Movies matter now more than ever
People exit an AMC theater March 14, 2020, in Los Angeles. Californians wanting to escape the new reality of the coronavirus at the movies, casino or amusement park are running into the six-foot rule. State health officials issued new guidance Saturday urging theaters to keep attendance under 250 people and ask strangers to sit six feet apart. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Is anyone watching movies to distract themselves from….assignments? Perhaps boredom? Or are you watching because you feel the need for laughter and “a feel-good, everything is going to be okay” message in these uncertain times?
If the answer is “yes”, to any of these questions, then we appreciate that movies matter now more than ever.
Movies not only provide a temporary escape from our daily realities, but through them, we immerse and illuminate our understanding of ourselves, and the world around us. We can live vicariously through a movie’s character and experience both their journey and their feelings. It’s through that lens, we may be able to more realistically see our journey and feelings, and just maybe, find resolution and peace.
My top pick to understand the importance of movies in our lives is the 1985 Woody Allen masterpiece, ‘The Purple Rose of Cairo”. The comedic love story perfectly captures the harshness of the times and our need for escapism during those times. We come to appreciate that cinema is a legitimate form of escapism where art imitates life and life imitates art.
On April 1, 2020, the Los Angeles released a list of movies to watch and to entertain. It’s a great list that can help temporarily escape from our daily lives. All movies can be found on major streaming platforms.
Movies not only entertain, but they can educate and inform. Most of us knew nothing about HIV and the aids epidemic until Tom Hanks, played the character of aids positive Andrew Beckett, in the 1985 movie, “Philadelphia”. His character put a human face on the personal and social impact of a disease most of us didn’t understand. The movie changed the national conversation and it played an important role in formulating a medical response to the epidemic.
Flash forward to 2020 and the importance of understanding the COVID-19 pandemic the world is experiencing. Our very own Manny the Movie Guy, from NBC Palm Springs, offers his instructive list of “pandemic movies.” “I’ve learned a lot from watching my list of movies,” Manny said. “For instance, the term ‘social distancing’ was first introduced in the film, Contagion, nine years ago. The most important thing I’ve learned from these movies is that society will prevail.”
It’s through movies we see our humanity and yes, our cruelty. We gauge our progress in life and humanity.
What touches us in movies, changes us.
Movies now more than ever matter. Keep watching.
And please remember that kindness and goodness will lead the way!
