a screening (lyn)

The good thing about going to screenings or theater almost every day is that it forces me to have an early dinner, which almost always results in a deflated scale reading the next morning.

Take today, for instance.  I’m meeting Zelia at 7 for a 7:30 screening of We Need to Talk About Kevin.  I plan to leave by 6:30, which means eating by 6. The lemon-garlic roasted chicken from Fairway is outstanding.  I buy and eat less than half a chicken with some vegetables and a couple of black and white cookies.   I leave the house sated, and know, that without even tracking, I’ve stayed within my points.

Zelia is already in line for the movie by the time I arrive.  Atypically, the line stretches about two city blocks.  We slowly make it inside the theater, and down a flight of stairs.  Then, with about six people in front of us, an official looking person announces, “I’m very sorry, but we are out of seats.”  And, no one is allowed to stand. 

We hang around a bit, and a woman from Oscilloscope Pictures brings in two chairs so we can stay.  Being a voting member of BAFTA helps.  The movie is a harrowing story of a mother’s love for her psychopathic son, a son who early on displays signs of evil.  The movie ends and we learn that Tilda Swinton, the actress starring in the movie, is here for a Q&A.  I am always surprised at the intelligence and sensitivity that professional actors bring to their craft.  It’s a great interview.

I leave grateful for living in New York City, where surprises like Tilda Swinton just happen.  But more importantly, I leave grateful for having such a normal child.