There are some films that become favorites because they touch us so deep emotionally. Often we will watch them over and over again to re-experience that depth of emotion.
Some films may give you a sense of exhilaration or awe. Others provoke deep thoughts about the meaning of life and the mysteries of the Universe. And what can be better than a movie, sometimes absurdly ridiculous, that makes us laugh out loud everytime we see it?
But one of the favorite types of movies for repeated viewings is the tearjerker. Allegedly more popular with women than men, but I suspect that is just chauvinist propaganda. Men choke up watching feats of bravery and sacrifice, particularly with the make bonding in war films or a sentimental tribute to one’s father.
Women will cry at happy endings in a rom-com, or at the triumphs of a woman overcoming some horrible threat to her family. They may cry in empathy at sad stories about divorce or loss, or at stories about the joy of becoming a mother. Sometimes we just cry tears of relief after the tension and suspense of a film holds our rapt attention to our limits.
There’s a story playing out now before our entire county. It’s kind of a mystery and definitely a spy movie. There’s almost “Citizen Kane” like hubris at work, and the tragedy of an entire nation in peril. There are spots of comic relief here and there, thank God, as they keep it from becoming so dark and depressing that all hope of happy ending flew out the window. There’s just enough hope for most of us to keep us watching, and not get ahead of ourselves assuming a certain conclusion.
After all the gasps of shock and tears of emotional pain, this will eventually end, as all things do. Better with a sense of justice prevailing, for sure, than the cynicism that nice guys finish last. It might haunt our dreams for a while, like after a scary movie.
But when we all finally leave the theater, let’s pray that we go back to our humdrum lives feeling uplifted, with every thing being all right again in the world.