Brunswick. Of course there were so few really wealthy families in town that their kids wouldn't have anyone to be friends with if they were social snobs because there just weren't enough of them. The few really wealthy familes were indeed very wealthy, very very very wealthy, but the kids were all down to earth types who never put on airs.
I am so thankful that I grew up there.
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Love this article Lucy. Arsenic and Lace is really a great movie. Pretty in Pink not so much.
Your description of growing up was like mine. So few wealthy kids it did not make a difference. Plus the few wealthy kids did hang out with us poor blue collar non rich types too. It's so different today I suppose with so many kids who have everything from their parents and develop a snobby attitude.
I'm glad I grew up in small town Ohio where I didn't have to worry about the "labels" on my clothes. Also wore uniforms to school so everyone was reduced to the same thing.
Arsenic and Old Lace is pretty much my all time favorite movie.
I was pretty much a loner in High School because all I ever wanted to do was skate or read.
I think this exclusivity snob crap is relatively new.
Funny thing about clothes in High School. We owned THE fashion store in town, but all I ever wore was jeans after they changed the dress code. Drove my poor mother wild that we had two whole store filled with latest stuff but all I'd wear was jeans.
Funny thing, but in both high schools I've been in, there wasn't much 'snob crap'…
The problem is that kids can be very superficial, cruel and careless… what makes school a really awful place to be in.
Din,
Frim the 6 high schools I've taught in here, I can tell you that snobbery is alive and well in Israel. It's much different here than in the States, but it's here for sure. The up side is that it pretty much goes away in the army, Israel's great equalizer.
I recall a lot of cruelty in grade school, but once in high school things seemed to change, perhaps some maturity on the girls parts. Making fun of another girl was open field in grade school and I hated every part of that.
Once in high school I never ran around with any of the same kids from grade school. Acceptance from other kids in high school eliminated that problem as I was one who got made fun of. Not fun at all.
Lucy, there are several old movies that I simply love and find it hard to pick my fave. Casablanca is one of them. Singing in the Rain. Come blow your horn. Loved the Jewish mother in that one with Frank Sinatra. Do you recall that one?
Just re-watched From Here to Eternity the other night, another fave of mine.
They don't make such good classics any more these days. There are a few, but they are rare. The actors are not up to par either with the old stars IMHO.
There was one incident of blatent racism in my elementary school, but my fists took care it and it never happened again. Even in the lower grades we all got along pretty well.
I'm still in touch with a few of the kids I was in first grade with.
It's dead easy for me to pick my all time favorite movie. Without a doubt, The Wizard of Oz wins hands down. A close second is Arsenic and Old Lace and right behind that is The Shop On the Corner. Notice the Jimmy Stewart connection on 2 and 3?
For more modern ones, Forest Gump gets me every time and I adore Men in Black.
Of course Hollyweird can't make movies that come close to the old ones. Bunch of money grubbing liberal fuzz brains.
How about Jimmy Stewart in Bell, Book and Candle? I love that one with Kim Novak.
Love Jimmy Stewart. Also Vertigo?
You got that right Lucy, the liberal fuzz brain movies of today. Yuck!
Unfortunately I missed those with Jimmy Stewart mostly because the old channel that showed the good stuff is now not available, so, most of the older movies we get are not the good classics. I do watch anything with him in it if it comes on.
I just hate it when the Hollyweird types go and remake a great movie. I can't beat to watch Harvey with that Anderson guy. He's ok, but doesn't come even close to Jimmy Stewart's original. It's so sad that people watcing those movies for the first time only get to see a second rate remake instead of a real classic. That's one I actually have on DVD and I just love. Forgot to list in my fave classics list, but it's right up there!
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