We had a Netflix movie sitting on our television stand since December. December. In case you're wondering, the DVD inside the red envelope was The Way We Were. I don't know why we waited so long to watch it, but I do know that when I popped it in the mailbox to return it, I felt relieved. We can finally get a new movie. I don't have to feel badly every month because I'm paying for a service that we don't really use. I am obviously the ideal Netflix customer.
But here's the important part: I liked the movie. I'm on a bit of a 1960's/1970's kick lately (The Graduate, Barefoot in the Park, The Good-Bye Girl) but these movies tell stories differently than movies today. The people who wrote The Way We Were really trusted that their viewers were somewhat informed, somewhat intelligent, somewhat invested. It's about love in a confusing time, which is made even more confusing when politics are mixed in. The characters are majorly flawed, and mistakes are made, but the film confronts that head-on. It's worth mentioning though that if this movie was made today, the end would have been very different due to society expectations and film industry pressures for happy endings.
This weekend, we also saw Friends With Benefits and found ourselves comparing it with other recent romantic comedies that we've seen lately. It was one of the best romantic comedies we've seen in a while, mainly because it was romantic but not in a mushy way, and comedic but in a smart, snappy way. There were lots of pop culture references, the dialogue was realistic and, if I'm being honest here, the stars, Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, are adorable. Friends With Benefits trusted that its viewers would get and enjoy the fun, yippy conversations and the darker, less-fun family situations. It's kind of like The Way We Were with a happy ending, if you'll allow me to majorly oversimplify.
Anyway, I can't wait for the next movie on our queue to arrive and to share more Movie Mondays with you. I hope you all had wonderful weekends! xo
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