Last night, I was on my own and watched "Peggy Sue Got Married" on TV. I'd not seen the film before and was surprised at how much I actually enjoyed it, and how it brought tears to my eyes.
The bit that made me so emotional was when Peggy Sue, after her trip through time 25 years back, arrives back at her childhood home for the first time. She goes in, meets her mother (and later, her younger sister and her father) and when she goes upstairs to her bedroom, she looks at everything, touching things like her record player, and is clearly overwhelmed by this unexpected chance to seeing it all again just like it was.
That scene in her bedroom made me think of my room when I was a girl, and although of course I wasn't always happy (like every teenager, I had my share of ups and downs during puberty!), altogether my childhood and youth were very good years, something to be truly grateful for, thanks to my parents.
I know it is inevitable that we age, and change, and so do our physical surroundings and the people in our lives. There's nothing bad or scary about that, but sometimes - just sometimes - a chance to see it all again as it was, having the knowledge and experience of today, would be nice.
And if there really existed such a chance, would I use it? Would I do anything different, trying to influence my own future history? I honestly don't know, and it is of course futile to ponder the question, since it is entirely impossible.
What "gets" you in movies/films or books?
PS: This is my blog post # 800! Actually, I would have reached that number already some posts ago, but I deleted a handful of posts (the whole "The Hummus Hunters" series, to be precise).
I've not seen that film before but I do get emotional at lots of films for lots of reasons. I suspect it depends on your mood at the time. Family situations always tug the heartstrings for me too.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to go back to my teenage bedroom and look around, and you are quite right, 'what if' we could go back, what would we do differently and imagine if you could have a conversation with your younger self, what would you tell them? So many options. If only time travel were real. :D
If time travel were real - and I'm glad it isn't, in a way - the world would be even more confusing as it already is :-D
DeleteI have to pick films and plays very carefully, I am easily brought to tears and more easily frightened. Indiana Jones films frighten me..I have to nip out for very expensive popcorn.
ReplyDeleteGood job then that I have never seen an Indiana Jones film! I bet that would frighten me, too.
DeleteI can cry at anything, but usually where children are involved. The same happens with books. I still haven't watched the film, Philomena, because I know it's so sad. What a wimp I am.
ReplyDeleteI have not heard of "Philomena" before, and I have to admit I rarely get emotional when children are involved, more when a beloved pet dies or something like that... I know, I know!
DeleteMe too Re. pets over children. I very seldom am brought to tears about anything, but pets, usually dogs, will do it when nothing else will.
DeleteIt's a relief to know I am not the only one to react like this!
DeletePhilomena made me cry. It's a good film.
DeleteI don't recall whether Philomena made me cry but it probably did. It was an excellent film.
DeleteOh, I cry over anything and everything! I'm hopeless. Sad and happy scenes...no difference...I cry! I probably need my tear ducts attended to! lol
ReplyDeleteThe news bulletins get me going. I've cut down on the amount of news I watch!
And when it comes to anything to do with animals!!!
You are not alone...
The news on telly often make me angry, or sad in a "will they never learn?" way, but not in an emotional way to make me cry.
DeleteLike you, I cry over happy scenes, too, not just sad ones. Listening to certain tracks of music can have that effect on me as well.
I cry fairly easily at movies, and it embarrasses me. Last night we watched Across the Universe (a nice film, btw) and when a young boy with a beautiful voice started singing "Let It Be" by The Beatles in the midst of an anti war rally I got choked up.
ReplyDeleteIt should not embarrass you, Jennifer! It wouldn't be nice for everyone involved in the making of a good movie if people just always sat through them stoically, would it :-)
DeleteCongratulation on posting 800 posts! I started blogging in 2009 like you but so far only did about 314 posts, although mine are so long that they could count as 4 posts each sometime. I would love to go back to my bedroom where I grew up in Paris and take photos – I have no photos from that time, even photos of my street, my kindergarten or schools. People usually do not take pictures of the rooms where they live, but it is nice to look at them once one is old and has moved away.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Vagabonde!
