Movies

As our children grow and we get older I have been faced with a movie viewing problem.

I finally got our son to bed at 9 PM last night so that my husband and I could watch Captain Phillips.   Yes, we are far behind in our movie viewing and here is why: my son is not old enough for PG 13 and if we start a movie we have to finish it in one sitting (my husband's rule) and I get so caught up in the movie if it is at all stressful or tense I am a wreck when we are trying to go to sleep.

On a Friday night we are both too exhausted from our week to stay up until 11 watching a movie, Saturdays we are usually out with friends and Sunday we should go to bed to prepare for the week but that is the only night we generally can watch a movie.  I try to scurry the kids off to bed earlier- which never really works and then we settle in to finish out the weekend with the movie we rented Saturday.

Last night I was so caught up in the tense situation of the movie that I found myself picking at the side of my nail, shifting positions in my seat and taking laps around the couch, and of course I was unable to fall asleep.  I asked my husband about his movie viewing experience and he said it isn't real, it is just entertainment.  I know this but I still associate with the characters in the movie and emphasize with them.

I don't think the director and actors who are putting so much effort into their work want us to just watch the movie as an unattached observer.  I think they want us to feel the story.  Making me their perfect audience.

Yet, my ability to so closely associate with the emotions of the movie wreaked havoc on my sleep last night.  I think I only managed a few hours after I was finally able to unwind and let go.

I cannot limit my movie viewing to only happy comedic movies before going to sleep but neither can I send my children away in the middle of the day so their dad and I can watch a movie and leave myself enough time to work it out of my system.  Weekends are about family time and I don't want them to think that a movie is more important than they are.  I think I may have to skip these types of movies for the next few years, let my husband watch them on his own and keep a list of what I want to see.  If you can see another solution- as much as I have tried I cannot disassociate myself from them so that is not a viable solution- I'd love to hear it.

I hope you all had a restful weekend and your work week is off to a good start.