TMT: “Snap out of it!”
This is the next entry in a Theatre… a Movie… and a Time, a series begun here. While my earlier ‘date’ post logged my eye-opening revelation of who I came to notice, it was with this movie-going experience that changed it all. Besides, this installment in the series seems fitting because today is that person’s birthday.
Loretta Castorini: “You ruined my life!”
Ronny Cammareri: “No, I didn’t.”
Loretta Castorini: “Oh, yes, you did! Oh, yes, you did! Y’know, you got them bad eyes, like a gypsy, and I don’t know why I didn’t see it yesterday. Bad luck! That’s what it is. Is that all I’m ever gonna have? I should have taken a rock and killed myself years ago.”
Theatre
Movie
Time
January 16, 1988: Y’know, good, or even great, ‘first’ dates happen. Like bad ones, they occur often enough. It’s the “separating the wheat from the chaff” that’s the hard part. I’ve now concluded, it is the follow-up social engagement, whether the first was a good or bad one, that sets the tone or breaks the connection between two people. I dated enough to find that out… the hard way.
The really rare instances are those where circumstances, or people, in your life become unclouded. Clear as a bell, sometimes, surprisingly so. Guess I came to realize that because it happened to me. Just like that…exactly once. My second movie date with the significant woman who would later become my wife, and be the mother of my children, was the phenomenon described.
Oh sure, the year before had been the usual mess, what with unexpected health scares, but things were beginning to look up.
Like our previous rendezvous a week earlier, she met me at the movie theater — I still wasn’t allowed to pick her up from her place. Although, that restriction would soon be lifted. The Wilshire Theatre, aka NuWilshire Theatre, was in the area I made my home at this stage in my life — Santa Monica. I’m not really sure why I suggested the romantic comedy Moonstruck for this gathering, but she did agree to it.
However, this date seemed totally different from the first. Coincidentally or not, like the character of Ronnie in the film, I could feel the world around me shifting when I was with her this time. Luckily for me, I didn’t hesitate or attempt to pull back, like other times in my existence. I watched the movie with her, and that was all the world I needed. Then, and ever since.
Happy Birthday, my love.
“Loretta, I love you. Not like they told you love is, and I didn’t know this either, but love don’t make things nice – it ruins everything. It breaks your heart. It makes things a mess. We aren’t here to make things perfect. The snowflakes are perfect. The stars are perfect. Not us. Not us! We are here to ruin ourselves and to break our hearts and love the wrong people and *die*. The storybooks are *bullshit*. Now I want you to come upstairs with me and *get* in my bed!”
The entire series can be found here. If you’re interested how it’s put together, click here.
It Rains... You Get Wet 
16 Responses to “TMT: “Snap out of it!””
aw how sweet…Happy birthday to your wife.
I have never heard of Moonstruck let along see it.
That last quote is very interesting…probably very true if I have already married 😉
This series makes me wonder, don’t you ever watch in 1 theater over and over again? I always go to the same theater because it is the closest
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I will pass along your congratulations, Novroz. Very kind of you. Moonstruck is a very passionate romantic comedy with roots in New York City and the Italian-American community there. This is also the film where Cher and Olympia Dukakis won their Best Actress and Supporting Actress Academy Awards.
As to your last question, when I was young that was pretty true (though, it was a small set of theaters I’d frequent). However, Los Angeles is a large city and has many, many film venues. So, I guess I (still) enjoy exploring the various movies halls because a great deal of my personal history is there. Coincidentally, last night I found this article that somewhat speaks to that.
Thanks very much for your comment and readership, Novroz :-).
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Oh, happy belated birthday to A!
I’ve heard about this memory before but it’s still romantic every time. I’m so glad you became “unclouded” after this experience because you probably avoided getting slapped and being told to snap out of it.
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I’m glad I avoided the slap, too ;-). Thanks, Elyse.
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Lovely post Michael, this makes me appreciate my own little woman even more. I too met her and since then she was the only world I needed. She made mine a little brighter. She’d call me an ol’ romantic because she isn’t but I make up for it. Thanks for this Michael.
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That is equally lovely to hear, Ronan. It seems we have another thing in common besides cinema, my friend. Best to you and your lady, and thanks.
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Again, all I can say is HEART!
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Great post. Thanks for commenting on my review.
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Thank you.
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That is great, sharing the movie going experience has long been something I like to share with dates and now, my wife!
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Many thanks, mummbles.
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