I hadn't. Almost a year ago, I was wandering through a store as Spike returned a Christmas gift of some kind, and on the shelf was a Best Picture Collection of five movies. Since The Sound of Music was one of them, I figured that alone was worth the ridiculously low price. Viewing the other four would be the icing on the cake, certainly making me more cultured and refined.
On New Year's Eve, just a few days later, we watched The French Connection, one of the Oscar-winning movies in this collection. Oh. So. Boring. I fell completely asleep and missed the beginning of 2010 altogether. I can only assume that no other movies were made during that year, which is why it won Best Picture in 1971.
So I didn't watch any more of them. I kept planning to. I kept thinking that probably I would enjoy at least one of the remaining three. But don't you just hate wasting an evening on a movie that doesn't work for you?
Even if it's not as bad as Skyline, it's still a few hours of your life you'll never get back.
Last night, Spike was working, so finally - 11 1/2 months later - I pulled out the Collection again. I put the 1941 Oscar-winner on the big, flat-screen TV, positioned couch pillows for maximum comfort, and was gently transported to another time, another place, where community is strong, and work is respected, and hard times are seen as part of life, offset by joyful moments. I found myself reminded of my grandparents. Although they were farmers, not coal miners, the strength of character was similar.
How Green Was My Valley.
Not a chick flick, despite the cover.
A truly excellent movie.
