Summertime might mean a lot of things to different people. A few might be excited for the chance to go camping. Others might see this as the time for them to get their gardening done. Some might look forward to the family vacation to Disneyworld. Ever since I can remember, I’ve looked forward to the summer movie season. The quest for that summer’s great film became a ritual that my family still performs, though perhaps not as religiously as when we were all younger. Those summer adventures have been the pegs on which I hang some of my most important memories.
One of my favourite summer movies as a kid (I know I’m dating myself) was E. T. Here’s this unpopular kid who finds an alien! He gets special powers! He got to fly across the moon! I begged every relative I had in my small eastern town to take me. I saw it in the theatres five times, and whenever I hear John Williams’ score soaring it still takes my heart with it, racing across that moon. E.T. made one of the toughest summers I’ve ever had endurable.
As I grew up, other movies became the summer flick I had to go see as many times as I could. The Never-ending Story I saw while ‘suffering’ (insert preteen angst) through a family camping in P.E.I. Willow was playing in an old release theatre when I got to see on the big screen with my dad. Time spent alone with him was and is scarce and treasured. Independence Day was the next huge blockbuster I had to see with my friend who was soon to move away. Pirates of the Caribbean I saw with my mother just after her open heart surgery. The movies and memories always seem to go hand in hand.
I am moving this summer to a new city. I don’t know anyone there, yet. My next real-life adventure is going to be upon me too soon. But I look forward to finding this year’s summer flick, to tuck away in my memory box so I can say ‘That’s the movie I saw when…’
What’s your favourite summer flick movie or memory?
Jaws.
My family and I were on holidays at the beach (I grew up in the Outback, so any time spent near water was amazing in itself). My mum and I had walked to the caravan park’s amenities to clean up before dinner. We saw there was a movie just about to beginning in the rec. hall. We thought we’d see which one and then go get Dad and my brothers. Instead, we watched the whole movie. I was 10. Imagine a small country girl who rarely saw running water watching a movie about a giant killer shark while on holiday at the beach. Mum didn’t go near the water again for the rest of the time we were there. I went looking every day for the big bloody thing – fishing rod in hand
I was never the same after that. I think it began my obsession with horror movies.
A little over two years ago, my mom and I went down for the birth of my sister’s baby, and spent the afternoon hanging around town waiting for the good news. We saw Wild Hogs g
Elle Parker
http://elleparkerbooks.blogspot.com/