Okay, this post is less about the actual movie itself, and more about my experience of watching it. Let me preface this by stating that I love movies, and I love watching them in the theater. Let me also say that I was spoiled when I lived in Austin by the Alamo Drafthouse, where movie etiquette is still in effect. At the Drafthouse, children are not allowed, there is delicious food available and alcohol to drink, and if you talk, are on your cell-phone or are just plain being an ass, you will get a talking to, or even kicked out. So yeah, I'm spoiled. But as movie going gets more and more expensive I get even more frustrated when people act a damn fool at the theater.And so begins my evening. Rickey and I decided we wanted to go see Up in the Air, and had a craving to just go in the middle of the week, as opposed to waiting till the weekend like normal. We thought it might be a better experience since it was likely that less people would be there and it might be a more chill crowd. The theater wasn't packed, but it also wasn't as empty as I had anticipated, so that was an instant bummer. As we're waiting for the movie to start, and people are still filing in, a mom with a kid who must've been only 5 or 6, strolls in and sits two rows behind us. Now, I didn't know too much about this movie going in, and though I was sure there wouldn't be large amounts of violence or nudity or craziness, I was also pretty sure it's not for children that young. I have two major problems with this: 1. Children should not be taken to movies that are inappropriate for them since they will be either be scarred for life or totally lost, and 2. It fucks things up for everybody else. I love kids. I'm all for taking kids to movies meant for them. I think it's fun and it helps them learn theater etiquette. But parents, please, don't drag them out to grown up movies. It's rude. It costs alot to see a movie nowadays and I really don't need my nice quiet dramedy ruined by your kid who is confused and bored. That's your fault, not theirs, so don't yell at the kid when you're the idiot. Go home, watch some Spongebob. This is not hard.
So anyways, the kid is kinda chattering as the movie begins, and then this older fellow sits at the end of our row. I didn't realize he'd be a problem until the first few laugh moments of the movie rolled out. Everytime something funny or interesting would happen, he'd let out a very pert and loud "Ha!" or "Heh, Heh!" like some type of ridiculous sitcom background actor. I'm sure he's a nice man, but it was a bit much.
In addition to the child and Crazypants McGee, about 7 minutes into the movie, 2 girls and a guy walk in and sit directly behind me and Rickey. As they're getting settled we hear them pull out all kinds of candy and food in loud wrappings. They proceed to eat like potheads through THE WHOLE DAMN MOVIE and their ridiculous wrapper noises ruined several scenes (at one point I looked behind me in utter disgust and caught the guy's eyes dead on and I must've shamed him for he immediately ceased his eating for a good while). The girls also chatted away with each other for quite some time, and when Anna Kendrick came on screen, one turned to the other and said "Like omigod, she was in Twilight." I don't know what the hell provoked them to go see this movie.
I was able to enjoy the movie, and then as As the climax began to build and the resolutions were rolling out, the theater was pretty lax andClooney finishes up his final monologue (and I can tell the movie is ending) the mom of the child decides its time to close up shop and starts packing all their shit away and making as much noise as possible, so the nice closing shot of silence was totally ruined. Thanks lady, you're a winner.
I really, really liked the movie and can't wait to watch it again in the peace and quiet of my own home. And I really recommend it for those of you who can watch it in a nice arthouse theater or something, where people aren't ridiculous. And the moral of the story is, until we can get our shit together enough to be able to watch a movie in public peacefully, I have no hope for our society.
