For years I've been carrying on a secret relationship. While I haven't been trying to hide this love affair, I may not have been as forthcoming as I should have been. Recently, though, I have decided to declare my love from the rooftops and write it on the skyline. Lacking such extravagant means, however, I will resort to the written word.
Movies are the love of my life and the source of my happiness, and I am 100 percent crazy about them.
I have found joy in film from an early age. I didn't simply watch Alice fall down the rabbit hole. I lost my head laughing at the Mad Hatter's tea party. I was scared for my life when the Queen of Hearts screamed "Off with her head!" I was involved in every aspect of the adventure.
The strongest example of a movie changing my outlook on life is quite recent. During Winter Break, my life seemed to be at a standstill. The crossroads of life that is college had been dragging me down for months, and I simply wasn't feeling as happy as I once was. Even during the Christmas season, when I was five hours from the University and the stresses of college life, it seemed that I was off my game. If you can eat my family's food and be unhappy, there is an issue. I recognized this dilemma and opted to consult my DVD collection for some assistance.
Relief came in the form of "Eat Pray Love," and it was just what the doctor ordered.
For anyone who hasn't seen the movie, it's basically about a woman who is unhappy with her life. Despite a stimulating job, following a divorce she feels as though she has lost some of her zeal. In an effort to reclaim her life, she essentially cuts her losses and spends a year "finding herself" in Italy, India and Indonesia. Each exotic location offers wisdom on a different aspect of her life and provides her with the fervor for life that she had been missing.
As foolish as it sounds, it did the same for me. While I watched the characters traipse through the streets of Rome, I could feel the weight of stress lifting off of my shoulders. When I finished the film, I felt as though I had been on a worldwide adventure, though I had never left the couch.
As a side note, I ran to the bookstore the next day to buy the book and read it in one day.
Life is crazy, and I think we all have our individual methods of escape. For many at the University, running may be the key to finding some sort of balance. I'm actually consistently amazed at the amount of students I see running at all hours of the day and night. Others may find escape through the arts or sports. Many of my friends are avid readers, and this is their temporary ticket to getting out of the daily grind and into something different.
It's safe to say Netflix is one of the best things to happen in my life; Netflix is my escape. I casually steal away to the mailbox at least 10 times per day if I think there's even the slightest chance it will hold a new movie.
And don't even get me started on the beauty of the theater experience.
That's just what it is for me - an experience. In my world, going to the movies isn't as simple as heading down the street to the local cineplex. This is because I don't simply watch movies. I participate in them. I see movie viewing as a chance to escape for a time and to immerse myself in something. It's a way to break the monotony of the everyday. Whether I get to observe an unfamiliar perspective or a totally foreign galaxy, the theater offers me something new every time.
It starts with the seating. I try to choose a comfortable medium-level seat, nearly eye-level with the screen. The front row seems to be trying too hard, and we are all aware of the shenanigans saved for the back row. That's not the experience I am looking for, thank you very much.
Speaking of distractions, there is nothing worse than seeing a movie with a chatterbox. Minor comments are permissible if they contribute to the overall enjoyment of the film, but nitpicking every single line is just unnecessary and annoying. This is why it may be necessary to go alone.
It's true. Sometimes I am "that guy" who buys one movie ticket and sits in the middle of the theater by himself, laughing louder than everyone else at the jokes or casting harsh glances in the direction of any noisemaking. I go to movies alone. If that makes anyone feel pity or sadness toward me, let me quickly assure you that I am perfectly OK with it. If anything, I feel bad for the moviegoers who aren't engulfed in the films like I am.
Maybe it seems a bit too much, as if movies are my entire existence and I would perish without them. Like I said, we all have our escapes. When I get a good movie in front of me, I want nothing more than to leave this world behind for two hours and become a part of something different. Sometimes I just need to get away without going anywhere.
I always return, and sometimes I'm a better man for it.
Tyler's column runs biweekly Mondays. He can be reached at t.deboard@cavalierdaily.com.
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