Amazingly Rude At The Movies
Wednesday - September 15, 2010
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Del.icio.usI recently saw Inception at Ward Theatres, and it was good, really good - complex, character-driven, action-packed and absolutely the kind of brainteaser you want to absorb, pay attention to and then talk about later with friends.
You do not want to spend a chunk of the film trying to block out the annoying interaction between cranky child and clueless mother. But that’s exactly what happened to me and a theater full of annoyed customers.
The child did not want to be there. It was obvious. Perhaps the first clue was the crying. And when he wasn’t crying, he was fussing. Mom was absolutely, inhu-manly dumb. I do not say this lightly. How else do you describe a woman who tries to shush her child over and over and over, and when that fails, ignores him? OK, maybe dumb isn’t the right word. Thoughtless. Selfish. Obtuse - oh, wait, that means dumb. Hmmm. Any other words come to mind?
She did (finally!) carry the baby out - only to stop in the corridor before she reached the door. There she stood, watching the movie while her child fussed in her arms - not thinking or caring that we all could still hear them!
And then she came back, plunked down into her seat, and ignored the whimpering baby again.
At this point I was seriously contemplating getting up to go find an usher, but the guy next to me decided he’d had enough and yelled, “Take the kid out!”
Whoa. It worked. She took the baby out. He was my hero! I think everyone else felt that way, too.
So for a while we relaxed. We concentrated on the movie. It was great. Leo DiCaprio was spot on. That girl who played Juno was good, too. And Ken Watanabe? Love him in everything he’s done.
Aaaaand then ... she came back. With child.
I could feel the people around me collectively tense up, waiting for the inevitable squeak, whimper, sob or scream.
Surprisingly, it didn’t happen, but the damage had been done. This one woman - I’m not blaming the child - had ruined the experience for the rest of us.
The toddler was quiet for a while, and started acting up again right before the film ended. By this time it was too late to matter. And the mom picked up the kid and left before the credits hit the screen.
The fact that she fled told me she knew she’d upset a lot of people. It also meant she didn’t give a darn.
Really, I waffled about reporting the disturbance until it was too late to do anything about it, and so did everyone else because no one wants to be the bad guy. That’s especially true when it involves a child. But it would have been easier on everyone, including the unhappy toddler, if one of us had taken action sooner.
Just a quick note: This is Hunger Action month, and the Hawaii Foodbank has put out word that it has just about 11 days worth of food in its warehouse. It’s a scary time of year - right in between the successful food drive and the holiday season - when donations are down. Way down.
If you think you can help, here’s a suggestion: To “Drive Out Hunger in Hawaii,” Farmers Insurance Hawaii employees have joined with Lex Brodie’s Tire Company, Napa Auto Parts and the Boy Scouts to support the Hawaii Foodbank and all those who rely on its services. You can make a donation at any of these businesses and organizations - and thank you!
For more information, or if you’d like to donate online, go to hawaiifoodbank.org.
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