DeleteI try not to make my posts too long for two reasons: I don't have the time (or don't take the time) to write long posts, and I guess most of my readers don't want to be stuck to my blog for too long; most of them have very impressive lists of blogs they follow, and I do not want to take up too much of their onine time.
There are pictures from my childhood and youth of the places where I lived, also some of my old room, but I don't have them to hand. For my blog, every now and then I take pictures of my flat and of other everyday places. These will be nice to look at so many years from now - if this blog will still be accessible then.
Congratulations on your 800th post.....I've never seen this movie, but I think I might look out for it now. I remember once in high school when about six of my friends and I went to see, I think, How the West Was Won. I was sitting on the end and remember, towards the end of the film, looking down the row and seeing each of my friends had a hanky in her hand and was weeping. Just as I was. But seeing them made me suddenly want to laugh.
ReplyDeleteYour little story just goes to show how close together laughter and tears often can be. Apart from Nicholas Cage (whom I never really liked as a man, even though he certainly is a good actor), I enjoyed the cast in this movie.
DeleteI wrote a long answer to this and then thought perhaps I would send you an email as it is not necessarily something I want to remain on the internet forever! :)
ReplyDeleteNow you've got me all curious, Jenny! I am looking forward to your email.
DeleteI've not seen the film to which you refer Meike but reading the synopsis I'd watch it if I came across it. If I do I'll let you know my reaction. As or showing emotions i've got older I've found great difficulty in hiding my emotions and one of the great advantages I have found about getting older is that I really don't care what people think if I do show emotion.
ReplyDeleteExactly, Graham - why hide how you feel? In an professional environment, it may be useful and appropriate to focus on the matter at hand without emotions taking over. But in our private lives, there is no reason why we should hide being touched by a film, a piece of music or a book.
DeleteGetting emotional? You are talking to the QUEEN of emotional!! :-)
ReplyDeleteI've not seen this film but reading this reminded me...I found a recipe that I wrote when I was 14...my handwriting was so rounded and perfectly legible that I could hardly recognize it as mine! And it made me a bit sad to read it, to know that I made up that recipe at such a young age and I STILL hate to cook! :-) Wish I could go back in time and tell that young girl to TRY and not be so emotional about everything!!
Her Majesty, what an honour to have you commenting here :-)
DeleteWhen I look at my own handwriting from many years ago, I am amazed at how neat and legible it used to be... It went completely down the drain when I began work at a publisher's where I had to note down a lot of information people were giving me over the phone, in a very short time.
What recipe was it you made up at 14?
Movies don't really get to me but boy oh boy books always get me! Haha!
ReplyDeleteHello and welcome to my blog, Cindy! (I believe this is your first visit here, or at least your first ocmment.)
DeleteWhether it is a book, a film or a piece of music that gets to me depends greatly on my mood. It is nearly impossible to predict for me.
Congratulations on your 800th post! Yes, it does happen that I get emotional and tear-eyed watching a film. There are also films I can't watch or end up "watching with my eyes closed", like if there is too much violence involved. And yesterday I started watching "The Life of Pi" on TV but had to quit before I was even half-way through because I got seasick!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Monica!
DeleteI don't know about "The Life of Pi"; your comment about getting seasick made me curious.
Like you, I can't watch certain violent or disgusting stuff; when RJ and I are watching something together, I ask him to tell me when it is over so that I can put my hands down again.
Just curious ... why Peggy Sue Got Married? That movie was in 1980-something. Do you normally watch old movies?
ReplyDeleteIt was on telly and sounded fun, so I watched it. Often, I find old movies a lot better than new ones. Or, let's say I am often not interested in what a new movie is about. And I do have a "thing" for the 1980s - those were my teenage years.
DeleteMakes perfect sense to me.
DeleteOh, I cry like a baby during movies. Dirty Harry gets me every time :-) But I remember 'Peggy Sue Got Married' - and I know what you mean.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I remember, I have never actually watched Dirty Harry, so I don't know whether it would get me or not :-)
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