My Love For Movies

In this post I will examine why I like movies so much and in what ways they benefit me.

To begin with, movies are just all around pleasant experiences. When you walk into the movie theater, you are bombarded by a host of sensations that are both enjoyable and soothing. The smelling popcorn while waiting in line to get your ticket and being frozen to death while watching a huge screen with brilliant imagine quality and amazing sound engineering is, for me, a favorite pass-time.

This, however, does not explain why I just love movies in general. I don't have to go to the theater to feel like watching a movie and I don't have to go to the theater to enjoy one. I believe that I watch movies because of the escapism it creates. When I'm watching a movie alone on my computer, I am escaping reality. I am joining the stars in the realm of fantasy that they create so expertly. I am in the movie, with them. I feel with them. I cry with them. I love with them. I can be anybody who I want to be: a bad guy trying to steal the show, a beautiful woman who captures the attention of the attractive protagonist, or a bystander in the background who watches all the action occurring. Movies create the same sensation for me that books do. They create the same alternate life and the same feeling of being someone greater than I already am.

But all this makes one wonder, how can escaping from what is real benefit a person? Why pretend to be somebody else when you could be out there achieving what the guys on the screen achieve? Well, let's put it this way, when I imagine myself as these other people I am more inspired to become like them. All of the qualities that I feel are good and redeeming in the characters I watch become part of me when I finish the movie. I develop a sense of person, a sense of belonging yet individuality, and I know better what I desire in my own life. By becoming a character, I believe in myself more and I feel better about myself. In my mind I go, "Yes! I can so totally do this!!!" rather than, "Oh, I'm not good enough...".

I do not think it is a waste of time to watch movies. I think they help me. They calm me, inspire me, create me. They fill me with pride and optimism when I'm feeling down. They help me relax after school, work, and life. After watching a movie, I feel like I can do anything. I have more stamina, more energy, and more will-power. In general, movies are just plain good for me...like a vitamin.

So that's why I watch and love movies. Thank you for reading. :3