MY SATC Experience
This past weekend, as payback for our seeing Iron Man (twice) and Narnia, and
after countless successful attempts at avoiding going to see "Made of Honor", I
finally had to give in to my wife, and go see a movie of *her* choosing. The
movie we went to see? Well, let me give you a hint: it didn't have
fedora-sporting action heroes or psycho murderers. It had nothing to do with
space aliens or superheroes. After all, it was her turn to pick the movie, and
I knew what would be on the bill. Indeed, as we drove around Atlanta on
Saturday, enjoying the sunny day, I didnt even bother *asking* "Do you want to
see a movie?" let alone, "What movie do you want to see?
We both knew what was on the agenda: the inevitable, inescapable call of the
quartet of saucy\crazy\messed up\dysfunctional\emotionally stunted women who
make up "Sex and the City". She knew, I knew it, so rather than waste words I
just drove for the theatre, going to meet my fate like a man trudging from the
death house to the gas chamber.
So to the death house I went, dropping my wife off, watching her bound eagerly
from the car like a gazelle, while I tried to find a parking spotno easy feat
given that the whole city of Atlanta seemed to be there.
Walking longingly past the posters of Downey in his high tech armor (hey good
that movies good enough to see a third time!) I entered a theatre packed with
hordes of excited women. And I mean hordes. They were everywhere: young women,
old women, women in small groups, women in large groups, all chattering
excitedly. White women, Latin women, and surprisingly to me for a show with
no Black star outside of Blair Underwoods brief stintlots and lots of black
women, also chattering excitedly.
And yes, there were men too, though they were outnumbered a good four or five
to one, from what I saw. But they were there, some dudes like me, with looks of
resignation or desperation on their faces, some with looks of profound boredom,
hanging on to the arm of their excitedly chattering mate. There were a fair
number of older dudes who seemed pretty much okay with their fates. (Guess when
youve been married since the Cold War, compromise is a way of life). About
the only guys I saw who really seemed to *want* to be there were those whod
come in groups with othermen, and they were chattering excitedly amongst
themselves every bit as much as the women.
The oddest thing to me, a non-fan, was the way some women were dressed: there
were women dressed up in near formal wear, as if going out to a fancy dinner.
There were lots of young girls (many of the black ones), in serious party
clothes: short skirts, exposed midriffs, bright colors, lots of makeup. At
first I honestly thought that some kind of photo shoot or marketing event was
going on. But no, looking around I realized this was all about Sex and the
City and its dedication to fashion. I watched enough of the series to know
that the main star was known for her love of fashion, especially shoes, and
that the clothes the women wore were often as much a part of the show as the
characters themselves. So no, no model photo shoot, no radio station sponsored
clothing contest, just a bunch of excited women paying homage to a show they
love. Kinda like dress up at a midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture
Show, just with better fashion, and no burnt toast.
Inside, the movie experience itself was a trip. The first half hour, as Carrie
and the love of her life Big (the big nosed dude from Law and Orders early
days) talked about getting married, was really slow to me. Lots of bad
one-liners, characters making *sure* they portrayed their clichéd selves to the
hilt: the nympho, the uptight lawyer, the Pollyanna, the
I-cant-live-without-Big. Nothing super clever or earth-shattering taking
place, just more of the same old-same old from the series, from what I could
tell.
And yet, while bored out of my gourd, I noticed that everyone around me was
really enjoying it. The smallest joke would bring guffaws of laughter, the most
predictable plot devices elicited oohs and he aint worth it! from all over
the theatre. At one point in the early going, when I was already wondering if
I could take another two hours of recycled jokes and predictable plotting, I
took at look the people around me. Everywhere, everyone was sitting transfixed,
eyes straight ahead and twinkling with merriment, faces to a man and woman
frozen with the goofiest grins. There could be just a shot of a building
onscreen, and people would be grinning. Two characters hugging, and people are
grinning. And those small jokes were still bringing big laughs to all.
It was like everyone had drunk the Kool-Aid but me. I turned to my wife to make
a comment on this eerie zombie land into which wed fallen, but she was too
busy staring at the screen, eyes transfixed, a permanent grin frozen on her
face. Aaagh! Defeated, I settled in for what I figured would be a good nap.
But something happened along the way.
Im not sure when it was. Maybe when a bit of seriousness was dropped among the
sex jokes and one-liners, something thatd make me say Hmm. Thats a good
point. Maybe it was me as a guy having to comment on the view of guys
portrayed onscreen, pulling me into the whole thing. Maybe it was reluctant
sympathy for the pathetic star having spent ten years chasing Mr. Big Nose.
Maybe it was the hot dog, popcorn and candy lulling my defenses. Or maybe its
just hard for one disgruntled guy to hold out in a theatre of brainwashed happy
people. Dont know. But wonder of wonders, slowly, so slowly, I actually
started enjoying the movie!
Now hold on, hold on! I aint saying I was *ecstatic* about it, like all the
drones around me. I mean, Id still have rather been watching Tony Stark test
his boot jets and blast bad guys. But I had to admit that SATC at least was
decent enough to hold ones attention. I soon found myself laughing along with
the rest of the crowd at Samanthas latest sexcapade, chuckling at Charlottes
impossible naiveté, wondering why any man would put up with the severe
actingand lookingMiranda, and why they chose Mr. Big Nose as the unlikely
Prince Charming for the main star. Heck, I even found myself asking my wife
for background info, so I could get up to speed on the characters back
stories. In my defense, the story got better as the movie went along, and the
actors are all fairly engaging, even if their worldthat of New York middle
aged white womenis as far from mine as, I dont know, being a Republican.
But whatever the reasons, a full belly, a decent story, or mass hysteria, I
have to say I ultimately ended up enjoying myself at Sex and the City. It was
hokey, predictable, a bit too obviously geared toward pleasing fans. Hudsons
role could have used some more seasoning. (Its not much past the standard best
friend/assistant/sassy Sister cliché. Not offensive, well-intentioned, but not
really necessary either). I forgot the whole thing by the next day. A good
movie on Lifetime could give it some stiff competition. But hey, there are
worse things than giving the people what they want, especially if theres a
chuckle of too along the way. And I have to admit, in a youth and
surgery-obsessed world, it was at least something to see a bunch of over-40
actors and actresses carry a film.
So in the end, I survived my SATC experience, and even found a way to have a
good time. I do love the movie going experience, and it was fun to be among a
crowd of people having such a good time. And later, as the hundreds of
still-grinning people filed out of the theatre, it was nice to see that one of
them was my wife, who was very much pleased by my sacrifice. Hours later, when
I actually found myself *voluntarily* talking about the film and relating it to
real life, that goofy grin was still on my wifes face.
Surely that alone is worth the price of admission?
Next week: Not sure what Ill see, but itll have lots of killing, guns, and
explosions.
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