Relationship with a film robot

Dating a film robot should leave the imprint of a glamorous lifestyle in your mind. Right? It's the secret world of endless trivia about such and such actor/ director/ producer/ actress/ writer/ production designer etc etc. It's the invitation to participate in conversations that start with things like: What are your three favorite sub-genres? What do you think of Errol Morris' interview technique versus traditional documentary questioning? Let's watch Hal Ashby's films in order of release! What's your favorite Whit Stillman film? These questions and statements are endless.

I've recently been seeing SJ (pictured, in the midst of a studying session), a culturally with it girl who likes movies but has never embraced them the way I have. They entertain her but she is "normal" as they don't consume her free time the way they do with me at times. In a way I feel kind of sorry for her when I want to blather on about some small character actor role or when I try to convince her of the artistic genius of The Bad News Bears or The Terminator (two no-brainers!). She listens, I'm just not sure she's really listening.

As you can see by the photo--SJ has taken to the challenge of being involved with a person who watches a couple hundred films a year. I have high hopes of introducing her to enough great older films that she will one day embrace my love for 1930s movies. First screwball and then who knows what? She loves documentaries, even the bleak and the depressing ones, so that's something we have to build our future on.

I also kind of envy her because as we talk more about film I discover what she hasn't seen that I will try to talk (or coerce!) her into watching in the future. After my exclamations ring out, "You haven't seen Pulp Fiction! You haven't seen A Fish Called Wanda! You haven't seen Hands on a Hard Body!" I add these films to a growing list that is tacked up on my frig: SJ's MUST SEES!!! I'm envious too because she gets to see incredible films for the first time and the first time, no matter what you are doing, is always the most magical, memorable time.