Thursday, June 23, 2005

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

-or-
Why I’ll Never Be Able To Take Myself Too Seriously, even if I’m Rich, Famous, and Utterly Cool.

Last year, as a treat after exams, I took myself to see "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." I’d wanted to see it for a long, long time, but classes and exams had conspired to keep me away. When I finally saw the movie, it had been relegated to the purgatory of those tiny, oddly shaped, side theaters at the multiplex.

I’m picky about seats, but I was practically the only person at the show, so I was able to get a seat in what I consider to a theater’s sweet spot (essentially, the middle of the theater – right distance from the screen, and from the speakers, etc.) I could feel the tension from the last few weeks slipping off my shoulder as the preview started rolling.

If you haven’t seen "Eternal Sunshine," I’d recommend it. Overall, I’d say it leans more towards the drama side of the spectrum, but it definitely has its funny moments. I have a fairly loud laugh, sometimes embarrassingly so. During the movie, I noticed that someone else also had a loud laugh. "Good on ya!" I thought. As the movie continued, I realised Ms. Loud Laughter and I had very similar senses of humor. Three quarters through the movie, I had decided that she was my new best friend, my long-lost soulsister. Then, there was a scene where I let out a sharp bark of laughter…and so did my new best friend. And that’s when I realized that I’d been falling in like with an echo.

I was mortified -- so, so embarrassed. I blushed to the roots of my hair and slunk down in my seat. Of course, no one knew what I’d been thinking, but I knew, and that was enough.

And that’s why, no matter how cool, rich, famous, hip (okay, that last one is impossible) I ever become, I’ll always know exactly what a dork I am.

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;

- Alexander Pope

3 comments:

wt said...

On the bright side, no matter how poverty-stricken or out-of-touch you become, you'll always be endearing for having qualities like these.

Heather said...

hehe. i did the same thing once, maisnon, though in a different venue.

i was running the 2 mile race at the county track meet. the two mile is always scheduled last at meets, so the sun went down and the lights came up (and long ago somebody left with the cup?) around the second lap. i was ranked 12 out of the 12 running and was determined to beat just one girl. suddenly i realized a girl was right behind me and i did NOT want her to pass me. i stressed for six laps while she paced herself a few feet behind me.

when i finished the race (10th!) i looked behind to see the two other girls at least half a lap behind me. i had been running from, literally, my shadow from the floodlights for most of the race. nice, huh?

Anonymous said...

I laughed really loudly once at the theater while watching (cringe) Crocodile Dundee 2 when I was a wee youngin'. It was made worse by the fact that no one else thought the scene was funny, so mine was the lone cackle. My brother was so embarrassed, he swore never to accompany me to a movie again for the remainder of our high school overlap.

I can't wait until you move west!