I usually enjoy surprises during my park visits. Spotting deer, rare insects, or even a neighbor also out for a stroll are welcome distractions.
But we all know what it's like when unpleasant surprises jump into our paths. Not everyone deals well with disruptions in their routines. I know I don't. That said, I don't mind watching fictional character squirm under the weight of unexpected circumstances. Some of my favorite plots involve the main characters being blindsided.
Surprise—You're Peter Pan! (Hook)
Surprise—You've been banished to the real world (Enchanted)
Surprise—Your angel is actually an obsessed, disfigured man who has been lusting after you the whole time (Phantom of the Opera)
Surprise—Your ancient family curse is still alive and well in modern day (Practical Magic)
With Christmas right around the corner, people are gearing up to surprise each other with gifts. Some will be pleasant; others may not. Either way, along with the season of giving comes the season of movie-watching. Themes of snow, coming home for the holidays, and shopping frenzies reign. I'm not much of a Christmas movie person, but my husband convinced me to watch a newer rom/com starring the main actress from The Vampire Diaries.
Thus, we curled up on the sofa and watched Love Hard.
The title is already subpar, but the plot was interesting enough. Online dating gone wrong with a "fake relationship" trope thrown in? It had promise. Both of us chuckled through most of the predictable plotline, but one scene changed it all for me.
I'm also a fan of movies that speak to my specific weirdness. This is the phenomena that occurs when one person adores a certain movie for the love of one trope or segment while another person can't stand anything about it. It all comes down to that tiny feeling of camaraderie—of feeling "seen." It triggers with this question:
Someone else thinks or gets that, too?
Even with more ways than ever to connect to others in modern day, an increasing number of people are incredibly lonely. We can often feel like we're the only ones who think or feel a certain way. Well, in one scene, Love Hard went from "Eh, this movie's got some charm, I guess" to "YES! I've been saying this all along!"
I felt "seen" during a "scene."
For that one reason, I would recommend the movie Love Hard to anyone who has ever truly listened to the lyrics of Baby it's Cold Outside and wanted to gag. Or file a restraining order against the jerk who won't let his girlfriend go home when she's practically pleading with him to respect her choice.
As it turns out, the main character in Love Hard finds the song just as repulsive as I do. When she's asked to sing it while caroling, her guy promises to sing the male parts and change them to make it "consensual." And the result is hilarious. I was cackling the entire time while my husband (he didn't know the song well) watched me go from mildly amused to on the verge of tears.
That one scene redeemed the entire movie for me. Forever. Yes, the rest of the plot had enough cheese to spike my bad cholesterol, but it connected with me in the weirdest possible way.
As an author, I hope I can trigger this kind of connection with my readers here and there. If I can help someone laugh, cry, or feel seen about a topic few others understand, that would also make my day. Behind the scenes, I'm the one writing all the weirdness. Knowing that there are others out there who dedicate a tiny portion of their brain to the same kinds of oddities helps negate some of my own feelings of loneliness.
Why else are we here, if not to connect with others and give them a boost?
Keep on smilin'!
コメント