Cloverdale Forever: How movies move us...

I recently re-watched a couple of movies that I enjoyed the first time I had seen them. I wanted to see them again and see if I could squeeze a little more out of them, a little better understanding of the story and more enjoyment.

Movies are not like books. A physical book that we've purchased or borrowed, is like a deep pool that will wait on us to discover and/or re-discover. We can stop reading, turn back a few pages and review, if we don't quite see the scope of the story. If we don't "get it", we can read more carefully or choose to read another book.

With a movie, the story plows on, cutting a trail through you, proceeding merrily along its way and you hope you caught the dialogue. You can go to the theater and see the movie six times or whatever if you have the money or a copy of the movie. I choose carefully, what movies I watch, knowing that the images and "FX" are likely to imprint themselves on my mind in ways that a book can't do.

Keep this thought in mind as you conduct your personal pursuit through the amazing wealth of entertainment offerings: What deserves your attention, time, and commitment? Will the ride be so remarkable that you will want to read a book twice or watch a movie again?

I'm sure that part of the answer to that query depends on what your are looking for when you reach for external sources of entertainment. Do you want relaxation, stimulation, political commentary, or just a good, well-written story that is crafted to make you suspend your reality?

I'm not a movie watcher in the sense of seeing a lot of movies; it's difficult for me to sit still unless I have traveled to a dedicated place, such as a movie theater. Sometimes, there's no one at home and a movie comes on television and I'm ready to dig in for the entire time, with a snack nearby...

Such was the case when I settled down in my recliner and watched those two movies (on different days). First movie I re-watched was "Julie and Julia".

I can't believe that the movie came out six years ago! When I am watching, I often have my computer in my lap (a laptop) and if I have a question, I can zip over to Wikipedia and read that Meryl Streep and Amy Adams had co-starred in two other movies.

The other movie that I recently watched was "Seabiscuit"; it is a story set in the relatively recent period of time and don't let it fool you into thinking it's just another horse story. Horse lovers will enjoy the movie, I think, but the courage and grace of "Seabiscuit" rubs off on the people, too.

What's a movie you'd like to watch again? What movie makes you want to go and read the book? What movie inspires you write in your blog or rethink your dream? Which character do you admire?