[Prudence]

Now that the Oscars are nearing once again, we're catching up on last year's nominees. (Okay, and we finally signed up for Netflix, which means we're busily cranking through all the things we've ever wanted to watch.)

So, we watched Slumdog Millionaire tonight. Perhaps it's just that other people heard it was so great and were disappointed and that we heard it was awful and were thus delightfully surprised. Regardless, I liked it rather a lot. I liked it's Bollywoodness (someone dies, destiny guides life, one couple ends up together, etc...) I liked that it took place somewhere else. I liked that it didn't have Hollywood stars that I had to spend half the film remembering that they weren't whatever character they played last.

Most of all, I liked the escapism. Maybe it's just this time in my life, but I'm starting to feel comfortable acknowledging that I want and enjoy escapism. Sometimes I feel like the only "real" movies are the downers. Apparently it's not Film unless I ponder the meaninglessness of life as the credits roll.

I didn't really comment on the Hurt Locker except to see that we'd seen it. Why? I could recognize that it was technically well done, but I have no urge to see it again and kind of wish I'd never seen it in the first place. There are big, horrible, sucktastic things going on with my family right now, and I don't want to be reminded of all the other sh!te going on out there, you know? Maybe I'm pathetic, but I have a limited capacity for attempted empathy. If I have to shoulder it all I'm going to end up in the fetal position around a box of Twinkies.

Anyhow, I like escape. I like movies where people are in love at the end. I am in love, and I want to watch movies where people act like I feel. I want to watch first kisses while I snuggle up against my sweetie and remember when. But most of all, when I see credits roll I want to feel like I should go do something positive -- be it seek out adventure, try out for a game show, make an outfit to go with the corset, or just be reminded of the many happinesses in my life.

Maybe other people are different. Maybe nihilism makes others thankful for what they have and invites them to look at how they can make a difference. Me - I feel immobilized. Maybe happy endings are by definition pablum, but they are what make my world turn in a sparkly, twinkly, rave party fashion.

So there.