It’s time for Ketchup With Us, hosted by Mel and me on the 1st & 15th each month. Today, we’re talking about firsts. ANY firsts. Tell us about one in your life. Or just link up an old post. You decide.
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Tomorrow is my son’s first day of school. He’s going to be a freshman in high school. Don’t even get me started on that one. I’ve already cried twice today and it had absolutely nothing to do with that. For the most part anyway.
With Vivien already entrenched in her school, I wanted to do something special with Dean today on his last day of summer. Something besides just prepping all of his clothes and supplies. And last night, I finally decided what that something special would be. It’s a timely choice for his age as well as for this week. Plus it gives me the opportunity to share something with him from my youth.
I’m not sure I’ve seen this movie since it first played in theaters. Back in the year Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Nine. (Doesn’t it feel like that should be written on parchment paper? Preceded by “in the year of our Lord.”) I can’t believe this movie is now twenty-five years old. I could tell Dean wasn’t completely sold on my selection.
“But, Mom … it’s soooo old.”
“And it looks boring.”
“Wait. It’s about school? And boys reading poetry to each other? Wow. I can’t wait.”
Okay, so he didn’t actually say any of those things. But I could read them all over his face. After all, this movie offered no planet-altering explosions. No spectacular special effects. And nobody like Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg or whoever else plays the smartass/hero in teen movies these days. It couldn’t possibly be any good.
What do I know? I’m just a mom.
But I didn’t care. I sat him down, found it on Amazon and clicked “purchase.” He’s a smart kid. I knew he’d like it if he gave it a chance. Plus, from the very beginning, there were kids smoking and cursing enough to distract him from the fact that this was an “intellectual” film. (I have absolutely no idea why I used quotes there.)
Fortunately, my gamble paid off. He had a few questions during the movie. We paused it once or twice so I could (over-) explain a thing or two. And, by the time we got to the pivotal scenes, he was fully invested. So I could cry quietly without fear of eye rolling and snickering. I assume 99% of you have seen the movie in which case you already know what I’m talking about. To the 1% who haven’t, I have no intention of spoiling it for you. Do take the time to see the movie in its entirety. Soon. And don’t watch the following clip. It made me cry today. For an entirely different reason than why it made me cry back in 1989.
Dead Poets Society. It’s a great movie to revisit. Compelling, stimulating. I’m glad I was with Dean when he saw it for the first time. He’s already asked when we can watch it again. Because he wants his sister to see it. And he wants to be there when she sees it for the first time.
Because it’s that kind of movie. I get it, Dean.
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Our esteemed Ketchup With Us Featured Writer from last time is …
bethere2day
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BEHIND THE KETCHUP
Click here to read how this foolishness all began.
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WE give you a picture* to inspire you to KetchupWithUs.
YOU link up something Fabulous!
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* In honor of firsts, we’re reposting the first picture prompt we ever used for KetchupWithUs … back in the year of our Lord Two Thousand and Twelve. 🙂
OldDogNewTits 
Just dropped off my daughter yesterday at college. She is a freshman. It was an interesting feeling.
Oh, Patrick. I can’t even imagine.
Definitely one of my favorite movies of all time. William’s was brilliant in it! Such a genius mind and beautiful, yet tortured soul. He is going to be greatly missed by so many.
Agreed. Still seems like we’ll all wake up and realize it was just a bad dream.
One of my favorite movies. My email address begins with carpedm because of it and the sound clip I hear when I receive an email is Robin Williams’ line from the movie describing what carpe diem means. Such a tragic loss. I’m glad your son enjoyed the movie.
I love that. Nice reminders. 🙂
I don’t have a close relationship with my mom, but what I do have is a fond memory of seeing that movie in the theater with her and my sister, laughing and crying together as she passed me Twizzlers that had been smuggled in from home. And years later, in my first acting class, for my first assignment, I performed a dramatic recitation of “O Captain! My Captain!” because of that.
That man definitely made an impact. On just about everyone.
My Max is going to be a freshman this year too. *sniff*. I think I need to sit him down and watch this one too. On the night we all got the terrible new about Robin Williams, he came into our room looking really alarmed (and he doesn’t really do alarmed very much). “Did you guys hear about Robin Williams?” We were a little surprised he knew who Robin Williams was. But then, it isn’t so surprising. He appealed to generations and did so many types of films. It’s really fitting to show a coming of age movie like Dead Poets to our impending Freshmen. (Just as soon as I can get him to stop shouting into his Xbox Live.) 1989. That’s the year I met Kevin. The year of Our Lord…lol. Yeah, that was a looong time ago. But hey, at least the movie was in color. So there’s that. 😉
Let me know how the viewing goes. It’s definitely a very timely film to experience with your boy right now, Linda. 🙂
Can’t stop watching this before. Made me realized how much I love words. #ww
Fab film and an excellent choice to share with him, I hope all goes well for him at school 🙂
Have a movietastic week and thanks for featuring my blog 🙂
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Happy Wednesday, thanks for sharing on Oh My Heartsie Girl this week!!!
Times does go by very fast… There are mix feeling about watching our children grow right.
Have a great day and good luck to your boy!
One of my all time favorite movies. Sweet to share with him the magic of Robin Williams! I loved him and his movies!