From our marriage & parenting contributor, Mary Carver.
I don’t go to the movies that often. Normally. It’s not uncommon for friends to mention a very popular movie, look at me and realize I haven’t seen said movie, and sigh deeply. But this summer I had a brief season of intense movie-watching. It was a fluke, and I can’t imagine I’ll repeat the experience anytime soon (because, tickets are almost expensive as the babysitter) – but it sure was a fun few days!
As I was thinking about the movies I watched, it occurred to me that not only was this random movie blitz a blast but it also taught me a few things. Just in case you’re gearing up for a month full of movies or excited to get your money’s worth out of your MoviePass, I’ll share what I learned in case it helps you, too.
The first thing you should know is that while I had five movie dates in 10 days, I only actually watched four movies. Why is that? Well, because I cancelled one of those movie dates. But even that taught me something about myself and the movies!
Are you wondering which movies I saw? Well, let me tell you. I saw:
- Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again
- Ocean’s 8
- Ant-Man and the Wasp
- Mission Impossible: Fallout
And I didn’t see, after all, The Spy Who Dumped Me. Here’s what this movie mania taught me:
1. Sometimes a girl just needs to have fun.
The movie that launched this stretch of dates was Mamma Mia, which I saw with two friends. On opening night. Because we just couldn’t wait. All three of us have gone through stressful or rough seasons lately, and we needed a break. We didn’t need thought-provoking or challenging; we needed colorful and catchy! And boy, did we get it! This movie is so silly and so pointless – and we had a blast watching it. (Also, Lily James is radiant, and I want to watch her in All The Things.)
Sometimes you might need a movie that makes you think or cry or debate. And sometimes you need sequins and disco and sunshine – and that’s okay.
2. I can do new things.
Since the day I heard about Ocean’s 8, an all-female heist movie set in the world of the other Ocean’s movies, I have been just dying to see it. I love heist movies! I love Ocean’s movies! I love anything that screams girl power!
I thought I’d be going to this one with my best friend, since it was released near her birthday. Long story short, though, that didn’t work out. So I’ve been waiting for an opportunity…and waiting…and waiting. Finally, I got tired of waiting – and went by myself on a Friday night when my husband was at work, my kids were at my parents’, and my friends were busy.
Yes, I did. I just walked into that theater and bought myself one ticket and watched the movie all by myself!
Maybe you go to the movies alone all the time, but I don’t. The only time I’ve done it was on a weekday morning – you know, when nobody else was around to witness my solo screentime? But this time, I joined the couples and the groups of friends and watched that movie all by myself. And while I kind of wished for someone to discuss it with afterwards (spoiler alert: the movie was fine but not that great, which was altogether disappointing after all my anticipation), watching it alone was nice. I might even do it again sometime.
3. Spontaneity can add sparks.
For the last seven years my husband has worked nights. I won’t bore you with a long explanation of all the many ways that’s made our life difficult (and I’m going to assume you will give me the benefit of the doubt and know that I’m incredibly grateful for a hard-working husband and a job that provides for our family). But suffice it to say, weekends – when he tried to adjust to a normal daytime schedule – have been rough.
A few weeks ago, though, he switched to working days and no longer keeps vampire hours! It’s been adjustment for our whole family but also feels like a miracle. The first weekend after he began this new shift, we found ourselves wide awake and alone on a Saturday morning. On a whim we decided to go see the latest Marvel movie, and it was so fun! Even though I knew our kids were safe at my parents’ house and we didn’t have anywhere else to be, it felt a little bit like playing hooky or being on vacation.
4. But planning ahead is good for relationships, too.
Remember when I said I didn’t get to see Ocean’s 8 with my best friend? That’s because we “played it by ear” on the day we decided to get together for her birthday. We know better. After all, we’ve celebrated birthdays together for more than three decades! We are well aware that making plans is a must. But we played it too cool this time, and we ended up doing a big, fat nothing.
I’ve seen that be the case with far too many friends and family members. How many times have I said, “Yeah, let’s get together soon,” and then NEVER GOTTEN TOGETHER? How many times have you done the same thing?
So, my friend and I learned from our mistakes and planned ahead. When we saw the official date for the opening of the new Mission Impossible movie, we marked our calendars. And then a couple weeks before the release, we confirmed plans to make it a double date with our husbands. And then three days before our date, we bought tickets online. We weren’t going to miss another opportunity to see a movie or spend time together!
5. Not everything is for me.
The fifth movie date is the one that didn’t happen after all. I planned to see The Spy Who Dumped Me with friends on its opening weekend. But the morning before we planned to go out, I read a couple reviews – and decided to skip it.
The reviews were good; the trailers still look hilarious. The cast is super funny, and the plot seems clever. I really did want to see it! (I love spy movies! And more girl power! Also, laughing is my favorite!) But when I learned that the R rating wasn’t just for language (as I’d assumed) and was instead for some graphic violence and nudity, well, I knew I need to forego this one.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t see it! We all have our own boundaries and criteria for what types of media and entertainment work for us. Much to my dismay, this one crossed some boundaries for me. (Just like Incredibles 2 unexpectedly crossed the “too scary” boundary for my youngest daughter. The rest of us thought the movie was fun, but she didn’t like it one bit! Not everything is for me…or for her…or for any of us.)
I didn’t expect to see this many movies in such a short amount of time, but it sure did make for a really fun summertime experience. And hey, I even learned some things!
Do you like seeing movies in the theater? What’s the last good one you saw?
Mary Carver is a writer, speaker, and recovering perfectionist. She lives for good books, spicy queso, and television marathons, but she lives because of God’s grace. Mary writes with humor and honesty about giving up on perfect and finding truth in unexpected places on her blog, MaryCarver.com. She is the author of Fast Talk & Faith: A 22-Day Devotional Inspired by Gilmore Girls and co-author of Choose Joy: Finding Hope & Purpose When Life Hurts.She is also a regular contributor to incourage.me and MothersofDaughters.com. Mary and her husband live in Kansas City with their two daughters.
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