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February 15, 2005
Here's Looking At You, Kid...
Last night was so cool. Dawnise told me she had a surprise for me, and that I needed to be on the 6:20 ferry home and quick off the boat. Apparently we had somewhere to be at 7:30 - and probably wouldn't have time to eat dinner 'till 9:30 or so. And, she said, I should wear my trench-coat and one of my fedoras.
I had my suspicions - there was a film festival on the island this past weekend, and that combined with the 2 hour dinner delay screamed "movie" (or play), and the trench-coat and hat suggested a period piece, but my suspicions couldn't prepare me for what was coming.
Dawnise picked me up from the ferry, and started driving - I had no idea where we were going, but as we got "close" she asked me to close my eyes. She led me out of the car, eyes cast to the ground, around a corner and finally said I could look.
I scanned up - not sure where to look for clues - and then my eyes settled on the movie marquee - and I did a double-take...
I found Casablanca while in my twenty's - and it was just the right time. I had never really "gotten" any film noir accepting Blade Runner, but Casablanca got me where it counted - and it quickly became one of my absolute favorite films. We've watched it countless times - and each time I still long to be Rick - a hardened man with a shadowy past who finally joins the fight for good (and let's not kid ourselves - Ingrid Bergman and Paris? What heterosexual male would pass on that?).
But I never expected to see it on the big screen - the way it was meant to be seen.
It was so cool.
Bainbridge, it turns out, has an historic theater - the first talkie theater in "the area" (whatever that means) - and it's still operating, one screen, showing independent and art films and the occasional classic. The audience was full of fans of the film - likely all people who'd seen it at least as many times as I had, and a good number who'd probably seen it during it's first theatrical run. And yet we all genuinely laughed at the jokes, held our breath, and were caught up in the moment.
Thanks, beautiful. Well worth missing dinner over.
Posted by dberger at February 15, 2005 8:20 AM