My mom will tell you that one of the first movies I saw in the theater made me cry. Well, let's be real here. The woman took me to see Bambi! Even the daughter of a hunter is going to shed a tear at that one. Hell, if I'm being honest with you, I still do! I own Bambi and Bambi II on DVD and when I'm feeling nostalgic, I will pull them out to watch.
Funny enough, I don't remember that event, but I do remember another. My grandma took us grandkids to see For the Love of Benji. If you remember Benji, you know he was this tough little dog who had some great adventures.
I was a little girl, all dressed up with ribbons and bows. My grandma made the grandsons sit closer to her because, well, they were a bit more rowdy than I. There were two teenage girls sitting beside me. We were sitting in the small theater in my hometown and I was so excited to be at the movies! It was a big deal for me! The movie is playing and all is going well. Grandma had hushed the boys for probably the millionth time. Then, Benji gets hurt! OMG! It devastated my world! How could that happen? And I, once again, burst into tears!
Looking back, I feel so bad for those girls sitting beside me that day. They simply wanted to see a movie and they get stuck next to a little girl whose heart broke over an animal getting hurt on the screen. The one girl put her arm around me and comforted the sobbing mess that was me. "Look," she said, "see? Benji is going to be fine!" The little dog had gotten up and was alive!
I made it through the rest of the movie just fine. The boys, of course, had to tease me. Grandma said "It was only a movie! What were you crying for?" (She was always a bit more baffled by me. She loved having a granddaughter, but my sensitivity was a bit much for her at times.) We went across the street to Circus Circus (which is now a parking lot) for ice cream afterward.
Let me tell you something: An animal gets hurt in a book or on the screen? Even at my age, I still cry! I've always had a soft heart when it comes to animals and I'm fairly sure I always will. (I watched I Am Legend and refuse to watch it again!)
Tomorrow it will be 18 years since my grandma left this earthly realm and I miss her each and every day. However, I remember so many times I got to spend with her, doing fun and amazing things. This is just one!
Tell me: What was the first movie you remember seeing?
