Kintropy In Action

When Janette and I first moved in together, we hit the movie theaters every Saturday afternoon.  It didn't matter (most of the time) how good or bad the movies were.  We were getting some downtime, soaking in a bigger-than-life cinematic experience, and getting completely wired on candy, popcorn, and soda.  All was right with the world.

About six months after Gabriel was born, I decided it was time to indoctrinate him in the wonders of cinema.  We headed to the local Bellevue, WA megaplex where he promptly fell asleep.  We wandered into the theater, waiting for The Rookie to start, the infant Gabriel asleep in my arms. 

The local ads played.  Gabriel slept.  The curtains closed and reopened to bombastic coming attraction trailers.  Gabriel snoozed.  The movie began with a quiet, coming-of-age montage.  Gabriel woke with a start and screamed.  And screamed.  And screamed.

Thus ended our first father-son movie experience.

For Hannah, Janette and I waited until about a year ago.  As a family, we descended on the theater, waiting for the latest animated feature to start.  Hannah sat in her wheelchair beside me, then Janette, then me as Janette and I took turns entertaining her prior to the movie's start. 

The movie began.  Hannah considered her options.  She reached out to Mom, then me, requesting removal from her wheelchair.  Then she began to scream.  And scream.  And scream.

Janette and Gabriel remained behind to finish the movie (they didn't - Gabriel got bored half-way through) as Hannah and I strolled the mall, keeping perpetually in motion per the Princesses orders.

Gabriel's theater behavior has certainly improved since he was younger.  He can now sit through a movie with only one gotta-go gotta-go theater break, a few loudly blurted plot questions, and a sugar enhanced need to dance in his seat.  The jury is still out on Hannah, though, so this weekend, when the theater bug hit, we decided to stay home and introduce the kids to E.T. - The Extra Terrestrial.

Warning:  movie spoilers ahead.  Read no further if you have not seen, and wish to see, E.T.

I picked the movie and promptly received a lukewarm response from Gabriel.  Janette and I explained to both kids that we were going to watch a movie together as a family, and Gabriel and Hannah settled in for some enforced family time.

As the movie began, the kids, of course, came 'round.  Gabriel laughed at all of Elliot's and E.T.'s funny bits; Hannah giggled everytime Gertie opened her mouth, particularly when she tried to teach E.T. to speak.  As tension mounted in the last half of the movie, Gabriel paced anxiously.  He settled next to Mom on the couch as E.T.'s health declined, begging for confirmation that E.T. would not die.  He sobbed and Mom rubbed his back.

As E.T.'s health suddenly improved, Gabriel laughed.  Hannah clapped as the action picked up and cars chased bikes.  As the movie closed, Gabriel expressed, and Hannah seemed to agree, that the family movie night had not been so bad after all.

Next, Gabriel requested the special features disk (his end all/be all for all DVDs).  He navigated through it for about five minutes, then proclaimed, "I'm done now.  Can I play Wii?"

And thus ended our family movie night - without any screaming.

-- Dad